Oryx gazella

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Gemsbok

G4Apparently Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101581
Element CodeAMALE11010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderArtiodactyla
FamilyBovidae
GenusOryx
Concept Reference
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Taxonomic Comments
Does not include O. beisa (Grubb, in Wilson and Reeder 2005).
Conservation Status
Review Date2006-02-03
Change Date1996-11-19
Edition Date2006-02-03
Range Extent Comments
Southwestern Angola (extirpated?), Botswana, Namibia, northern South Africa, and western Zimbabwe (Grubb, in Wilson and Reeder 2005). Introduced in the White Sands area of New Mexico (Reid and Patrick 1983).
Threat Impact Comments
Some populations have been extirpated by hunters.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Generally on arid plains.

Ecology

Basically gregarious, with herds of up to dozens or hundreds; herds may be allfemale or all male; males sometimes are solitary and territorial (Nowak 1991).

Reproduction

Adult females give birth at approximately 9-month intervals; gestation period is about 8.5 months; litter size usually is 1 (see Nowak 1991).
Other Nations (1)
United StatesNNA
ProvinceRankNative
New MexicoSNANo
Roadless Areas (2)
New Mexico (2)
AreaForestAcres
Ortega PeakLincoln National Forest11,545
West Face Sacramento MountainsLincoln National Forest41,176
References (6)
  1. American Society of Mammalogists (ASM). 2025. Mammal Diversity Database (Version 1.13) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10595931. Online. Available: https://www.mammaldiversity.org/
  2. Bradley, R.D., L.K. Ammerman, R.J. Baker, L.C. Bradley, J.A. Cook. R.C. Dowler, C. Jones, D.J. Schmidly, F.B. Stangl Jr., R.A. Van den Bussche and B. Würsig. 2014. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 2014. Museum of Texas Tech University Occasional Papers 327:1-28. Available at: http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/publications/opapers/ops/OP327.pdf
  3. Nowak, R. M. 1991. Walker's mammals of the world. Fifth edition. Vols. I and II. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, Baltimore. 1629 pp.
  4. Reid, W. H., and G. R. Patrick. 1983. Gemsbock (<i>Oryx gazella</i>) in White Sands National Monument. Southwestern Naturalist 28:97-99.
  5. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
  6. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 2005. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Third edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Two volumes. 2,142 pp. [As modified by ASM the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) at https://www.mammaldiversity.org/index.html]