Pyrenean chamois
| Pyrenean chamois | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Caprinae |
| Tribe: | Caprini |
| Genus: | Rupicapra |
| Species: | R. pyrenaica
|
| Binomial name | |
| Rupicapra pyrenaica (Bonaparte,1845)
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| Distribution of Pyrenean chamois | |
ThePyrenean chamois(Rupicapra pyrenaica) is agoat-antelopethat lives in thePyreneesandCantabrian MountainsofSpain,FranceandAndorra,and theApennine Mountainsof centralItaly.It is one of the two species of the genusRupicapra,the other being thechamois,Rupicapra rupicapra.[1]
Names
[edit]- Spanish:rebeco,gamuza
- French:izard/isard
- Galician:rebezo
- Asturian:robecu/robezu
- Catalan:isard
- Italian:camoscio dei Pirenei,camoscio appenninico
- Basque:pirinioetako sarrioa
- Aragonese:sarrio,chizardo
Subspecies
[edit]| Image | Subspecies | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
 |
R. p. pyrenaica(Pyrenean chamois) | France and Spain |
 |
R. p. parva(Cantabrian chamois) | Spain |
 |
R. p. ornata(Abruzzo chamois) | Central and southern Italy |
Description
[edit]Up to 80 cm tall, its summer coat is a ruddy brown; in winter, it is black or brown, with darker patches around the eyes. Both males and females have backward-hookedhornsup to 20 cm in length. They browse ongrass,lichensand buds of trees.Sure-footedand agile, they are found on any elevation up to 3000 m.
Conservation
[edit]Like other species of chamois, it was hunted almost toextinction,especially in the 1940s, for the production ofchamois leather.The population has since recovered, and in 2022 was estimated to be about 50,000 mature individuals.[2][1]
References
[edit]- ^abcHerrero, J.; Lovari, S.; Nores, C.; Toigo, C. (2022)."Rupicapra pyrenaica".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2022:e.T19771A217715455.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T19771A217715455.en.Retrieved21 July2022.
- ^Pérez-Barbería, F. J., García-González, R. (2004)."Rebeco – Rupicapra pyrenaica."Enciclopedia Virtual de los Vertebrados Españoles. Carrascal, L. M., Salvador, A. (Eds.). Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales. Madrid, Spain.
- Haack, M. 2002.Rupicapra pyrenaica.Animal Diversity Web. Accessed February 20, 2006.
- Pérez, T., Albornoz, J. & Domínguez, A. (2002). Phylogeography of chamois (Rupicapra spp.) inferred from microsatellites. Mol Phylogenet Evol. 25, 524–534.