Siberian ibex - Capra sibirica (Siberian mountain goat). Behavior and nutrition
Mountain goats are artiodactyl mammals of the Bovid family, numbering several species with characteristic distinctive features. They have some resemblance to mountain sheep, and distant relatives animals are snow goats, gorals, chamois.
Description
The body of a mountain goat is of medium size: length is about 120-180 cm, height at the withers is 80-100 cm, and weight is 40-155 kg, depending on the species and sex of the artiodactyl. Despite a strong torso and not very long legs, gives the impression of a graceful animal. Males are adorned with large arched horns, some reaching 1 meter in length. The anterior surface of the horns has transverse thickenings, expressed to varying degrees in various kinds goats.
As the name of the family indicates, the horns of mammals are hollow inside. The hooves are very hard and narrow, thanks to which these animals easily and freely jump over stony rocks, holding on to small ledges. The tail is rather short. You can distinguish them from sheep by the presence of strong-smelling glands in the groin, around the eyes and on the legs, as well as by the presence of rough calluses on knee joints forelegs and beard in males.
Mountain goats are herd mammals that unite in large herds of 20-30 individuals per winter period. In summer, males and females are divided into separate groups of 3-5 individuals. They feel comfortable high in the mountains, deftly jumping over small ledges over wide, several meters high cliffs. You can watch how a herd of mountain animals moves with amazing ease along the vertical surfaces of rocks, balancing like real acrobats. Despite everything, they are very cautious and warn each other of the danger with a thin bleat.
Habitats of mountain goats
The mountain wild goat lives in the Northern Hemisphere, namely in Europe, Asia and North Africa, preferring high altitudes - up to 4200 meters. It settles on sheer walls, areas with rocky faults and gorges. These animals lead sedentary life, descending from the mountains only in search of food harsh winters, and are the predominant species of ungulates in the mountains of the Caucasus, Alps, Altai, Pyrenees, Tibet, Tien Shan, Sayan.
Nutrition and lifestyle of mountain goats
All artiodactyls, like the mountain goat, the photo of which is presented in the article, are herbivores. Their favorite treats are fresh alpine herbs; in addition, animals eat branches of shrubs and trees, as well as moss and lichens. During periods of famine, goats may eat poisonous plants and dry grass. These mammals are in need of salt, so they are frequent visitors to salt marshes, even if they are located at a distance of 15-20 km.
The rut occurs at the end of autumn and the beginning of winter. Males join a group of females with young, and mating fights begin. However, they rarely end in dangerous injuries, as the goats hit each other. top horns and never butt heads like rams and do not strike in unprotected places. A harem of several females is formed around the winner.
Mountain goats bring offspring once a year - in the spring, carrying a baby for 150-180 days. Usually 1-3 kids are born, two hours after the birth they are able to stand on their legs. The female leaves the babies in a secluded place for a week so that they do not become the prey of a predator, and comes only to feed them. And then the goats accompany their mother everywhere. They are very active and love to play. They become independent at the age of one, and reach sexual maturity at two or three years (females earlier, and males later). Under natural conditions, mountain goats in the mountains live 5-10 years, and in captivity 12-15 years.
Types of mountain goats
Most people know little about this genus of bovids, referred to as mountain goats. The photo proves the diversity of species: markhorn, ibex, Siberian, Caucasian, Nubian, Pyrenean, etc. The horns of females are usually small, while those of males are powerful, they can be saber-shaped, tuberous or twisted in shape. The color of animals can be one-color (white, brown or gray), as well as brown with white and black spots. Some subspecies, such as the Pyrenean goat, are listed in the Red Book International Union nature conservation. Hunting mountain goats of endangered species is prohibited.
markhor goat
This is one of the most spectacular species of wild artiodactyl animals. The markhor mountain goat, whose name is given for its unique horns, has another name - markhor. Translated from the Urdu language, this means "eating a snake."
A large mammal, depending on age, can weigh up to 90 kilograms and reach more than one and a half meters at the withers! Despite its impressive size, the markhor goat maneuvers on sheer cliffs in search of food with extraordinary ease.
Powerful horns of males, similar to a corkscrew screw, endow the animal with amazing dignity, stature and grace. Naturally, they are the main decoration of markhor. If in old males the length of the horn is 1.5 meters, then in females the horns are small and neat, growing only up to 30 centimeters. Throughout the body, the coat of the animal is short, except for a spectacular long beard and shaggy chest.
Juveniles are gray-red, and with age, the color changes to off-white. Markhorn goats live high in the mountains, constantly traveling over the rocks in search of, albeit meager, but useful vegetation. The habitat is the mountain ranges of the Himalayas, Tibet, Kashmir, the lands of Pakistan and Tajikistan. This species of mountain goats is endangered, therefore it is under the protection of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The population is preserved in some major reserves of the world.
Caucasian mountain tour
The Caucasian mountain goat has another common name - the West Caucasian tur, and, judging by the name, natural environment The habitats of this artiodactyl animal are the mountains of the Caucasus. The tour is attractive, has a beautiful physique and is covered with short reddish-brown hair. The large horns of the animal diverge slightly to the sides and bend inward. Convex transverse grooves on the surface of the horns are characteristic, due to which they look ribbed.
Adult Caucasian mountain goat - large mammal; its weight can reach 100 kilograms, and the height at the withers in adult males is 90-110 centimeters. Like many other artiodactyls, the female is inferior in size males. The tour is on the brink of extinction.
The Caucasian mountain goat within the subspecies is subdivided into three more varieties, which include: the East Caucasian, Severtsov's tour and the rare Kuban, noted in the IUCN Red Book. All of them are common in eastern and western regions Caucasus. Appearance rounds expresses true nobility wild animals.
East Caucasian tour
Dagestan, or East Caucasian tour, lives in Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan. characteristic feature appearance are horns twisted into a semi-spiral, thick light brown wool. An adult male weighs about 100 kilograms, height at the withers is 90 centimeters. Female individuals are slightly smaller and on average have a weight of 55-60 kilograms.
Tour of Severtsov
The tour of Severtsov lives in the western regions of the Caucasus Mountains. It differs not in such large horns as its eastern counterpart, thicker and coarser coat, stocky strong build and greater body weight. Mountain goats on the rocks are good prey for hunters, so the states have introduced a restriction on their shooting, controlled by the availability of official permission.
Kuban tour
The rare Kuban shaggy tour lives on the border of Russia and Georgia, and the habitat occupies only 4000 square meters. km. It is distinguished by an attractive, almost monophonic sandy color and luxurious, large horns wrapped back. The weight adult about 100 kilograms, growth at the withers - a little more than a meter. The head of the female is decorated with miniature sharp horns.
Ibex
Unique alpine mountain goats with fabulous saber-shaped horns are somewhat reminiscent of wild tours and are called Capricorns. First of all, these include the rare white variety of ibex, which lives on the mountain ranges between the Italian Piedmont and the French Savoy. These artiodactyls breed well in nature, so their numbers are quite large. In addition, they bring offspring, interbreeding with other types of mountain goats. Siberian, Nubian and Pyrenean species of artiodactyls are also referred to ibex.
Siberian ibex
The Siberian mountain goat has long been considered a good prey for hunters, because the animal is so cautious that it is not so easy to kill it. Currently, this species is not threatened with extinction, so it is not listed in the Red Book. Habitats are: mountainous Afghanistan, Russia, India. Outwardly, it is distinguished by a thin beard and a small tail. Adult males tend to live apart; only occasionally form perennial pairs.
In addition to the fact that the beautiful horns of a large artiodactyl animal have a certain value, the skins, meat and fat of the Siberian mountain goat are also used with practical benefits. Clothes and shoes are made from skins, and tasty, easily digestible meat and fat are used in cooking. In addition, bezoar is considered healing - pellets of wool undigested by the stomach, and nutritious goat's milk. All these advantages gradually led to the fact that this type of mountain goat was domesticated and is the progenitor of many diverse breeds of domestic meat, downy and dairy goats.
The Siberian mountain goat is a fairly intelligent animal that is well trained, unlike wild sheep and sheep. Its significance in people's lives is emphasized by the name of one of the constellations of the Zodiac - Capricorn.
Nubian ibex
Huge swirling ribbed horns and a dark thick beard characterized by the Nubian wild goat. In physique, it is noticeably smaller than its bovid counterparts of other varieties. The usual color of the animal is light brown, with characteristic white spots on the knees and belly, contrasting black marks.
Pyrenean ibex
The Pyrenean (Iberian) ibex is difficult to confuse with other subspecies of wild mountain goats, since they have a peculiar coloration. The dense short hair of the bridge of the nose and forehead, belly and legs is colored black, and the neck, chest and back are light brown. The horns are spread apart, but thinner than those of other ibexes, and the weight does not exceed 80 kilograms. Habitat - mountain ranges on the Iberian Peninsula, located in southwestern Europe.
So mountain goats are prominent representatives artiodactyl families bovids with characteristic features and behavioral features. Unfortunately, not only human hunting poses a threat to them: these herbivores are the main prey for many predators - lynxes, snow leopards, wolves and even golden eagles. AT North Africa they are the basis of the diet of leopards.
Another misfortune of mountain goats is the gathering snow avalanches and hungry periods when it is difficult for animals to find food. Only thanks to the amazingly high fecundity of goats, the number of populations in nature is quickly restored. However, some rare species are listed in the Red Book and are protected. by the international community nature conservation.
Siberian goat - Capra sibirica
(up to 100 cm) and massive, saber-shaped, with transverse ridges on the front side. It lives in the mountains of Altai, Sayan and Tuva, at altitudes of 2500-4000 m above sea level. Prefers steppe lowlands, but driven out by man to rocky highlands. Apparently, about 4 thousand heads have been preserved in Russia.
Encyclopedia of the nature of Russia. - M.: ABF. V.L. Dinets, E.V. Rothschild. 1998 .
See what the "Siberian goat" is in other dictionaries:
SIBERIAN GOAT- same as tek... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Siberian ibex- tek (Capra sibirica), artiodactyl animal of the goat genus. Body length up to 160 cm, height up to 100 cm, weigh up to 100 kg; females are smaller. The horns are saber-shaped, with large tubercles on the anterior side. The length of the horns in males is up to 130 cm, in females up to 40 cm. ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
siberian mountain goat- the same as tek. * * * SIBERIAN MOUNTAIN GOAT SIBERIAN MOUNTAIN GOAT, the same as tek (see TEK) ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Goat (genus)- ? mountain goat domestic goat scientific classification Kingdom: Animals Type: Chords ... Wikipedia
goat- GOAT of evil; m. 1. Male goat. K. with a beard and horns. 2. Brano. About a person who causes hostility, irritation. Old k.! 3. pl.: goats, ov. Genus artiodactyl mammals family bovids, living mainly in the mountains. Sibirskiy k. 4. unit wine... encyclopedic Dictionary
Capra aegagrus see also 9.4.6. Genus Goats Sarga Bearded goat Capra aegagrus (bezoar is a peculiar substance, apparently consisting of the remains of semi-digested food. In the Middle Ages, magical medicinal properties that barely... ... Animals of Russia. Directory
goat- evil, m. 1. Male goat. The old goat stuck his bearded and horned head into our yurt. M. Prishvin, Black Arab. 2. pl. hours (goats, ov). The genus of artiodactyl mammals of the family. bovids living Ch. way in the mountains. Siberian goat. 3. simple. ... ... Small Academic Dictionary
9.4.6. Genus Sarga Goats Agile mountain goats strong beasts. Males are easily recognized by their beards and long, curved back horns, females by a stockier build than those of chamois and deer; the horns of females are shorter than those of males (20-40 cm). There is no mirror. Next… Animals of Russia. Directory
Sarga caucasica see also 9.4.6. Rod Goats Sarga Caucasian tour Sarga caucasica (Tables 34,64) Body length 120-180 cm, height at the withers 78-112 cm. Coloring reddish gray or brownish red. Horns of adult males from Western and Central ... ... Animals of Russia. Directory
Siberian mountain goats live only where there are rocks and rocky mounds. This is much more important to them than the height above sea level. Goats do not live permanently on the rocks because there is no necessary amount of food here, but the rocks perform a protective function.
Goats are not able to run fast, so when threatened, they rely not on the speed of their legs, but on the ability to climb the steepest slopes. In addition, rocks protect animals from heat and bad weather. Therefore, Siberian mountain goats do not go far from the rocks.
The depth of snow cover is extremely important for the life of Siberian ibex. The ability of goats to live in a particular area depends on the level of snow. In deep snow, animals not only cannot forage, but also move normally. In this regard, Siberian goats choose steep slopes, where winds constantly blow, carrying away snow.
The diet of Siberian mountain goats
In summer, Siberian mountain goats feed on grassy vegetation, in autumn they feed on forbs and cereals, at this time they are found on elephants covered with fescue steppe. Also in autumn, goats eat tree-branch food: shoots and leaves of willow, currant, mountain ash, wild rose.
In winter, Siberian ibexes move to dry grass, in places where there is little snow cover or where there is no snow at all.
How Siberian goats adapted to life on the rocks
AT calm state goats move slowly. They don’t trot clumsily, if a mountain goat runs on a flat surface, then a dog will easily catch up with him. These animals are saved thanks to the incredible ability to move along rocky slopes. At the slightest danger, the goats rush to the rocks, making powerful jumps.
Mountain goats are capable of not only flying up the slopes with lightning speed, their jumps down are also amazing.
Walking on rocky embankments is very dangerous and difficult, because the stones leave from under the feet and roll down, so the whole area can crumble, but Siberian mountain goats jump over them very confidently and easily. If the stones begin to fall, the goats slow down or stop altogether.
In a calm environment, Siberian mountain goats, as a rule, follow each other in a chain, but if the animals are frightened, they scatter in all directions and often overtake the leader. If necessary, these goats can swim well, they are even able to overcome fairly wide rivers.
Behavior of Siberian ibex
In places where mountain goats are hunted, the animals are very cautious and vigilant. But where they are not pursued, they can let people close, even grazing next to livestock.
Siberian mountain goats have excellent sight, hearing and sense of smell. If the animal has sensed danger, it can follow a suspicious object for about half an hour.
They do not make sounds often, mostly you can hear a whistle, which means a warning signal.
During the rut, males may roar. Females and kids make the same sound as domestic goats, but it is more deaf.
Reproduction of Siberian mountain goats
Sexual maturity in males and females, under favorable living conditions, occurs in the 2nd year. But most often the first kids in females appear at the age of 3 years. And males take part in reproduction even later - at 4-5 years, because before that they are driven away by stronger individuals, but if mating occurs, then it is random.
Siberian goats are polygamous animals. Strong males create harems of several females. Together with offspring, such families consist of 10-16 individuals. Gon takes place in different time: in the Pamirs mating season falls in December-January, and in Altai - in November. During the rut, the males are very excited, therefore, at the end of it, they noticeably lose in mass.
Violent fights take place between males. It does not often come to serious injuries and death, but sometimes you can find two corpses of goats grappling with horns on the river bank. Young individuals are driven away by stronger rivals, and they roam behind the herd in order to cover the female that has lagged behind the harem, if possible.
In females, pregnancy lasts about 5-6 months. Females leave the herd for a while to swim. They bring offspring in secluded gorges. Most often, one goat is born, and rarely twins.
Two cubs are mainly born to adult females in zoos, as there is good food. Newborn goats weigh 2.8-4.8 kilograms. The baby is able to rise on fragile legs already on the first day of life, and can even walk a little. But mostly for the first time he is too weak, so he lies in the bushes or between the stones. After a few days, he is not only able to follow the female, but also skillfully jump over stones. Young goats run better and faster than older goats.
The horns of babies begin to grow almost immediately, they already look good for 3-4 weeks. At the age of one year, they grow in length up to 10-12 centimeters, in winter time horns grow more slowly, and sometimes their growth stops altogether.
Kids begin to pluck greens for 3-4 weeks of life, and after a month they practically switch to grassy food. In a year, a goatling weighs about 2/3 of the weight of an adult. Siberian mountain goats grow for a long time - up to about 9 years.
In the rock art of ancient stone galleries Central Asia more often than others there are images of a mountain goat. Researchers find various explanations this fact. Some argue that it is easier and faster to draw such an animal: just a few strokes and the main attribute is huge crescent-shaped horns. Others believe that the predominance of mountain goat designs is due to magical meaning his image: the horns curved in an arc over the body symbolized the firmament of the primitive peoples
The scientific name for the goat that inspired ancient rock art hunters is Capra sibirica. He is also a Siberian mountain goat (in English - Siberian Ibex), a Central Asian stone goat (according to outdated zoological nomenclature) or a Siberian ibex.
The last name is not entirely correct, but is often used by hunters. Especially those who still only dream of replenishing their collection with such a prestigious trophy.
And the lucky ones who have already got their stag prefer to call it, like local hunters, tek (teke).
According to the general constitution, the Siberian mountain goat is similar to domestic and other of its fellows, but differs from them in larger sizes and truly grandiose horns. The body length of males reaches 165 cm, the height at the shoulders is up to 110 cm, and the weight sometimes exceeds 100 kg (females are much smaller). The color varies from light brown to almost chocolate; in males, a black-brown stripe runs along the entire back. In a denser winter outfit, shades of gray appear.
The horns of adult ibexes are very powerful, arcuately curved with convex, often located transverse ridges (in females, the horns are much smaller and have a different structure). Horns appear in kids very early, already in the third or fourth week of life. During the first year, they grow by 10-12 cm. Transverse ridges appear only in the second year of life. From them, you can determine the age of an adult male, which will half number of rollers plus one.
In the SCI Book of Records, the trophy with the length of the left horn - 134 cm (52 7/8 inches) takes the first place so far. One can only wonder how an animal with such a massive structure on its head manages to perform numbers that any tightrope walker or acrobat can envy?! Puzzling jumps on seemingly absolutely impregnable rocks are made perfectly accurately and at the same time gracefully.
Siberian mountain goats usually keep in small herds from 5 to 40 heads. Adult males form separate groups (up to 10 individuals) and most spend years apart from females, choosing more inaccessible places for themselves. In summer, during the hot time of the day, ibexes rest in the shade of rocks, grazing only at dawn or in the evening. In winter, searching for food takes a whole day. Usually animals prefer various cereal plants, do not disdain lichens and young shoots of shrubs.
Adult males can rise to a height of up to 5000 m above sea level, but more often they graze in alpine meadows in the belt from 2500 to 4000 m. For the winter, animals descend lower along the slopes. One of the indispensable conditions of the habitat is the presence of nearby rocks and scree. Goats, as a rule, do not go far from them, because only in these biotopes can they save their lives from encroachments on it by all kinds of predators. In addition, the rocks are better blown by the wind in hot weather. summer days or, conversely, help to hide from the winter weather.
Magnificent vision, hearing and sense of smell help Capricorns to notice the danger in the face in time. snow leopard, wolves or humans (fox, golden eagle and lamb also hunt young goats). Unadapted to long runs, the Capricorn relies not so much on speed as on its excellent ability to jump over steep ledges and scree. It can make its way along barely protruding mountain eaves, impregnable for other large animals. If circumstances require it, it makes grandiose jumps through crevices.
Depending on the area and weather conditions The rut of Siberian ibexes takes place in November-December and lasts 10-20 days. Adult males, 5 years and older, gather large harems of 5-15 females, which are protected from competitors. Fights between ibexes are rarely violent, but sometimes rivals grappling with horns break off the rocks. In such cases, the orphaned harem passes to a more cautious owner, and after about six months, kids are born.
Hunting for the Siberian ibex is more often carried out in October-December, when males descend to the main habitats of females. Extremely cautious animals at this time relax a little, so the chances of getting a good trophy increase. Long hikes along mountain trails, crossing stormy rivers, spending the night in tents “under the beast” - this is the classic ibex hunting. The main thing that is required from a hunter is an excellent physical training and composure when shooting at long distances (average shot distance - 200-250 meters). For such a hunt, well-chosen equipment is necessary. In addition to a reliable carbine or fitting with an optical sight, flat-fired cartridges and a rangefinder are required. Powerful binoculars or a spotting scope will help determine the trophy qualities of the stag from afar.
Habitat
The Siberian mountain goat is common in the mountains of Mongolia, Southern Siberia, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Northwest India, the western outskirts of Tibet and Northwest China.
The zoological systematics of this species has been extremely confused. Four subspecies of the Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica) are registered in the SCI Book of Records: Central Asian, or Tien Shan (Mid-Asian Ibex - English, Capra sibirica alaiana - Latin) - Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan; Himalayan (Himalayan Ibex, Capra sibirica hemalayanus) - Pakistan; Siberian (Siberian Ibex, Capra sibirica sibirica) and Gobi (Gobi Ibex, Capra sibirica hagenbecki) - Mongolia.
The ancestors of domestic goats were brave conquerors of impassable rocks - mountain goats. What are they remarkable for, where do they live and what do they eat? Information about them will be presented in this article.
General information
Capricorn is an animal that is a subspecies of the mountain genus, with peculiar horns in the form of sabers. Outwardly, Capricorns are very similar to tours.
First of all, this species includes ibexes (very rare ibexes) living on the ridges of the mountains (between Piedmont and Savoy).
The subspecies under consideration also includes the Nubian mountain goat, as well as the Siberian and Pyrenean goats. In nature, the number of ibexes is quite large, and when they are crossed with other species, they give excellent offspring.
Ibex (ibex) will be described below, he is also a mountain goat and an alpine goat (a family from the genus
From the story of unique ibexes
In ancient times, ibex was the object of mystification, so all its parts of the body, eaten and not only (from blood and hair to excrement, etc.), were used in alternative medicine as a means to cure all kinds of diseases. All this led to the fact that the Ibex goats in Europe practically died out. At the beginning of the 19th century, the number of these species in the entire Alpine region in total amounted to just over 100 individuals, and they survived only in Gran Paradiso (Italy).
J. Zumstein (forester) and A. Girtanner (naturalist) in 1816 were able to convince the authorities to keep the remaining ibex in this Italian region. And in 1854, even the King of Sardinia and Piedmont, Victor Emmanuel II, took these amazing phenomenal animals under personal protection.
Thanks to all these implemented programs (settlement of the Alpine mountains with ibexes), the mountain goat (see photo above) again lives in many areas of its original range. The individuals that exist today (ibexes) are descended from the same 100 animals that lived in Italy.
V. Emmanuel II refused Switzerland's request to sell ibexes, so the first such animals were smuggled into Switzerland only in 1906. The population of these goats today is quite numerous. And since 1977, their shooting has even been allowed (though controlled).
In total, in the Alps, the number of ibexes is approximately 30-40 thousand animals. Now they are common in Switzerland, Austria, France, Slovenia and Germany. The presence of such animals is quite beneficial for the prosperity of the resorts of the Alps, as they attract a large number of tourists from all over the world.
photo, description
Mountain goats are a genus (family of bovids). All their types, on the one hand, have common features On the other hand, they are quite variable. As a result, scientists have not yet been able to determine exact amount breeds of these animals that exist in nature. Their number, according to various opinions, varies from 2-3 with a large number of subspecies to 9-10 species.
In addition, mountain goats are closely related to those who have many features similar to them. Their distant relatives are chamois and gorals, as well as snow goats.
The sizes of mountain goats are average: length - 120-180 cm; at the withers, the height reaches 100 centimeters; weight - up to 60 kilograms in small species (females) and up to 155 kilograms - in goats of the largest species.
Outwardly, they appear to be slender and graceful animals, despite the fact that their legs are not very long and their bodies are strongly built. Their main distinguishing feature- horns, which in males resemble sabers (up to 1 meter long), and in females - short daggers (about 18 cm long). Young animals are distinguished by horns curved in a graceful arc. Old males have twisted horns in the form of a spiral.
Mountain goats also have transverse thickenings on the horns (on the front surface), they are expressed in different species to varying degrees.
Spreading
Capricorn is an animal that lives in the Alps on the border between forest and glaciers at high altitudes (3500 meters). In winter, it usually lives in low areas, but in summer it can go down to alpine meadows in search of food. Capricorn spends the night high in the mountains.
In the rocky highlands, these artiodactyls are safe. They are able to swiftly rush along scree, easily jump over rocky crevices, climb high on sheer and steep rocks and cliffs. Rather fast and constant movement is just a normal lifestyle of these unique animals.
Description of ibex
Ibeks are the most unusual mountain view - magnificent climbers. It is very striking how fearlessly and masterfully they climb the rocks. They live in the most inaccessible mountainous areas The Alps, as noted above, are at high altitudes.
The length of the ibex reaches an average of 150 cm, and their height at the withers is about 90 cm. The female weighs 40 kg, and the male weighs up to 100 kg. The male ibex, as well as other species, is a goat with large curved horns (up to 1 meter long). Females have short, slightly curved horns.
Both sexes have beards. The summer color of the male's coat is dark brown, in females it is reddish with a golden hue. In winter, the coat of all ibexes is gray.
Nutrition
Capricorn is an animal that feeds on a variety of plants. They give preference to alpine grasses - bluegrass and fescue, but if necessary, they can also eat branches of shrubs and trees, lichens and mosses.
In general, mountain goats are very unpretentious and can even eat poisonous plants and dry grass. These animals have a strong need for salt, and therefore they go to salt licks whenever possible, covering distances of up to 15-20 kilometers.
About value
Since ancient times, people have hunted mountain goats, because the horns large male represented very valuable trophy. Finding this dexterous and cautious animal is quite difficult. In addition to horns, people also had other practical benefits from them: skins were used to make clothes and shoes, and the meat of these animals is a very tasty and easily digestible product. In cooking, fat was used, and for medicinal purposes - pellets of wool, undigested in the stomach (bezoar).
Such useful qualities of animals led to their domestication. Thanks to them, there are now a huge variety of breeds of domestic goats (downy, meat and dairy) in the world.
Now the mountain goat (ibex) is an animal that can be found in different zoos due to its easy tameability. Capricorns perfectly tolerate captivity and breed quite easily.
Conclusion
Although a goat with big horns in the minds of many is a symbol of the unclean, often diabolical (compared to a meek sheep), in fact, these animals are very smart and even trainable (and rams are the other way around).
Like this important role mountain goats play in the life of the peoples of the Mediterranean and Asia. And this circumstance is reflected in the name of one of the constellations of the Zodiac - Capricorn.