The single species, A. lervia, occurs in highlands within the desert and subdesert zones from Morocco and Western Sahara to Egypt and Sudan. The general coloration is rufous tawny. The insides of the ears, the chin, a line on the underparts, and the insides of the legs are whitish. There is no beard, but there is a ventral mane of long, soft hairs on the throat, chest, and upper part of the forelegs.
Females also have prominent horns.
The aoudad is found mainly in rough, rocky, arid country. The almost total lack of vegetation tall enough to conceal this animal has seemingly resulted in its developing exceptional ability to hide by remaining motionless whenever danger threatens. Within its range, sources of water are few and far between, but it is usually able to obtain sufficient moisture from green vegetation and the dew that condenses on leaves during the cold desert nights. Nonetheless, populations decrease sharply during periods of drought. In captivity, the aoudad seems to like water and to enjoy taking a bath.