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Mammal. The gemsbok is a large antelope who has adapted to live in hot, dry areas where most large mammals cannot. They survive by getting water from fruits and vegetables and can withstand temperatures ranging up to 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit). They spend most of the day inactive and in the shade. A male gemsbok weighs between 167 to 209 kilograms (367 to 460 pounds), with a height of about 1.2 m (4 ft). The gemsbok's horns are nearly straight and almost parallel, averaging about 76 centimeters (30 inches) long, and have been known to impale an attacking lion. |
| Scientific
Name |
Lifespan |
| Oryx gazella |
18 to 28 years |
| Diet |
| Herbivore. Seedpods, fruits, and grass. |
| Predators and Threats |
| Lions, leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyenas, wild dogs, and humans. |
| Habitat |
| Dry savannah woodland, rocky areas, sand dunes; Kalahari and Namib Deserts, Southern Africa. |
