Addax are the most desert-adapted antelope, they can go their entire lives without drinking, garnering sufficient moisture from its food. In order to escape the desert heat and sun, addax are mostly active during the night. However, their vision in low light is not very accurate, causing them to rely heavily on their sharp sense of smell and hearing at night. During the day, they will dig "beds" into the sand, where they rest and take shelter from sandstorms. Addax are nomadic and travel in herds of 5 to 30 individuals. Older animals, especially females, are usually dominant.
Description
Addax have comparatively heavy bodies and large heads, on top of which they have impressive spiraling horns. In the summer, they have light-colored coats, but in the winter they become darker in color. Addax are marked with white on their legs and bellies, but their foreheads are brown.
Status in the Wild
The addax has long been extinct in most of North Africa, but significant populations still existed in places such as Mauritania, Chad, and Nigeria until the early 1970s. However, hunting, drought, and agricultural encroachment into deserts have contributed to the addax's decline. Over-hunting is a major cause of decline. Mechanized hunting (vehicles and automatic weapons) is significant.
Conservation Programs
Adopt an Addax