The scimitar-horned oryx (or Oryx dammah) is an antelope that used to live in and around the Sahara desert in Northern Africa. The fur of the scimitar-horned oryx is cream-white in colour, fading to tan patches on neck, chest and legs. Their face is white with brown markings. They are named for their most distinctive feature, the long, ridged and backwards curving horns which exceed 1m in length. Scimitar-horned oryxes measure 1.3m to 2.4m in length and are 1m to 1.3m tall at the shoulder. Males are slightly larger and heavier than females, weighing between 140kg and 210kg, whereas females weigh between 90kg and 140kg.
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Oryx dammah
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scimitar-horned-oryx
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Animal Facts
Scimitar-horned oryxes are comfortable in temperatures of up to 47°C.
Scimitar-horned oryxes are adapted to living in the desert and as such, rarely need to drink.
Some hypothesise that the scimitar-horned oryx is the origin of the unicorn myth, as they can easily lose one of their horns; or appear as only having one horn when viewed from the side.
The horns of the scimitar-horned oryx are thin, hollow and made of bone. If an oryx loses one, it will not grow back.
In ancient Egypt and Rome, the scimitar-horned oryx was domesticated and likely used as religious offerings, game animals or food source.
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