Addax: a two-minute wildlife lesson

More African Antelopes · day 7 of 7

Five facts

1. The addax changes outfits with the seasons: greyish-brown in winter, then almost all white or sandy blonde in summer.
2. The addax's scientific name means "spotted nose" in Latin, after the dark spots and markings on its face.
3. An addax can live almost forever without drinking. It gets moisture from food and dew on plants, and its stomach has pouches that hold water.
4. Its broad hooves have flat soles, like built-in sand shoes, so it can walk on soft desert sand.
5. A tidy eater: the addax trims some grasses neatly to the same height. With others, it skips the dry outer leaves and eats the tender shoots and seeds.

The quiz

1. What colour does the addax's coat turn in summer?

• Jet black
• Bright red
• Almost white or sandy blonde (correct)
• Dark green

It is greyish-brown in winter and nearly white or sandy blonde in summer.

2. What does the addax's scientific name mean?

• Spotted nose (correct)
• Long horn
• Sand runner
• White tail

Nasomaculatus comes from Latin words for "nose" and "spotted".

3. How does the addax manage without drinking?

• It digs wells with its horns
• It gets moisture from food and dew, and stores water in stomach pouches (correct)
• It drinks seawater
• It sleeps all summer

Its food and dew give it moisture, and pouches in its stomach store water.

4. What helps the addax walk on soft sand?

• Webbed toes
• Long claws
• Padded paws like a cat
• Broad hooves with flat soles (correct)

Its broad, flat-soled hooves help it on soft sand.

5. What does the addax do with some grasses as it eats?

• Pulls them out by the roots
• Trims them neatly to the same height (correct)
• Buries them for later
• Carries them to its calf

It tends to crop Aristida grasses neatly to one height.

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