The desert-dwelling gemsbok can survive without drinking water by eating melons and tubers.

Nature · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: This powerful antelope thrives in the harsh, arid landscapes of Southern Africa. By evolving to extract all necessary moisture from desert vegetation, it avoids the need for standing water. These resilient animals are so well-adapted to extreme heat that they have even established a thriving, non-native population in New Mexico.

The gemsbok, or Oryx gazella, is the largest species within the oryx genus. These robust, muscular antelopes are native to the dry, barren regions of Southern Africa, particularly the Kalahari and Namib deserts. While they are primarily grazers, they demonstrate remarkable dietary flexibility, shifting to browsing on foliage when grass becomes scarce during the dry season. To survive in environments where water is rarely available, they dig deep into the earth to uncover roots and tubers, and they consume moisture-rich wild cucumbers and tsamma melons.

Physiologically, the gemsbok is built for the open desert. They are gregarious animals, typically living in herds of 10 to 40 individuals. Their social structure is polygynous, with a dominant male securing mating access by herding females within his territory. Because they are crepuscular, they are most active during the cooler dawn and dusk hours, which helps them manage body temperature and detect predators more effectively. Both sexes possess long, straight horns, which females use to protect their young, while males use them to defend their territory from rivals.

The species has proven surprisingly adaptable outside its native range. In the late 1960s and 1970s, wildlife officials introduced 93 individuals to the Tularosa Basin in New Mexico. This population has since expanded significantly, with current estimates suggesting around 3,000 gemsbok now inhabit the region. While these animals are prized by hunters for their impressive horns—which can reach lengths of 85 centimeters—their presence in the Chihuahuan Desert has created ecological challenges. Despite their success in North America, they remain a quintessential symbol of the African desert, standing about 1.2 meters at the shoulder and weighing up to 240 kilograms.

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