These large African antelopes prefer dry, near-desert conditions and can survive without water for long periods. The smallest species, the Arabian oryx, is now almost extinct, and another, the scimitar-horned oryx of the Sahara is on the endangered list. Oryxes live in herds of up to 60 animals.
Newborn calves are able to run with the herd immediately after birth.
Both males and females possess permanent, narrow, straight horns. The female s are slightly longer and slimmer than the male s. These horns are quite lethal, and the oryx has been known to kill lions with them. They are also the reason this animal is sometimes called the sabre antelope.