(ôr'ĭks), name for several small, horselike antelopes , genus Oryx , found in deserts and arid scrublands of Africa and Arabia. They feed on grasses and scrub and can go without water for long periods. Oryxes are light in color with dark patches on the face and legs. They have slight shoulder humps, tufted tails, and long, straight or slightly curved slender horns that point backward. The gemsbok ( O. gazella ) is found in SW Africa. It is beige to brownish gray with brown to black markings; a large male gemsbok stands more than 4 ft (120 cm) at the shoulder and weighs up to 450 lb (200 kg). The East African oryx, or beisa ( O. beisa ) is similar but smaller, with shorter horns. It is found from Ethiopia south to NE Tanzania, with the fringe-eared oryx subspecies in the southern part of the range. The scimitar, or scimitar-horned, oryx ( O. dammah ) is native to the N African deserts and has long, back-curved horns. It is white with chestnut markings and a dark tail. It became extinct…