Oryx gazella beisa

(not found in the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem)

(Note: a close relative that differs very little from the Beisa oryx is found in remote parts of the Serengeti. It is the fringe-eared oryx (O. g. callotis). The noticeable difference between the two is the dark fringe of hair growing from this species’ ears.)

Length: 153-170 cm (61-68")

Height: 115-125 cm (46-50")

Tail: 45-90 cm (18-36")

Weight: 116-209 kg (255-460 lb.)

Status: declining but not endangered

Habitat: Oryx are fond of acacia savannas but they are also very much at home in deserts. They can get by on very little water.

Role: herbivore

Food: Oryx eat desert grasses but they will also browse. They dig up tubers, roots and bulbs.

Predators: lions, leopards, spotted hyenas