Eudorcas

mammal genus

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 17, 2026

Quick Summary

The genus Eudorcas is a group of gazelles, which are fleet-footed, medium-sized antelopes belonging to the family Bovidae. These animals are known for their slender limbs, level backs, and long necks. Traditionally, gazelles were placed in the genus Gazella, but modern taxonomic classifications, using genetic analysis, have reclassified some species into different genera.12

Eudorcas now includes three species, all native to Africa: Thomson's gazelle, the red-fronted gazelle, and the Mongalla gazelle. These gazelles are adapted to arid environments and can survive by extracting moisture from plants, as they often live in waterless regions. They are known for their selective feeding habits and efficient water conservation, including concentrated urine and moisture extraction from fecal pellets.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

gazelle
…Mongalla gazelle—have become the genus Eudorcas. The Gazella genus as traditionally defined includes eight species that occur only in Africa, five that occur only in Asia, and one species that occurs both in Africa and Asia. In the revised classification, Gazella contains ten species—three exclusively African, five exclusively Asian, and…
Read More
…Mongalla gazelle—have become the genus Eudorcas. The Gazella genus as traditionally defined includes eight species that occur only in Africa, five that occur only in Asia, and one species that occurs both in Africa and Asia. In the revised classification, Gazella contains ten species—three exclusively African, five exclusively Asian, and…
Read More