Antelope vs. Gazelle: What’s the Difference?

For safari enthusiasts and wildlife lovers, few sights compare to watching graceful antelope and gazelles bounding across the African savannah. But telling them apart can be surprisingly tricky, even for experienced safari-goers. If you’ve ever wondered about the differences between these elegant creatures, you’re not alone. Let’s clear up the confusion and help you become an expert at identifying these magnificent animals on your next safari adventure.

Understanding the Terminology

First things first: all gazelles are antelopes, but not all antelopes are gazelles. The term “antelope” refers to a diverse group of hollow-horned mammals in the family Bovidae, which includes about 91 species. Gazelles represent just one subset of this larger antelope family.

Think of it like squares and rectangles—every square is a rectangle, but not every rectangle is a square. Similarly, while gazelles share the core characteristics that define antelopes, they have specific features that set them apart from their cousins like impalas, kudus, and wildebeests.

Thomson’s Gazelle

Physical Difference Between Antelope and Gazelles

Size

Size is one of the most obvious distinctions. Gazelles tend to be on the smaller end of the antelope spectrum. Thomson’s gazelles—fondly called “Tommies” by safari guides—stand just 25-30 inches at the shoulder. Compare this to a greater kudu (another type of antelope), which can reach nearly 60 inches tall!

Hartbeest Antelope

Dama Gazelle

Color and Coat

Gazelles are easy to spot thanks to their distinctive two-tone coats—lighter undersides paired with darker backs and flanks. Many, like the Thomson’s gazelle, feature bold black side stripes and striking facial markings such as white eye rings and cheek patches that contrast with darker forehead lines. Their sandy brown or reddish-fawn coloring blends well with grassland and semi-desert habitats.

In contrast, other antelopes show more coat diversity: nyalas display sexual dimorphism with shaggy gray males and chestnut females, kudus and bongos have bold white stripes, bushbucks have white spots on reddish coats, and male elands turn bluish-gray with age. These variations often reflect habitat-specific camouflage needs.

Horn Structure

Horn structure offers another key differentiator. Gazelles typically sport ringed, lyre-shaped horns that curve backward then forward. While both male and female gazelles usually have horns, the females’ are much thinner. In contrast, other antelope species display remarkable horn diversity—from the corkscrew horns of the greater kudu to the straight, parallel horns of the oryx.

Kudu Antelope

Thomson’s Gazelle

Body Structure

Body structure reveals additional clues. Gazelles are built for speed and agility with slender legs, a tapered nose, and a lightweight frame. Many feature distinctive face markings and side stripes. Other antelopes come in varied shapes, from the massive barrel-chested wildebeest to the stocky hartebeest with its elongated face.

Speed and Movement: Masters of the Savannah

When it comes to movement, gazelles are the ballerinas of the savannah. They’re famous for their bounding leap called “pronking” or “stotting,” where they spring into the air with all four legs stiff, seeming to bounce across the landscape. This distinctive behavior serves as both a predator warning and a display of fitness.

Thomson’s gazelles can reach speeds of up to 60 mph in short bursts—crucial for escaping cheetahs, their main predators. While many antelopes are swift, gazelles have evolved specialized adaptations for high-speed evasive maneuvers, including enlarged hearts, lungs, and nostrils.

Other antelopes show different specializations. The massive eland prioritizes endurance over speed, while the impala combines impressive speed with extraordinary leaping ability, capable of jumps over 10 feet high and 30 feet long!

Dik Dik Antelope

Rhim Gazelle

Habitat, Behavior, Diet, and Social Life

Diet and Feeding Habits

Gazelles are primarily grazers, feeding mostly on grasses, but many species also browse on leaves, shoots, and herbs—especially during dry seasons when grass is scarce. Their diet shifts based on habitat and availability, allowing them to survive in arid or semi-arid environments. Gazelles tend to feed during the cooler hours of morning and late afternoon to avoid the heat, and they get much of their moisture from plants, reducing their need for open water sources.

In contrast, other antelopes show more specialized diets: kudu and nyala are mainly browsers, feeding on shrubs and trees, while species like wildebeest and hartebeest are bulk grazers that rely heavily on fresh grass after rains.

Habitat and Distribution

Gazelles have adapted primarily to open grasslands and semi-arid environments. Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles thrive in the East African savannah, while species like the Dama gazelle have specialized to survive in the harsh conditions of the Sahel and Sahara regions.

The broader antelope family occupies virtually every habitat type across Africa:

Kudus and bushbucks prefer woodland areas
Waterbucks stay close to water sources
Wildebeest dominate the open plains
Oryx have adapted to extreme desert conditions

This habitat diversity explains why different safari destinations will reward you with entirely different antelope viewing experiences.

Springbok Antelope

Grant’s Gazelle

Social Structure

Gazelles typically form small to medium-sized herds with a loose social structure that can change seasonally. Thomson’s gazelles often gather in herds of 10-30 animals, though they may join larger aggregations during migration. Males establish territories marked with secretions from their preorbital glands.

Social structures vary widely among other antelopes. Impalas form large harems controlled by a dominant male. Kudus are more solitary, with males often living alone. Wildebeest gather in massive herds numbering in the thousands during migration.

Behavior

One behavior that’s particularly pronounced in gazelles is their alertness. They’ll often take turns watching for predators, allowing other herd members to graze more comfortably. This vigilance, combined with their speed, helps compensate for their smaller size.

Oryx Antelope

Addax Antelope

Types of Gazelles and Antelopes Found in Africa

Gazelles in Africa

There are about 10 species of true gazelles found across the continent, mainly in the savannas, grasslands, and arid zones of East and North Africa. Some of the most well-known include:

Thomson’s gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii)
Grant’s gazelle (Nanger granti)
Dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas)
Dama gazelle (Nanger dama)
Soemmerring’s gazelle (Nanger soemmerringii)
Red-fronted gazelle (Eudorcas rufifrons)
Rhim (Slender-horned) gazelle (Gazella leptoceros)
Speke’s gazelle (Gazella spekei)
Cuvier’s gazelle (Gazella cuvieri)
Mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella)

Many gazelle species are adapted to drier, open landscapes and are known for their speed and alertness.

Antelopes in Africa

Africa is home to over 70 species of antelopes, found in a wide range of habitats—from dense forests to open savannas and deserts. Here are some notable species: