by Verdana » Fri Jan 10, 2025 11:40 pm
Username: Verdana
WME Name: !Nxa (dental-palatal click on the x) - meaning a nice, satisfying thing in Nama
What else is a South African Oryx known as? The Gemsbok (scientific Oryx gazella)
What is this equids habitat & diet like? !Nxa is a lone stallion, orphaned by his equid herd and taken in by a solitary female gemsbok who had lost her calf. He does not know that he is any different and will seek company within small gemsbok herds. Very few equids have ever been seen in his territory.
This is because the Namib desert, which he calls home, is not very montane. He exists on the rocky outcrops and sheer cliffs on either side of the Gariep river, avoiding the desert dunes of the coast and the flat sandy Kalahari to the east. Grazing is sparse, so in lean times he can be seen browsing scrubby fynbos or soutslaai, the succulent and salty plant that grows best in Namaqualand, where he gets most of his moisture. In good times, he ventures north into Namibia. On occasion he has been spotted in the famous Brandberg Mountains, pawing for shining stones.
When times are hardest, the droughts stretch over years and even the succulents shrivel, !Nxa will venture across the dunes to the coast, where he glumly munches on seaweed (his least favourite food) until the next rains come. He is sighted most when it rains, since he likes to follow the flowers that pop up and graze on their drying petals. His favourite snack is hardy !Nara melons (rind, seeds and all). Less favourable are the bitter Tsamma melons, but he'll give them a go too. He seems to prefer kicking them, or swinging them around by the vine.
Last edited by
Verdana on Sat Jan 11, 2025 12:12 pm, edited 3 times in total.