In nature, there are amazing climbers - mountain goats. The dexterity of their movement through the rocky forges is legendary. Very cautious and shy animals. Because of the delicious meat, luxurious horns and high-quality skins, they were mercilessly destroyed. Some species have already disappeared from the vastness of our planet, some managed to be saved. In most countries where graceful and fearless goats live, hunting for them is prohibited.
Description
Mountain goats (photo in the text) belong to the genus of ruminant artiodactyls from the family of bovids. Some species are called capricorns, there are two species that live in the Caucasus, which are called tours. The similar anatomical structure and behavior of animals made it possible to combine them into one group:
- compact torso;
- powerful thickened neck;
- short head with a prominent, wide forehead;
- males have large hollow saber-shaped or straight horns, they are twisted near tours, females wear “decoration”smaller;
- large eyes with a rectangular pupil;
- large, very mobile ears, pointed at the ends;
- Tail is triangular, small in size, without hair on the underside;
- narrow cloven hooves covered with very hard hoof horn;
- females have only two nipples;
- on the beard, lower neck and chest hair is noticeably longer than on other parts of the body, goats do not have a beard; tolerate captivity without problems and breed well;
- shedding occurs twice a year, downs appear for the winter, the coat is longer;
- the glands that secrete an odorous secret are in the groin and at the root of the tail.
Usually the tur (mountain goat) is a muscular, graceful animal of medium size. Adult males weigh up to 150 kg, females up to 90 (depending on the species), height at the withers up to 100 cm, body length up to 180 cm. The color depends on the habitat. Wool has a protective color: yellow, black, gray. Perfectly climb mountains, strong, hardy, very cautious. The number of individuals in the herd ranges from 5-6 heads to several hundred. They graze in the morning and in the evening, in places of possible hunting for them they prefer to feed at night.
Classification
All mountain goats have a lot in common. However, they are divided into several types. The opinions of experts differ, some believe that there are no more than 2-3 species, all the rest are subspecies. Others are sure that there are about 10 species. They are "relatives" of mountain sheep. More distant "relatives" -chamois, gorals, snow goats. The mountain goat names are listed below with a brief description:
1. Markhor. A distinctive feature is the magnificent spiral horns, which are still mined by poachers. An interesting feature: the right horn is twisted to the left, and the left horn is twisted to the right, usually by 2-3 turns. Listed in the International Red Book, considered a species on the verge of destruction. They have excellent eyesight and hearing. Fairly large specimens:
- height at the withers - up to 100 cm;
- body length – 140-170cm;
- live weight of males - up to 120 kg, females - up to 60 kg.
2. Caucasian mountain goat. Zoologists divide it into subspecies:
- East Caucasian (Dagestanian);
- West Caucasian (Severtseva);
- Kuban.
They differ little from each other, mainly in size, coat color, size and shape of the horns. Average sizes for all types:
- height at the withers - up to 110 cm;
- body length - up to 165 cm;
- live weight - up to 100 kg.
Females are smaller. Protected by law.
3. Pyrenean goat (Iberian ibex). Compared to other species - medium-sized:
- height at the withers - 65-75 cm;
- body length – 100-140 cm;
- live weight -35-80 kg.
Different in fur color, black and brown colors predominate. It has graceful thin horns up to 75 cm in length.
4. Nubian ibex. The smallest members of the species. A distinctive feature is pronounced sexual dimorphism. Females are three times smaller than males. Horns are long, in males up tometers, in females within 30 cm, thin, one of the most beautiful. Males have a luxurious beard. Sizes:
- height at the withers - 65-75 cm;
- body length – 105-125cm;
- live weight - 26-65 kg.
Colour brown with white and black spots.
5. Alpine ibex (ibex). In this species, goats also "wear" beards. In winter, the coat color of both sexes is gray, in summer males are dark brown, females are reddish with a golden tint. The goats are decorated with meter-long curved horns, in goats they are very small, slightly curved. Sizes:
- height at the withers - up to 90 cm;
- body length - up to 150 cm;
- live weight - 40-100 kg.
6. Siberian ibex (Central Asian). A large animal, outwardly reminiscent of a domestic goat, but more lean, slender and muscular. The body is relatively short, the neck is muscular, the head is large with an elongated muzzle. The legs are thick, the hooves are wide. Male sizes:
- height at the withers - up to 110 cm;
- body length - up to 160 cm;
- live weight - 60-130 (autumn) kg.
The luxurious arched horns of males grow up to one and a half meters.
7. Bezoar (bearded) goat. Stocky, with strong limbs and broad hooves. Males for the winter change the color of the red coat to silver-white. The black stripes along the back and the black-brown color of the lower part of the muzzle remain unchanged. Females have a yellowish-brown coat at any time of the year. Sizes:
- height at the withers– 70-100 cm;
- body length – 120-160cm;
- live weight - 25-95 kg.
Habitat
Mountain goats (photo in natural conditions) today can be found in a number of mountainous regions of Central Europe and the Mediterranean: individual islands of the Greek archipelago, northeast Africa, the Caucasus, Altai, Central and Central Asia, the Sayans, northern Pakistan and India, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, northern Italy. Scattered habitats of mountain goats are all that remains of the once continuous vast territory from the Mediterranean to Ireland and from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to India. Habitats of different species do not overlap.
Animals inhabit hard-to-reach rocky slopes. With amazing dexterity and fearlessness, they move through impregnable mountains. Their entire anatomical structure is adapted not to fast running, but to climbing and jumping. They avoid large open spaces. They live at an altitude of 500 to 5,500 meters above sea level. Usually, the genus group lives almost in one place, only if necessary leaving the usual area. They descend from the mountains exclusively during the harsh winter months, in search of food.
Food
Mountain goats eat trees and shrubs, herbaceous vegetation, lichens, mosses. They are able to eat dry leaves, branches, thorns, even poisonous plants. The love of goats for the bark of young trees significantly harms forest plantations. In mountainous areas, the scarcity of the diet forces the animals to spend most of their time looking for food.
In the summer months, mountain goats are actively gaining weight, grazing mainly in the cool hours. In the heat, they lie down in the shade, chewing gum. In winter, the search for food goes on almost around the clock. Mineral supplements, especially s alt, are an important dietary supplement. Goats find s alt marshes in the mountains, sometimes overcoming dozens of kilometers.
Reproduction
Mountain goats are polygamous animals, lead a herd lifestyle. Adult males prefer solitary living, and only for the time of mating unite with goats in small herds. The beginning and duration of the rut is characterized by specific features. It is curious that in territorially neighboring species they have especially large differences. Apparently this is how mother nature protects animals from unnecessary fights and incest.
Animals reach sexual maturity by two or three years. Mating usually occurs at the beginning of winter (November-December). Males fight fiercely for the attention of goats. It is noteworthy that goats have a peculiar code of honor. They only strike with the top of their horns, never harm exposed body parts, and do not chase the underdog for too long.
The winner gets his own harem of 5-10 females. The duration of pregnancy is 5-6 months, lambing occurs in May-June. As a rule, there are 1-2 kids in a litter. For the first week of life, the mother goat hides the babies in a secluded place, and regularly comes to feed them. They get stronger very quickly and after a couple of weeks they are able to follow their mother along steep steeps ondecent distances. Young individuals become fully grown by 1-1.5 years. In the wild, life expectancy is about 10 years, in captivity up to 15.
Types of horns
Horns can perform various functions: attract females during the rut, serve as a weapon of defense or attack, and even regulate body temperature. In bovids, the horns are a bone rod in a horn sheath. Grow from the bottom from the base, do not branch and do not change throughout life. Horns are used to make mouthpieces, vessels, snuff boxes, combs, buttons, and more. In addition, individual pieces can serve as a luxurious element of the interior.
There are three main types of horns:
- prisca - bent back, the ends diverge in different directions;
- markura - straight helical (number of turns from 1.5 to 6 or more) twisted horns, each in its own direction: right - to the left, left - to the right;
- bezoar goat - sickle-shaped, widely separated to the sides.
Were not seen in the wild, but domestic goats have more than one pair of formidable weapons. There are individuals with horns from three to eight.
Species differences (length of male horns):
- Capia hircus is a bezoar goat. Saber-shaped, laterally flattened, the front edge is sharp with a number of raised tubercles. Length can reach 80 cm.
- Sarga falconeri is a markhorn goat. Thick, straight, twisted into a corkscrew around its axis, the ends are directed upwards. Grows up to 80 cm.
- Sarga cylindricornis – Dagestan tur. Smooth, gentle spiral bends themabout 180° around its axis. The ends are widely separated to the sides, rounded in cross section (in adults). Size - up to a meter.
- Sarga severtzovi - Caucasian tour. Horns in the form of a curved arc, the ends pointing down and inward. On the front there are several transverse rollers. The section is rounded. Length within 70 cm.
- Sarga sibirica - Siberian mountain goat. It has saber-shaped curved horns with a quadrangular section. The front surface is decorated with a number of transverse rollers. Differs in the impressive size of the "weapon" - up to 120-150 cm.
Extinct species
Sad fact, but animals continue to die out in our time. What is the name of the mountain goat, the last representative of which died already in the 21st century? This is Bucardo or Pyrenean goat. In the north of Spain, in the national park of the province of Huesca, the last representatives of this species lived. They were animals with thick hair and a strong physique. Outwardly, males differed from females in the size of the horns. They were thick, ribbed, bent back. Each edge was supposed to mark one year of the animal's life.
This subspecies until the 19th century was widespread in the highlands of the Iberian Peninsula, especially in the north of the Perinees and in the Cantabrian mountains. In 1910, only in the national parks of Monte Perdido and Ordesa one could meet bucardos, there were only 40 of them left. Unfortunately, the measures taken to save the animals did not bring success and the last female named Celia died in 2000.
Restore view
Scientists have takenan attempt to "resurrect" a lost species. Using a technology reminiscent of cloning Dolly the sheep (called nuclear transfer), scientists have managed to implant bucardo DNA into the eggs of domestic goats. 439 embryos were created, 57 of them managed to be implanted in surrogate uterus. Seven of them became pregnant, but only one was able to give birth to a female bucardo. The kid lived only 7 minutes, died of congenital breathing problems. This experiment cannot be unequivocally called unsuccessful. Scientists have a real opportunity to revive extinct species
Why don't they fall off rocks
Mountain goats can literally climb sheer walls, thanks to the structure of cloven hooves. Narrow and hard at the edges and soft in the center, they are able to move apart very widely. This helps the animals to cover any ledge or unevenness with their hooves. Some species have uneven hard pads between the hooves, with which they can be more securely held on a rocky surface.
Goats have an amazing sense of balance, excellent coordination and very sharp eyesight. An important role is played by the ability to instantly assess the situation, if the stone on which the animal stepped is too narrow, it immediately repels from it and jumps further.
