Oryx
Encyclopedia
Oryx is one of four large antelope
species of the genus
Oryx. Three of the species are native to arid parts of Africa
, with a fourth native to the Arabian Peninsula
. Their pelage is pale with contrasing dark markings in the face and on the legs, and their long horns are almost straight. The exception is the Scimitar Oryx
, which lacks dark markings on the legs, only has faint dark markings on the head, has an ochre
neck, and horns that are clearly decurved.
The Arabian Oryx
was only saved from extinction through a captive breeding
program and reintroduction to the wild
. The Scimitar Oryx, which is now listed as Extinct in the Wild
, also relies on a captive breeding program for its survival. Small populations of several oryx species, such as the Scimitar Oryx, exist in Texas
and New Mexico
(USA) in wild game ranches. Gemsbok
s were released at the White Sands Missile Range
and have become an invasive species
of concern at the adjacent White Sands National Monument
.
word Ὂρυξ, Óryx, for a type of antelope. The proper plural form is óryges, although oryxes has been established in English.
(Oryx leucoryx, Arabic: المها), the smallest species, became extinct in the wild in 1972 from the Arabian Peninsula
. It was reintroduced in 1982 in Oman
, but poaching
has reduced their numbers there. One of the largest populations of Arabian Oryx exists on Sir Bani Yas
Island in the United Arab Emirates
. Additional populations have been reintroduced in Qatar
, Bahrain
, Israel
, Jordan
and Saudi Arabia
. As of 2011 the total wild population is over 1000, and 6000–7000 are being held in captivity. In 2011 the IUCN upgraded its status to Vulnerable, the first species to have come back from Extinct in the Wild to Vulnerable status.
, also called Scimitar-horned Oryx (Oryx dammah), of North Africa
is now listed as possibly Extinct in the Wild. However, there are unconfirmed reports of surviving populations in central Niger
and Chad
, and a semi-wild population currently inhabiting a fenced nature reserve in Tunisia
is being expanded for reintroduction to the wild in that country. Several thousand are held in captivity around the world.
(Oryx beisa) inhabits eastern Africa, and the closely related Gemsbok
(Oryx gazella) inhabits southern Africa
. Neither is threatened, though the former is considered Near Threatened
by the IUCN. The Gemsbok is monotypic
, and the East African Oryx has two subspecies; East African Oryx "proper" (Oryx beisa beisa) and the Fringe-eared Oryx (Oryx beisa callotis). In the past, both these were seem as subspecies along with the Gemsbok.
Between 1969 and 1977, the New Mexico
Department of Game and Fish intentionally released 93 gemsbok into its state's White Sands Missile Range
, and that population is now estimated between 3,000 and 6,000 animals.
Within the state of New Mexico, oryxes are classified as "big game" and can be harvested with the proper license, however the quality of the hunt may be affected by military regulation of the missile range.
. The horns are lethal — the oryx has been known to kill lions with them— and oryxes are thus sometimes called the sabre antelope (not to be confused with the Sable Antelope
). The horns also make the animals a prized game
trophy, which has led to the near-extinction of the two northern species.
Antelope
Antelope is a term referring to many even-toed ungulate species indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelopes comprise a miscellaneous group within the family Bovidae, encompassing those old-world species that are neither cattle, sheep, buffalo, bison, nor goats...
species of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Oryx. Three of the species are native to arid parts of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, with a fourth native to the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
. Their pelage is pale with contrasing dark markings in the face and on the legs, and their long horns are almost straight. The exception is the Scimitar Oryx
Scimitar Oryx
The Scimitar Oryx, or Scimitar-Horned Oryx, is a species of oryx which formerly inhabited the whole of North Africa. It has been classified as extinct in the wild by the IUCN.-Etymology and taxonomy:...
, which lacks dark markings on the legs, only has faint dark markings on the head, has an ochre
Ochre
Ochre is the term for both a golden-yellow or light yellow brown color and for a form of earth pigment which produces the color. The pigment can also be used to create a reddish tint known as "red ochre". The more rarely used terms "purple ochre" and "brown ochre" also exist for variant hues...
neck, and horns that are clearly decurved.
The Arabian Oryx
Arabian Oryx
The Arabian Oryx or White Oryx is a medium sized antelope with a distinct shoulder hump, long straight horns, and a tufted tail. It is a bovid, and the smallest member of Oryx genus, native to desert and steppe areas of the Arabian peninsula...
was only saved from extinction through a captive breeding
Captive breeding
Captive breedingis the process of breeding animals in human controlled environments with restricted settings, such as wildlife reserves, zoos and other conservation facilities; sometimes the process is construed to include release of individual organisms to the wild, when there is sufficient...
program and reintroduction to the wild
Arabian Oryx Reintroduction
The Arabian Oryx , also called the White Oryx, was extinct in the wild as of 1972, but was reintroduced to the wild starting in 1982. Initial reintroduction was primarily from two herds: the "World Herd" originally started at the Phoenix Zoo in 1963 from only nine oryx and the Saudi Arabian herd...
. The Scimitar Oryx, which is now listed as Extinct in the Wild
Extinct in the Wild
Extinct in the Wild is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa, the only known living members of which are being kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range.-Examples:...
, also relies on a captive breeding program for its survival. Small populations of several oryx species, such as the Scimitar Oryx, exist in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
(USA) in wild game ranches. Gemsbok
Gemsbok
The gemsbok or gemsbuck is a large antelope in the Oryx genus. It is native to the arid regions of southern Africa, but formerly some authorities included the East African Oryx as a subspecies...
s were released at the White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range is a rocket range of almost in parts of five counties in southern New Mexico. The largest military installation in the United States, WSMR includes the and the WSMR Otera Mesa bombing range...
and have become an invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
of concern at the adjacent White Sands National Monument
White Sands National Monument
The White Sands National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located about southwest of Alamogordo in western Otero County and northeastern Dona Ana County in the state of New Mexico, at an elevation of 4235 feet...
.
Etymology
The term "Oryx" comes from the GreekGreek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
word Ὂρυξ, Óryx, for a type of antelope. The proper plural form is óryges, although oryxes has been established in English.
Arabian Oryx
The Arabian OryxArabian Oryx
The Arabian Oryx or White Oryx is a medium sized antelope with a distinct shoulder hump, long straight horns, and a tufted tail. It is a bovid, and the smallest member of Oryx genus, native to desert and steppe areas of the Arabian peninsula...
(Oryx leucoryx, Arabic: المها), the smallest species, became extinct in the wild in 1972 from the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
. It was reintroduced in 1982 in Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, but poaching
Poaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
has reduced their numbers there. One of the largest populations of Arabian Oryx exists on Sir Bani Yas
Sir Bani Yas
Sir Bani Yas is a natural Island located southwest of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It lies offshore from Jebel Dhanna, which serves as a crossing point to other islands such as Dalma. Sir Bani Yas is from north to south and from east to west making it the largest,...
Island in the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
. Additional populations have been reintroduced in Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. As of 2011 the total wild population is over 1000, and 6000–7000 are being held in captivity. In 2011 the IUCN upgraded its status to Vulnerable, the first species to have come back from Extinct in the Wild to Vulnerable status.
Scimitar Oryx
The Scimitar OryxScimitar Oryx
The Scimitar Oryx, or Scimitar-Horned Oryx, is a species of oryx which formerly inhabited the whole of North Africa. It has been classified as extinct in the wild by the IUCN.-Etymology and taxonomy:...
, also called Scimitar-horned Oryx (Oryx dammah), of North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
is now listed as possibly Extinct in the Wild. However, there are unconfirmed reports of surviving populations in central Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
and Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
, and a semi-wild population currently inhabiting a fenced nature reserve in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
is being expanded for reintroduction to the wild in that country. Several thousand are held in captivity around the world.
East African Oryx and Gemsbok
The East African OryxEast African Oryx
The East African Oryx , also known as the Beisa occurs in two subspecies, Common Beisa Oryx found in steppe and semi-desert throughout the Horn of Africa and north of the Tana River, and Fringe-eared Oryx south of the Tana River in southern Kenya and parts of Tanzania...
(Oryx beisa) inhabits eastern Africa, and the closely related Gemsbok
Gemsbok
The gemsbok or gemsbuck is a large antelope in the Oryx genus. It is native to the arid regions of southern Africa, but formerly some authorities included the East African Oryx as a subspecies...
(Oryx gazella) inhabits southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
. Neither is threatened, though the former is considered Near Threatened
Near Threatened
Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...
by the IUCN. The Gemsbok is monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
, and the East African Oryx has two subspecies; East African Oryx "proper" (Oryx beisa beisa) and the Fringe-eared Oryx (Oryx beisa callotis). In the past, both these were seem as subspecies along with the Gemsbok.
Between 1969 and 1977, the New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
Department of Game and Fish intentionally released 93 gemsbok into its state's White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range is a rocket range of almost in parts of five counties in southern New Mexico. The largest military installation in the United States, WSMR includes the and the WSMR Otera Mesa bombing range...
, and that population is now estimated between 3,000 and 6,000 animals.
Within the state of New Mexico, oryxes are classified as "big game" and can be harvested with the proper license, however the quality of the hunt may be affected by military regulation of the missile range.
Ecology
All oryx species prefer near-desert conditions and can survive without water for long periods. They live in herds of up to 600 animals. Newborn calves are able to run with the herd immediately after birth. Both males and females possess permanent horns. The horns are narrow, and straight except in the Scimitar Oryx, where they curve backwards like a scimitarScimitar
A scimitar is a backsword or sabre with a curved blade, originating in Southwest Asia .The Arabic term saif translates to "sword" in general, but is normally taken to refer to the scimitar type of curved backsword in particular.The curved sword or "scimitar" was widespread throughout the Muslim...
. The horns are lethal — the oryx has been known to kill lions with them— and oryxes are thus sometimes called the sabre antelope (not to be confused with the Sable Antelope
Sable Antelope
The Sable Antelope is an antelope which inhabits wooded savannah in East Africa south of Kenya, and in Southern Africa.-Subspecies:There are four subspecies:* H. n. niger which is considered low risk conservation dependent...
). The horns also make the animals a prized game
Game (food)
Game is any animal hunted for food or not normally domesticated. Game animals are also hunted for sport.The type and range of animals hunted for food varies in different parts of the world. This will be influenced by climate, animal diversity, local taste and locally accepted view about what can or...
trophy, which has led to the near-extinction of the two northern species.
Classification
- FAMILY BOVIDAE
- Subfamily Hippotraginae
- Genus HippotragusHippotragusHippotragus is a genus of antelope which includes three species. The species are:* Roan Antelope, Hippotragus equinus* Bluebuck, Hippotragus leucophaeus †* Sable Antelope, Hippotragus niger...
- Genus Oryx
- Scimitar OryxScimitar OryxThe Scimitar Oryx, or Scimitar-Horned Oryx, is a species of oryx which formerly inhabited the whole of North Africa. It has been classified as extinct in the wild by the IUCN.-Etymology and taxonomy:...
, Oryx dammah - GemsbokGemsbokThe gemsbok or gemsbuck is a large antelope in the Oryx genus. It is native to the arid regions of southern Africa, but formerly some authorities included the East African Oryx as a subspecies...
, Oryx gazella - East African OryxEast African OryxThe East African Oryx , also known as the Beisa occurs in two subspecies, Common Beisa Oryx found in steppe and semi-desert throughout the Horn of Africa and north of the Tana River, and Fringe-eared Oryx south of the Tana River in southern Kenya and parts of Tanzania...
, Oryx beisa (formerly in O. gazella)- East African Oryx (sensu stricto), Oryx beisa beisa
- Fringe-eared Oryx, Oryx beisa callotis
- Arabian OryxArabian OryxThe Arabian Oryx or White Oryx is a medium sized antelope with a distinct shoulder hump, long straight horns, and a tufted tail. It is a bovid, and the smallest member of Oryx genus, native to desert and steppe areas of the Arabian peninsula...
, Oryx leucoryx
- Scimitar Oryx
- Genus Hippotragus
- Subfamily Hippotraginae