Fringe-eared Oryx
Oryx callotis
A grey desert antelope almost identical to the Beisa oryx but with prominent black tufts on the ear tips.
| Scientific name | Oryx callotis |
|---|---|
| Swahili name | Choroa Masikio |
| Conservation status | Endangered |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Artiodactyla |
| Family | Bovidae |
| Size | Shoulder height about 100-120 cm, weight about 100-200 kg; both sexes bear horns |
How to identify
Pale grey-fawn body with a black facial mask, a black band along the lower flank and long straight horns, very like the Beisa oryx; the surest difference is a conspicuous tuft of long black hair on each ear tip
Habitat
Semi-arid savanna, dry grassland and thornbush
Diet
Mainly a grazer, also eating leaves, roots and wild melons; can go long periods without drinking water
When it is active
Active at dawn and dusk, resting in shade during the heat of the day
Where it lives
A narrow range, found only in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania
How to spot it
Look on the arid plains from southern Kenya to northern Tanzania (e.g. Tsavo, Amboseli); focus on the black ear-tip tufts to separate it from the Beisa oryx
Photography tips
Emphasise the diagnostic black ear-tip tufts; use a side-on composition to stress the long straight horns against blue sky or arid plains
Threats
Poaching, habitat loss, drought and competition with livestock for resources; listed as Endangered
Similar species
Beisa oryx (almost identical but lacking the conspicuous black ear-tip tufts)
