The Oryx, or Gemsbok as it is often also called, is a large, handsome grey, white and black antelope with long, sword-like horns and a long black tail that inhabits arid habitats in the western half of Southern Africa. It thrives in a diversity of dry places and is a water-independent species.
Oryx are nomadic, moving in small hears to utilize scattered resources. They wander huge distances to find food, often congregating in hundreds where thunderstorms have yielded green growth.
The Oryx deadly horns are its defensive weapons against lions or hyena, and they have been known to reverse into thorn bushes to protect the rear end while dealing with a predator.
This is an extremely desert-adapted species with a low metabolism and water requirements, and behaviour that accommodates energy and water conservation. This includes lying in the shade when it is hot or orientating the body to expose as little surface area as possible. They dig for water in dry riverbeds and use cooler times of the day and night for activities, as grazing then renders vegetation highest in moisture.
