Siberian Ibex
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| Siberian Ibex | ||||||||||||||
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| Capra sibirica Pallas, 1776 |
The Siberian Ibex (Capra sibirica) is a species of ibex that lives in the Central Asia and Northern Asia. It was once thought that it was a subspecies of Alpine Ibex. It is found in Afghanistan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Russia.
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[edit] Appearance
Individual sizes vary greatly, from heights between 67-110 cm and weights between 35-130 kg. Typical colouration is a light tan; mature males becoming much darker with white patches. Both sexes have beards and horns. While the female's horns are small, those of a mature male can grow to a length of 130 cm.
[edit] Reproduction
The female's gestation period lasts between 5-6 months, after which a single kid (sometimes 2 or even 3) is born. After 1.5 - 2 years, the kid is sexually mature. It can live for up to 16-17 years.
[edit] Behavior
Usually living at high elevations, sometimes above the vegetation line, they seek out lower slopes during the winter in search of food. When snow is heavy, they have to paw away snow to reach the vegetation below. Its main predators are wolves, snow leopards, and brown bears, young kids might also fall prey to lynxes, foxes, and eagles.
[edit] Habitat and Distribution
Its habitat is alpine meadows in Central and Northern Asia.
[edit] Sources
- Caprinae Specialist Group 1996. Capra sibrica. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 30 July 2007.
[edit] References
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- Siberian Ibex at Animal Diversity Web
