Rupicapra tragus
Family:
Bovidae
Sub-Family:
Caprinae
A hoofed
goat living in the high slopes of Eastern European mountians, specifically
the Alps. It weighs anywhere from 50 - 100 lbs. and is about 2'7" tall. Its
horn is black, protruding from the forehead, and the tip bends backwards. Its tail is black and the
coat varies, but there are black patches underneath the eyes (on the cheeks) and along its back.
The animal feeds on
grasses and
herbs along the mountain, and in colder seasons descends to high forests to eat
pine shoots. The animal tends to live in
herds ranging from 5 to 30 in number. A lookout for the pack gives warning with a whistling sound to alert the others during feeding.
The male marks his territory through a
secretion from a gland found behind the horn. He then lays claim to any females within his territory.
'
Pregnancy' or
gestation lasts 24 weeks and produces one child. The animal has been hunted for its
meat,
leather and
sport. Some chamois are now considered endangered and are protected in the
Swiss National Park.