Scimitar Oryx

Weight:
The scimitar oryx weighs up to 220 kg (480 lb). 

Habitat:
The scimitar oryx inhabits the sub-desert lands - the transition zones between true desert (Sahara) and the Sahel, with a rainfall of under 200 mm (8"). It is found in rolling dunes, grassy steppes and wooded inter-dunal depressions. It very rarely penetrates either true desert or true sahel country (Newby 1980). 

Age to Maturity:
1.5 - 2 years. 

Gestation Period:
8 - 8.5 months. 

Birth Season:
Births peak in March and October. 

Birth Rate:
A female scimitar oryx has 1 young per birth. 

Maximum Age:
Up to 20 years. 

Diet:
The scimitar oryx eats a variety of grasses, as well as fruit and leaves. 

Behavior:
Herds of scimitar oryx migrate north into the Sahara during the wet season and return south at the beginning of the dry season. 

Social Organization:
The scimitar oryx is gregarious, living in groups with a wide range of sizes, generally up to 70 individuals. At certain times of the year, in areas of fresh pasture or surface water after rainfall, or during the wet season migrations, herds may number up to 1000 - in the past, considerably more. 

Mortality/Survival:
Observations in Chad showed that the scimitar oryx had an annual birth rate of approximately 12 - 15% of the total population, and recruitment after juvenile mortality may have been as high as 10 - 14% annually (Newby 1980).