A Dorcas gazelle stands only about 55–65 centimetres tall at the shoulder — roughly the height of a six-year-old child. But what it lacks in size it makes up for in speed: it can sprint at up to 80 kilometres per hour when it needs to escape a cheetah or eagle. Its long, slender legs are built for exactly that kind of explosive dash.
Dorcas gazelles have a clever trick for staying cool. Like a camel, they can let their body temperature rise during the hot day, storing the heat instead of sweating it away. Then at night, when the air cools, their body temperature drops back down. This means they use far less water than an animal that sweats all day.
In the Sahara, Dorcas gazelles eat a wide variety of dry shrubs, tough grasses and even acacia leaves — pulling the leaves off carefully to avoid the thorns. They live in small groups and are most active in the early morning and late afternoon when the temperature is lower. Their sandy-gold coats blend perfectly with the desert ground.