Gemsbok
Oryx range from South-West Africa, Botswana, Nambia, South Africa and Zimbabwe capable of living in arid deserts. During the daytime the Oryx lies in the shade and restricts its activity to early morning, late afternoon and night. It has the ability to survive without drinking water for the better part of a year.
Its long rapier-shaped horns are highly prized and sought after by many cultures and even sold as unicorn horns in medieval England. The body is light-grey with black stripes along its sides separating its white underside and darker area of the upper legs.
Oryx
Last Update 2014
Gemsbok
Gemsbok closely resemble the East African Oryx except the Gemsbok inhabits southern Africa and are the largest of the oryx. They have a brownish-grey to tan coat with a thin dorsal stripe running into their black tufted tail. A black stripe travels from the chin to the lower neck and flanks their belly on either side. Their lower leg is white (like socks) and upper is black with white splotches. Both male and female have horns.
Length: 77 – 85 inches
Height: 40 - 52 inches
Male Weight: 490 - 660 pounds
Female Weight: 220 - 460 pounds
Horns: Long rapier-shaped horns both male and female
East African Oryx
East African Oryx
East African oryx are very similar to the Gemsbok but do not have black on their hinds legs or at the base of their tail and a smaller. They inhabit the semi-deserts and brush savannas in eastern Africa.
Length: 62 – 74 inches
Height: 40 - 50 inches
Weight: 330 - 440 pounds
Horns: Long rapier-shaped horns both male and female 29 - 47 inches long
Scimitar Horned Oryx
Scimitar Horned Oryx
The Scimitar-Horned Oryx was native to Northern Africa extending from Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt, to Mauritania and Sudan. In the 1980's its numbers had declined and it was only native to Chad and Niger with a few individuals in Mali and Sudan. Currently the Scimitar-Horned Oryx is believe to have become extinct in the wild. They have a pale whitish color with brown markings on their face and a reddish neck and chest. They feed on grasses, herbs, roots and buds.
Body Length: 62 – 68 inches
Shoulder Height: 43 – 49 inches
Weight: 396 – 440 pounds
Horns: Curved backward reaching 36 – 43 inches and are very fragile. Both male and female have horns with the female's being more slender.
Arabian Oryx
Arabian Oryx
The Arabian oryx went extinct in the wild in the early 1970's. Before the 1970's they inhabited Sinai, Israel, Iraq and most of the Arabian Peninsula. Arabian oryx have since been reintroduced to Oman, Saudia Arabia, Israel, the UAE and Jordan.
They are capable of surviving harsh desert conditions. Their bright white coat reflects the sunlight to assist in maintaining their temperature while shovel-like hooves assist them in traversing sand. Their legs are brown with white bands around their ankles. They also have dark brown markings on the bridge of the nose, cheeks and triangular patch on the forehead. Males have a tuft of hair on their throat while both male and female's tails are tufted at the ends.
Body Length: 54 - 90 inches
Shoulder Height: 36 - 62 inches
Weight: 220 – 460 pounds
Horns: Curved backward reaching 23 - 59 inches long
Fringe-eared Oryx
Fringe-eared oryx are found in southeastern Kenya and northeastern Tanzania. They are fawn colored with a black stripe on their flanks and black bands on the upper half of their front legs. They have black stripes on either side and front of their face with a black triangular patch on the forehead. There is also a black stripe that travels down their neck. A short mane of brownish hair travels halfway down their backs. Then, of course, there are the tufts of black hair on the fringe of their ears.
Body Length: 60 - 67 inches
Shoulder Height: 43 - 47 inches
Male Weight: 365 – 460 pounds
Female Weight: 256 – 414 pounds
Horns: Slightly curved backward reaching 30 - 32 inches long