The Dama Gazelle (Nanger dama; formerly Gazella dama) is a species of gazelle. It lives in Africa in the Sahara desert and migrates south in search of food during the dry season. Their habitat includes open steppes, bushy, grassy steppes, semi-desert, and deserts, while their diet includes grasses, leaves, shoots, fruit, and especially Acacia leaves. After the rains return and the desert plants turn green, the gazelles move north back to the Sahara. Poaching and destruction of their habitat have greatly diminished their numbers, and they no longer live in large herds.
These animals are white with a tannish-brown head and neck. Both sexes usually have medium length ringed horns curved like an "S." Males' horns are about 14 inches long, while females' horns are much shorter. The gazelles' heads are small with narrow muzzles, their eyes are relatively large, and they have longer necks and legs than most gazelles. These animals are between 90 to 110 cm (35 to 43 in) tall at the shoulder, weigh between 40 and 85 kg (90-190 lbs) and have a life span of up to 12 years or 18 in captivity. An interesting fact is that after just a few days following birth, dama young are strong enough to follow the herd, and after a week, they are able to run as fast as the adults. They can reach running speeds of to up 100 to 110 km/h (62 to 68 mph).[citation needed]
Dama gazelles have been split into 7, 5, or 3 subspecies, with 3 the currently most cited number. These subspecies are the Addra gazelle, Dama gazelle and Mhorr gazelle. The dama gazelle is believed to be extinct in the wild, with both other forms critically threatened.
Damas are considered the largest type of gazelle, with incredibly long legs, which provide extra surface area on their body to dissipate heat, one of the many ways they stay cool in their hot desert environment. They also tend to need more water than some of their desert relatives, but they can withstand fairly long periods of drought. Unlike many other desert mammals, dama are a diurnal species, which means they are active during the day.
Always on the alert, dama use a behavior called "pronking" to warn herd members of danger. "Pronking" involves the animal hopping up and down with all four of their legs stiff, so that their limbs all leave and touch the ground at the same time. Males also establish territories, and during breeding season they actively exclude other mature males. They mark their territories with urine and dung piles and secretions from glands near their eyes.