IBEX

SUBMITTED BY
MASOOMA BATOOL
ROLLNO
Z18-15
SUBMITTED TO
DR. ZULFIQAR
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Capra ibex
COMMON NAME
Ibex
CLASSIFICATION

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Artiodactyla

Family: Bovidae

Subfamily: Caprinae

Genus: Capra

Species: C. ibex

IUCN STATUS

Least Concern/I/Uncommon

The Alpine ibex historically ranged through France, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Bavaria, Austria and
Slovenia. Starting in the early 16th century and with firearms becoming common, the overall population
declined due to overexploitation and poaching. The ibex became extirpated in Switzerland and Germany
by the 18th century, and was extirpated in Austria and northeastern Italy by the 19th century. They
remained only in and around the adjacent Gran Paradiso and Vanoise Massifs, then both part of
the Kingdom of Sardinia. Located in the western Italian Alps and the Maurienne valley in the north
eastern French alps, bordering the Vanoise and Gran Paradiso Massif, the park was declared a royal
hunting reserve in 1854 with the name of "Royal hunting reserve of Gran Paradiso" by Victor Emmanuel
II, the first king of a united Italy

Ibex were protected from poaching and their numbers increased, reaching 3,020 in 1914. The ibex
enjoyed further protection when Gran Paradiso was made into a national park in 1922. Animals from
this population naturally dispersed into surrounding regions. However, reintroductions have been the
predominant source of new populations. Today, the total population of Alpine ibex is over 30,000 and
is considered to be of Least Concern by the IUCN. However, Alpine ibex do have low genetic diversity
putting them at risk of inbreeding depression.

ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION

DISTRIBUTION

These mammals live in a variety of regions, which vary based on the species at hand. Ibexes live
everywhere from Middle East to Europe, Asia, and beyond.

Some of the mountain ranges that different species inhabit include the European Alps, Semien
Mountains, Sayan Mountains, Caucasus Mountains, and more. Some species have wide distributions and
live across vast ranges, while other species live only in one small region.

Trans Himalayas region of Ladakh and the Greater Himalayas and Pir Panjals of Jammu & Kashmir and
Himachal Pradesh. The eastern limit seems to be the Bara Lacha La Pass on the north and Satluj Gorge
south of the Great Himalayan Range in Himachal Pradesh. The Southern most populations may occur
south of the Pir Panjal Range in Manali WLS in Himachal Pradesh.

HABITAT

These wild goats are perfectly adapted to rugged terrains, rocky habitats, and extreme climates. Most
species live above the tree line in the mountains. They live at elevations up to 11,000 ft. above sea level.
Some species do range downwards into woodlands and alpine forests. During the spring they move to
grassy mountain meadows.

Steep crags above the tree line in the Himalayas up to 5500 m. In Himalayas frequents    3400-4400 m.
while in trans Himalayas frequents 4000-4725 m. Grazes on alpine pastures and wet meadows but
always close to rocky precipitous terrain. Occasionally enters forests.

ibex are social and live in groups called herds. The herds are segregated by gender, meaning males will
have a herd, and the females and offspring will be in another herd. The two herds usually meet only
during breeding season.

The male herd is called a bachelor herd. Sometimes, males will wander without a herd. Female herds
can have 10 to 20 members. 

Himalyan Ibex female

Himalyan Ibex male

BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION

SIZE

Compared with other members of its genus, the Alpine ibex has a short, broad head and a duller coat. It
has brownish-grey hair over most of the body, a pale abdomen, and slightly darker markings on the chin
and throat and in a stripe along the back. They moult twice a year, firstly in April or May, and then again
in September, when they replace the short summer coat with thicker hair and a woolly undercoat. [2]

Males commonly grow to a height of 90 to 101 cm (35 to 40 in) at the withers, with a body length of 149
to 171 cm (59 to 67 in) and weigh from 67 to 117 kg (148 to 258 lb). Females are noticeably smaller, with
a shoulder height of 73 to 84 cm (29 to 33 in), a body length of 121 to 141 cm (48 to 56 in), and a weight
of 17 to 32 kg (37 to 71 lb). Both male and female Alpine ibex have large, backwards-curving horns with
numerous ridges along their length. At 69 to 98 cm (27 to 39 in), those of the males are substantially
larger than those of females, which reach only 18 to 35 cm (7.1 to 13.8 in) in length.

In most Ibex species, the male is larger than the female, and the female has much smaller horns. The
largest males are nearly 300 lbs. and stand over 3 ft. tall at the shoulder. Their horns usually have
significant horizontal ridges along the leading edge. At their largest, the males’ horns grow up to 4 ft.
long.

COLOR
Compared with other members of its genus, the Alpine ibex has a short, broad head and a duller coat. It
has brownish-grey hair over most of the body, a pale abdomen, and slightly darker markings on the chin
and throat and in a stripe along the back. They moult twice a year, firstly in April or May, and then again
in September, when they replace the short summer coat with thicker hair and a woolly undercoat

Siberian ibexes are large and heavily built goats. Their coats vary in color ranging from dark brown to
light tan, with some reddish individuals. There is usually a stripe of darker hair down the center of the
back and onto the tail, and some males have saddle-like patches on the back in the winter. The
undersides are paler, and, in the winter, mature males becoming much darker with white patches.
Females and infants are generally blander in color and do not always have the stripe down the back. 

WEIGHT

Ibex tend to weigh about 65 to 265 lbs. (30 to 120 kilograms). Both male and female ibex have very long
horns, which are used for territorial defense and sexual selection. They curve backward, forming a
semicircle, and have knobby rings on the outer curve. Male horns may reach about 5 feet (1.5 m) long.

DIET

Ibex are herbivores; they only eat vegetation, such as shrubs, bushes and grasses. Grazing accounts for a
significant part of their eating habits. The low nutritional value of their diet means the ibex must spend
much of the day eating.

 In the harsh climates in which they live, these mammals can have a difficult time finding food, and thus
they cannot afford to be picky.

They eat a variety of leaves, grasses, twigs, mosses, shoots, flowers, and more. Some of the types of
plants they feed on include oatgrass, oats, timothy, tussock, and more.

Alpine ibex are strictly herbivorous, with over half of their diet consisting of grasses, and the remainder
being a mixture of mosses, flowers, leaves, and twigs. [2] If leaves and shoots are out of reach, they often
stand on their rear legs to reach this food. Grass genera that are the most commonly eaten
are Agrostis, Avena, Calamagrostis, Festuca, Phleum, Poa, Sesleria, and Trisetum.[2] The climbing ability
of the Alpine ibex is such that it has been observed standing on the sheer face of the Cingino
Dam in Piedmont, Italy, where it licks the stonework to obtain mineral salts.
Alpine ibex are strictly herbivorous, with over half of their diet consisting of grasses, and the remainder
being a mixture of mosses, flowers, leaves, and twigs. [2] If leaves and shoots are out of reach, they often
stand on their rear legs to reach this food. Grass genera that are the most commonly eaten
are Agrostis, Avena, Calamagrostis, Festuca, Phleum, Poa, Sesleria, and Trisetum.[2] The climbing ability
of the Alpine ibex is such that it has been observed standing on the sheer face of the Cingino
Dam in Piedmont, Italy, where it licks the stonework to obtain mineral salts.

BEHAVIOR

Behavior varies from species to species, though most are social. Some species live in larger groups, while
others congregate in small herds. In some species, social behavior varies based on the season. Outside
of the breeding season, some species live in all-female or all-male groups. Most species are diurnal and
active during the day. The Ibex does not always migrate to lower heights in winter and mostly stays at
fairly high altitude using wind blown ridges.

Unlike other caprids, the Ibex is known to dig crates through snow to access forage in winterAlthough
the Alpine ibex is a social species, they segregate sexually and spatially depending on the season. [9] Four
types of groups exist: Adult male groups, female-offspring groups, groups of young individuals 2–3 years
old, and mixed-sex groups.[2][13] Young groups are numerous at the beginning of summer, but are
expelled by females at the end of their gestation period. Female and offspring groups occur year-round,
at least in an area of the French Alps. [13] Mixed sex groups of adult males and females occur during
breeding, which lasts from December to January. By April and May, the adults separate. [13] The largest
aggregations of either sex occur during June and July. Gatherings of males begin to decrease during
October and November, and are lowest from the rut from December to March. [13] The males then leave
their separate wintering areas and gather again.
Facts About Ibex | Live Science

Alpine ibex - Wikipedia

Ibex - Description, Habitat, Image, Diet, and Interesting Facts (animals.net)

Ibex (bioexpedition.com)

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