Other desert adaptations are their white coats which reflect the heat. Oryx's body temperatures can rise to about 113 degrees. Fahrenheit without having to pant, which enables them to conserve water. AS the animal breathes, respiratory evaporation cools blood on the way to the brain. The herd consists of males and females with only the dominant male mating.
Gestation is nine months.
Prized for their horns and coat, Arabian oryx are endangered. Since motorized hunting and automatic weapons began in the mid 1940's, the Arabian oryx became extinct in the wild by 1972. A few were in private collections in Arabia, and in the World Her in the United States. This herd grew our of Operation Oryx, organized in 1962 by the Fauna and Flora Preservation society, to ensure the survival of the species in captivity. By 1982, ecological and social conditions in central Oman were stabilized enough for the release of a carefully developed herd.