How goats climb rocks. Ibeks surpassed climbers and stuntmen

Ibeks are rock goat-climbers, who climb the rocks so masterfully that they give odds even to climbers. This breed of goats lives in remote Alpine mountainous areas at an altitude of up to 3500 meters above sea level.

The history of the existence of ibexes is very interesting and instructive. AT early XIX century, this amazing creation of nature almost disappeared from the face of the Earth: the number of ibexes in the entire Alpine region barely exceeded 100 individuals. And these "climbers" survived in the Italian Gran Paradiso. In 1854, King Victor Emmanuel II took the Ibex under personal protection.

Switzerland began to ask the king to sell her ibexes, but the proud Emmanuel II did not allow the export of the national treasure. But what about resorts in Switzerland without ibexes? Therefore, the animals were smuggled into Switzerland, but only in 1906.

Why did the ibexes disappear so quickly? In the Middle Ages, ibex was attributed miraculous power healing from all diseases, as a result of which all its useful attributes - from blood and hair up to excrement - were used in medicine. All this led to the disappearance of ibexes in Europe.

Today, their population is quite numerous, and ranges from 30 to 40 thousand animals. Since 1977, even controlled shooting of ibexes has been allowed.

But after these animals almost disappeared from the face of the earth, their miraculously restored populations were brought to other regions of Italy, to the mountains of Switzerland, France, Austria, as well as Germany and Slovenia. The settlement of new areas by ibexes meets with approval from local residents, since the presence of virtuoso animals is beneficial for the prosperity of alpine resorts and attracts crowds of tourists.

Ibex (Capra ibex), he is an alpine goat, he is a mountain goat, he is a capricorn - an artiodactyl animal from the genus of mountain goats.

The length of an adult Ibes reaches 150 cm and height at the withers is 90 cm. Females weigh about 40 kg, and males can weigh up to 100 kg. Both females and males have a beard. Only the heads of males are decorated with magnificent horns about 1 meter long, females have only small horns.

Ibex females live in herds of 10-20 females and cubs. Unite in herds and young males. But adult goats jump in the mountains in splendid isolation. AT mating season, which lasts from December to January in the Alps, males arrange mating fights, and the winner gets the whole herd, so the battles flare up serious. The male-winner lives in the herd all winter and leaves it only in the spring. And females in May or June give birth to one, occasionally two, cubs. The cub lives in the herd and feeds on mother's milk for about a year.

Ibex can live for about 20 years.

The favorite, almost permanent habitats of mountain goats are rocky highlands, where artiodactyls feel safe. Mountain goats rush swiftly along the stony screes,
easily jump over the crevices of rocks, climb cliffs and sheer cliffs. Constant and very fast movement is the lifestyle of these amazing animals.

Looking at them, you never cease to wonder how animals can stay on scree, sharp stones and sheer cliffs? It turns out that the hoof pads of ibis are constantly soft and constantly growing. Therefore, with their hooves, they seem to stick to slippery stones and pass along cliffs inaccessible to enemies.

Goats graze on alpine or steppe lawns, climb glaciers and sheer cliffs to rest.

Goats are not only fast climbers, but also quite smart and observant animals. They are characterized by extraordinary caution. Ibis have enough enemies in wild nature, but saves their excellent eyesight, keen hearing and sense of smell.

When grazing or resting the herd, the goat, climbing to the top of a rock or a huge stone, warns the herd of the slightest danger. In case of danger, ibises quickly hide in the rocks.

At the same time, Capricorns are very curious. There were times when a herd of goats watched the competitions of skiers from the top of the mountain, not being afraid of the mass of people.

The dexterity of such animals as a mountain goat, one can only be surprised, we have already talked about tree-climbing goats that climb and jump on trees, today we will talk about another breed. Ibeks (alpine goat, mountain goat or ibex) are goats that can climb a rock or other vertical surfaces, no worse than climbers.

Ibeks or alpine mountain goats (lat. Capra ibex) do not know how to run fast over long distances, so they find their refuge on almost sheer rocks, which they climb with ease and feel at a height quite easily and confidently. The main predators of mountain goats are foxes, bears, wolves and lynxes.

When the ibexes still do not have time to reach the rock, they have to defend themselves with their horns, in males they are very impressive in size - up to 1 m, curving behind their backs, and in females they are short and barely curved, which distinguishes them from males. With their soft, cloven hooves that grip stone ledges well and powerful legs, while having "accurate" vision, they can "cling" to almost any minor ledge or depression of the rock. In addition, the special structure of the legs allows these animals to make big jumps even on the steepest slopes. But little goats need to be more careful when climbing rocks, as danger can await them even at a height, the eagles are just waiting for the goat to be left alone to grab it.

On average, the ibex reaches a length of up to 150 cm and a height at the withers of about 90 cm. Females weigh about 40 kg, and males can weigh up to 100 kg. Both sexes have a beard. In summer, the coat color of males is dark brown, while that of females is slightly reddish or with a golden hue. AT winter time the coat of both sexes is grey. The horny substance of their hooves is very strong and grows back quickly, so the hooves never rub off on sharp stones.

In the mountains, ibexes find not only shelter but also food, in summer they rise high into the mountains, up to 4500 m above sea level, since the grass is juicier there, and in winter they go down below, where there is no snow and you can easily find food. At such heights, ibexes can even spend the night. They feed on a variety of greenery that they can find, it can be moss, branches, leaves from bushes, lichens. Goats have been photographed recently even on a 51-meter dam in the Italian Alps, which is almost a vertical wall. They climbed onto the dam in order to lick off the salt that is needed for their body.

Ibex live in small herds of 10-20 individuals, these are females with their cubs. Young males form their own small groups, but mature males can live alone. When the mating season comes, which lasts from December to January, then at this time single males try to gain control over the herd of females. Therefore, serious battles are often played out between rivals. To have a chance to win such a duel and have his own herd, the male must be at least six years old. Throughout the winter, the male stays in the herd and leaves it in the spring. After a pregnancy lasting from five to six months, the female gives birth to one, occasionally two, cubs in May or June. The cub can stand on its feet from the first day, but stays with its mother and feeds on milk for about a year. The lifespan of an ibex can be up to 20 years.

In antiquity and in the Middle Ages, ibex was the object of strong mystification, as a result of which all its useful attributes - from blood and hair up to excrement - were used in medicine against all kinds of diseases. All this almost led to the extinction of the Ibex in Europe. At the beginning of the 19th century, the number of ibexes in the entire Alpine region barely exceeded 100 individuals, which were preserved mainly in the Italian Gran Paradiso. Forester Josef Zumstein and naturalist Albert Girtanner were able to convince the authorities in 1816 to protect the last ibex in Gran Paradiso. In 1854, King Victor Emmanuel II of Piedmont and Sardinia took the Ibex under his personal protection. Thanks to a successful program to repopulate the Alpine mountains with ibexes, they are now re-occurring in many parts of their original distribution range.

Despite the fact that Switzerland asked to sell the ibexes to her, Victor Emmanuel II did not allow their export. The first animals were smuggled into Switzerland only in 1906. Today, their population is large enough not to be considered endangered. Since 1977, even controlled shooting of ibexes has been allowed. In general, the number of ibexes in the Alps today is from 30 to 40 thousand animals.

Ibex even became a symbol of one of the versions of Linux Ubuntu, which was called - "Fearless Ibex" (Intrepid Ibex).

May 13th, 2013

Ibeks are a mountain breed of goat-climbers who climb rocks so masterfully that they give odds even to climbers. This breed of goats lives in remote Alpine mountainous regions at an altitude of up to 3500 meters above sea level.

The history of the existence of ibexes is very interesting and instructive. At the beginning of the 19th century, this amazing creation of nature almost disappeared from the face of the Earth: the number of ibexes in the entire Alpine region barely exceeded 100 individuals. And these "climbers" survived in the Italian Gran Paradiso. In 1854, King Victor Emmanuel II took the Ibex under personal protection.

Why did the ibexes disappear so quickly? In the Middle Ages, ibex was credited with the miraculous power of healing from all diseases, as a result of which all its useful attributes - from blood and hair up to excrement - were used in medicine. All this led to the disappearance of ibexes in Europe.

Today, their population is quite numerous, and ranges from 30 to 40 thousand animals. Since 1977, even controlled shooting of ibexes has been allowed.

But after these animals almost disappeared from the face of the earth, their miraculously restored populations were brought to other regions of Italy, to the mountains of Switzerland, France, Austria, as well as Germany and Slovenia. The settlement of new areas by ibexes is welcomed by local residents, since the presence of virtuoso animals is beneficial for the prosperity of alpine resorts and attracts crowds of tourists.

Ibex ( Capra ibex), he is an alpine goat, he is a mountain goat, he is a capricorn - an artiodactyl animal from the genus of mountain goats.

Ibex females live in herds of 10-20 females and cubs. Unite in herds and young males. But adult goats jump in the mountains in splendid isolation. During the mating season, which lasts from December to January in the Alps, males arrange courtship fights, and the winner gets the whole herd, so the battles flare up serious.

The male-winner lives in the herd all winter and leaves it only in the spring.

And females in May or June give birth to one, occasionally two, cubs. The cub lives in the herd and feeds on mother's milk for about a year.

Ibex can live for about 20 years.

Goats graze on alpine or steppe lawns, climb glaciers and sheer cliffs to rest.

Goats are not only fast climbers, but also quite smart and observant animals. They are characterized by extraordinary caution. Ibis have enough enemies in the wild, but their excellent eyesight, keen hearing and sense of smell save them.

When grazing or resting the herd, the goat, climbing to the top of a rock or a huge stone, warns the herd of the slightest danger. In case of danger, ibises quickly hide in the rocks.

At the same time, Capricorns are very curious. There were times when a herd of goats watched the competitions of skiers from the top of the mountain, not being afraid of the mass of people.

A herd of alpine goats or ibexes. At the 50m nearly vertical Cingino dam in the Italian Alps. Horned climbers are attracted here by the salt they lick off the rocks.

Mountain goats are a genus of artiodactyl animals from the bovid family. On the one hand, all types of mountain goats have many common features on the other hand they are very variable. For this reason, scientists still cannot determine exactly how many species of these animals exist in nature: some believe that there are only 2-3 of them with many subspecies, others believe that there are 9-10 species of mountain goats. Mountain goats are closely related to mountain sheep, with which they have much in common. There are more distant relatives are snow goats, chamois and gorals.

Mountain goats are ungulates of medium size, their body length is 120-180 cm, height at the withers is 80-100 cm, weight is from 40-60 kg in females of small species to 155 kg in goats large species. They give the impression of slender and graceful animals, despite not very long legs and a strongly built body. Home hallmark These animals are horns, which in females look like short conical daggers 15-18 cm long, and in males they look like sabers, reaching a length of 1 m or even more. In young animals, the horns are curved in a graceful arc, which becomes steeper with age, while in older males, the horns are more like a spiral. On the anterior surface of the horns there are transverse thickenings, which different types expressed to varying degrees.

By the way, the horns of mountain goats, like all bovids, are hollow inside and never change. The tail of these animals is short, on its lower surface there are glands that emit a very strong specific smell. The hooves of mountain goats are narrow, with a very hard hoofed horn, which allows these animals to jump on hard stones without injury and hold on to the smallest ledges.

The coat of mountain goats is short, but with a thick, dense undercoat that protects well from the cold. Mountain goats have a pronounced sexual dimorphism: males are always 1.5-2 times larger than females, have more powerful horns and a bunch of long hair on their chin. Some species (such as the markhor) also have a dewlap of long hair on the underside of the neck. The color of all species is monophonic - gray, black, yellow, in some species the belly is white.

Mountain goats live exclusively in the Northern Hemisphere and only in the Old World - in Europe, Asia and North Africa. Compared to mountain sheep, they prefer to settle at high altitudes (1500-4200 m), in areas with rock outcrops, gorges and sheer walls (sheep prefer more gentle areas). Almost all species tend to settled way life, although in harsh and hungry winters they can descend into the foothills and valleys. Mountain goats lead a herd life: in summer, males and females keep separately, in groups of 3-5 individuals, by winter the herds are enlarged to 20-30 individuals. In the mountains, goats move extremely dexterously: they storm the highest ledges in search of food, jump over cliffs several meters wide, manage to stand almost on vertical surfaces, and balance equally well when walking slowly and on the run. These animals are very cautious, they report danger with a thin bleat.

Mountain goats eat various plants. They prefer alpine grasses - fescue and bluegrass, but on occasion they can eat branches of trees and shrubs, mosses, lichens. In general, mountain goats are extremely unpretentious and can even eat poisonous plants and dry grass. These animals have an acute need for salt, therefore, whenever possible, they visit salt licks and go to them for 15-20 km.

Mountain goats bring offspring once a year. The rut takes place in November-December. During this period, males join groups of females with young animals, young immature males are driven away, and old ones enter into fights with each other. Marriage fights take place strict rules and rarely end in injury. The fighting goats stand opposite each other, rear up and hit each other with the tops of their horns. Mountain goats never butt heads like rams, do not hit the opponent in unprotected parts of the body and do not pursue the escaping for a long distance.

The winner gathers around him a harem of 5-10 females. Pregnancy in different species lasts from 150 to 180 days, so females always bring offspring in the spring, at the very favorable weather. Usually, the female gives birth to 1-2 kids, which can stand on their legs in a couple of hours after birth. However, little kids are very vulnerable, so the first week they lie down in a secluded place. The female comes to feed them, and then the kids begin to accompany her. At the age of 1-2 months, kids are very mobile and playful, during this period of life they do not stand still for a minute, it seems as if a secret spring is hidden in them, which makes them jump, run, climb on their mother's back. Kids become completely independent at 1-1.5 years, and goats reach puberty at two years, and goats at 3-4 years. They live in nature up to 5-10 years, and in captivity up to 12-15.

Since mountain goats are the predominant species of ungulates in the mountain systems of the Alps, Pyrenees, Caucasus, Pamir, Altai, Tibet, Sayan, Tien Shan, they form the basis of the diet of many predators - snow leopards, wolves, lynxes, golden eagles. In North Africa, they are hunted by leopards. In addition to predators, mountain goats often die from starvation and snow avalanches, but high fecundity allows them to quickly restore their numbers. However, some species of mountain goats (for example, the Pyrenean goat) are on the verge of extinction due to the reduction of natural habitats under the onslaught of man.

People have hunted mountain goats since ancient times. The horns of a large male have always been considered valuable trophy, because it is not easy to detect and kill a cautious and dexterous animal. But people also derived quite practical benefits from mountain goats: the skins were used to make shoes and clothes, meat was a very tasty and easily digestible product, fat was also used in cooking, and pellets of undigested wool from the stomach of mountain goats - bezoars - were considered healing. Such valuable qualities of mountain goats led to their domestication, and now in the world there are many different breeds of domestic goats (dairy, meat, downy). Nowadays, mountain goats can be found in any zoo, as they are very easy to tame, tolerate captivity well and breed easily. Despite the fact that the goat is a symbol of an unclean, even diabolical animal (as opposed to the image of a meek sheep), in reality, these animals are very smart and easy to train (but mountain sheep or sheep are just not smart at all). The important role of mountain goats in the life of the peoples of Asia and the Mediterranean is reflected in the name of one of the zodiac constellations - the constellation of Capricorn.

In nature, there are amazing climbers - mountain goats. The dexterity of their movement through the rocky forges is legendary. Very cautious and shy animals. Because of the delicious meat, luxurious horns and high-quality skins, they were mercilessly destroyed. Some species have already disappeared from the vastness of our planet, some managed to be saved. In most countries where graceful and fearless goats live, hunting for them is prohibited.

Description

Mountain goats (photo in the text) belong to the genus of ruminant artiodactyls from the bovid family. Some species are called capricorns, there are two species that live in the Caucasus, which are called tours. similar anatomical structure and the nature of the behavior of animals made it possible to combine them into one group:

Usually the tour (mountain goat) is a muscular, graceful animal of medium size. Adult males weigh up to 150 kg, females up to 90 (depending on the species), height at the withers up to 100 cm, body length up to 180 cm. The color depends on the habitat. Wool has patronizing coloration: yellow, black, grey. Perfectly climb mountains, strong, hardy, very cautious. The number of individuals in the herd ranges from 5-6 heads to several hundred. They graze in the morning and in the evening, in places of possible hunting for them they prefer to feed at night.

Classification

All mountain goats have a lot in common. However, they are divided into several types. The opinions of experts differ, some believe that there are no more than 2-3 species, all the rest are subspecies. Others are sure that there are about 10 species. They are "relatives" of mountain sheep. More distant "relatives" - chamois, gorals. Below are the names of mountain goats with a brief description:

1. Markhor. Distinctive feature- magnificent spiral horns, which are still mined by poachers. Interesting feature: the right horn is twisted to the left, and the left horn is twisted to the right, usually 2-3 turns. Listed in the International Red Book, considered a species on the verge of destruction. They have excellent eyesight and hearing. Pretty big ones:

height at the withers - up to 100 cm;
body length - 140-170 cm;
live weight of males - up to 120 kg, females - up to 60 kg.

2. Caucasian mountain goat. Zoologists divide it into subspecies:

East Caucasian (Dagestan);
West Caucasian (Severtseva);
Kuban.

They differ little from each other, mainly in size, coat color, size and shape of the horns. Average sizes for all types:

height at the withers - up to 110 cm;
body length - up to 165 cm;
live weight - up to 100 kg.

The females are smaller. Protected by law.

3. Pyrenean goat (Iberian ibex). Compared to other species - medium-sized:

height at the withers - 65-75 cm;
body length - 100-140 cm;
live weight -35-80 kg.

It differs in fur color, black and brown colors predominate. It has graceful thin horns up to 75 cm in length.

4. Nubian ibex. The smallest members of the species. A distinctive feature is pronounced sexual dimorphism. Females are three times smaller than males. The horns are long, in males up to a meter, in females within 30 cm, thin, one of the most beautiful. Males have a luxurious beard. Dimensions:

height at the withers - 65-75 cm;
body length - 105-125 cm;
live weight - 26-65 kg.

The color is brown with white and black spots.

5. Alpine ibex (ibex). In this species, goats also "wear" beards. AT winter period coat color for both sexes gray color, in summer, males are dark brown, females are reddish with a golden tint. The goats are decorated with meter-long curved horns, in goats they are very small, slightly curved. Dimensions:

height at the withers - up to 90 cm;
body length - up to 150 cm;
live weight - 40-100 kg.

6. Siberian ibex (Central Asian). A large animal, outwardly reminiscent of a domestic goat, but more lean, slender and muscular. The body is relatively short, the neck is muscular, the head is large with an elongated muzzle. The legs are thick, the hooves are wide. Male sizes:

height at the withers - up to 110 cm;
body length - up to 160 cm;
live weight - 60-130 (autumn) kg.

Luxurious arched horns in males grow up to one and a half meters.

7. Bezoar (bearded) goat. Stocky, with strong limbs and broad hooves. Males for the winter change the color of the red coat to silver-white. The black stripes along the back and the black-brown color of the lower part of the muzzle remain unchanged. Females have a yellowish-brown coat at any time of the year. Dimensions:

height at the withers - 70-100 cm;
body length - 120-160 cm;
live weight - 25-95 kg.

Habitat

Mountain goats (photo in vivo) can be found today in a number of mountainous areas Central Europe and the Mediterranean: individual islands of the Greek archipelago, northeast Africa, the Caucasus, Altai, Middle and central Asia, Sayans, northern Pakistan and India, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, northern Italy. Scattered habitats of mountain goats - all that remains of the once continuous vast territory from the Mediterranean to Ireland and from the coast Atlantic Ocean to India. Habitats of different species do not overlap.

Animals inhabit hard-to-reach rocky slopes. With amazing dexterity and fearlessness, they move through impregnable mountains. Their entire anatomical structure is adapted not to fast running, but to climbing and jumping. They avoid large open spaces. They live at an altitude of 500 to 5,500 meters above sea level. Usually, the genus group lives almost in one place, only if necessary leaving the usual area. They descend from the mountains exclusively in severe winter months in search of food.

Food

Mountain goats eat trees and shrubs, herbaceous vegetation, lichens, mosses. They are able to eat dry leaves, branches, thorns, even poisonous plants. The love of goats for the bark of young trees significantly harms forest plantations. In mountainous areas, the scarcity of the diet forces the animals to spend most of their time in search of food.

AT summer months mountain goats are actively gaining weight, grazing mainly in the cool hours. In the heat, they lie down in the shade, chewing gum. In winter, the search for food goes on almost around the clock. Mineral supplements, especially salt, are an important dietary supplement. Goats find salt marshes in the mountains, sometimes overcoming dozens of kilometers.

reproduction

Animals are polygamous, lead a herd lifestyle. Adult males prefer solitary living, and only for the time of mating unite with goats in small herds. The beginning and duration of the rut is characterized by specific features. It is curious that in territorially neighboring species they have especially large differences. Apparently this is how mother nature protects animals from unnecessary fights and incest.

Animals reach sexual maturity by two to three years. Mating usually occurs at the beginning of winter (November-December). Males fight fiercely for the attention of goats. It is noteworthy that goats have a peculiar code of honor. They only strike with the upper part of their horns, never harm exposed body parts, and do not chase the underdog for too long.

The winner gets his own harem of 5-10 females. The duration of pregnancy is 5-6 months, lambing occurs in May-June. As a rule, there are 1-2 kids in a litter. For the first week of life, the mother goat hides the babies in a secluded place, and regularly comes to feed them. They get stronger very quickly and after a couple of weeks they are able to follow their mother along sheer steeps for decent distances. Young individuals become fully grown by 1-1.5 years. In the wild, life expectancy is about 10 years, in captivity up to 15.

Horn types

Horns can perform various functions: to attract females during the rut, serve as a weapon of defense or attack, and even regulate body temperature. In bovids, the horns are a bone rod in a horn sheath. Grow from the bottom from the base, do not branch and do not change throughout life. Horns are used to make mouthpieces, vessels, snuff boxes, combs, buttons, and more. In addition, individual copies can serve as a luxurious element of the interior.

There are three main types of horns:

prisca - bent back, the ends diverge in different directions;
markura - straight helical (the number of turns is from 1.5 to 6 or more) twisted horns, each in its own direction: right - to the left, left - to the right;
bezoar goat - sickle-shaped, widely separated to the sides.

They have not been seen in the wild, but domestic goats have more than one pair of formidable weapons. There are individuals with horns from three to eight.

Species differences (the length of the horns of males):

Capia hircus - bezoar goat. Saber-shaped, laterally flattened, the front edge is sharp with a number of raised tubercles. The length can reach 80 cm.
Sarga falconeri - Markhor goat. Thick, straight, twisted into a corkscrew around its axis, the ends are directed upwards. Grow up to 80 cm.
Sarga cylindricornis - Dagestan tur. Smooth, gentle spiral bends them around its axis by almost 180°. The ends are widely separated to the sides, rounded in cross section (in adults). Size - up to a meter.
Sarga severtzovi - Caucasian tur. Horns in the form of a curved arc, the ends pointing down and inward. On the front there are several transverse rollers. The section is rounded. Length within 70 cm.
Sarga sibirica - Siberian mountain goat. It has saber-shaped curved horns with a quadrangular section. The front surface is decorated with a number of transverse rollers. Differs in the impressive size of the "weapon" - up to 120-150 cm.

Sad fact, but animals continue to die out in our time. What is the name of the mountain goat, the last representative of which died already in the 21st century? This is Bucardo or Pyrenean goat. The last representatives of this species lived in the national park of the province of Huesca. They were animals with thick hair and a strong physique. Outwardly, males differed from females in the size of the horns. They were thick, ribbed, bent back. Each edge was supposed to mark one year of the animal's life.

This subspecies until the 19th century was widely distributed in highlands the Iberian Peninsula, especially in the north of the Perinees and in the Cantabrian mountains. In 1910, only national parks Monte Perdido and Ordesa could be met by bucardos, there were only 40 of them left. Unfortunately, the measures taken to save the animals did not bring success, and the last female, named Celia, died in 2000.

View restoration

Scientists have attempted to "resurrect" the lost species. Using a technology reminiscent of Dolly the Sheep cloning (called nuclear transfer), scientists have managed to implant bucardo DNA into the eggs of domestic goats. 439 embryos were created, 57 of them managed to be implanted in surrogate uterus. Seven of them became pregnant, but only one was able to give birth to a female bucardo. The kid lived only 7 minutes, died of congenital breathing problems. This experiment cannot be unequivocally called unsuccessful. Scientists have a real opportunity to revive extinct species

Why don't they fall off the rocks

Mountain goats can literally climb sheer walls, thanks to the structure of cloven hooves. Narrow and hard at the edges and soft in the center, they are able to move apart very widely. This helps the animals to cover any ledge or unevenness with their hooves. Separate types have uneven hard pads between the hooves, with the help of which they can be more securely held on a rocky surface.

Goats have an amazing sense of balance, excellent coordination and very sharp eyesight. An important role is played by the ability to instantly assess the situation, if the stone on which the animal stepped is too narrow, it immediately repels from it and jumps further.

Mountain goats are a genus of artiodactyl animals from the bovid family. On the one hand, all types of mountain goats have many common features, on the other hand, they are very variable. For this reason, scientists still cannot determine exactly how many species of these animals exist in nature: some believe that there are only 2-3 of them with many subspecies, others believe that there are 9-10 species of mountain goats. Mountain goats are closely related to mountain sheep, with which they have much in common. Their more distant relatives are snow goats, chamois and gorals.

Markhor goat (Capra falconeri).

Mountain goats are ungulates of medium size, their body length is 120-180 cm, height at the withers is 80-100 cm, weight is from 40-60 kg in females of small species to 155 kg in large goats. They give the impression of slender and graceful animals, despite not very long legs and a strongly built body. The main distinguishing feature of these animals is the horns, which in females look like short conical daggers 15-18 cm long, and in males they look like sabers, reaching a length of 1 m or even more. In young animals, the horns are curved in a graceful arc, which becomes steeper with age, while in older males, the horns are more like a spiral. On the anterior surface of the horns there are transverse thickenings, which are expressed to varying degrees in different species.

Absolutely unusual shape have the horns of a goat goat - they are strongly flattened, without rollers, but twisted into a spiral around the axis of growth.

A herd of alpine goats climbed a sheer wall of a dam that blocked mountain river. Animals are held effortlessly on an almost vertical and smooth surface.

The coat of mountain goats is short, but with a thick, dense undercoat that protects well from the cold. These ungulates have a pronounced sexual dimorphism: males are always 1.5-2 times larger than females, have more powerful horns and a tuft of long hair on their chin. Some species (such as the markhor) also have a dewlap of long hair on the underside of the neck. The color of all species is monophonic - gray, black, yellow, in some species the belly is white.

Male and female Siberian goat or ibex (Capra sibirica).

Mountain goats live exclusively in the Northern Hemisphere and only in the Old World - in Europe, Asia and North Africa. Compared to mountain sheep, they prefer to settle at high altitudes (1500-4200 m), in areas with rock outcrops, gorges and sheer walls (sheep prefer more gentle areas). Almost all species gravitate toward a sedentary lifestyle, although in severe and hungry winters they can descend into the foothills and valleys. Mountain goats lead a herd life: in summer, males and females keep separately, in groups of 3-5 individuals, by winter the herds are enlarged to 20-30 individuals. In the mountains, goats move extremely dexterously: they storm the highest ledges in search of food, jump over cliffs several meters wide, manage to stand almost on vertical surfaces, and balance equally well when walking slowly and on the run. These animals are very cautious, they report danger with a thin bleat.

A herd of West Caucasian turs (Capra caucasica).

Mountain goats feed on a variety of plants. They prefer alpine grasses - fescue and bluegrass, but on occasion they can eat branches of trees and shrubs, mosses, lichens. In general, mountain goats are extremely unpretentious and can even eat poisonous plants and dry grass. These animals have an acute need for salt, therefore, whenever possible, they visit salt licks and go to them for 15-20 km.

An alpine mountain goat climbed up the sheer wall of the dam in search of salt, which remained on the stones from the water that once flowed over its surface.

These animals bring offspring once a year. The rut takes place in November-December. During this period, males join groups of females with young, they drive away young immature males, and fight with old ones. Marriage fights take place according to strict rules and rarely end in mutilation. The fighting goats stand opposite each other, rear up and hit each other with the tops of their horns. Mountain goats never butt heads like rams, do not hit the opponent in unprotected parts of the body and do not pursue the escaping for a long distance.

The mating duel of alpine goats.

The winner gathers around him a harem of 5-10 females. Pregnancy in different species lasts from 150 to 180 days, so females always bring offspring in the spring, in the most favorable weather. Usually, the female gives birth to 1-2 kids, which can stand on their legs in a couple of hours after birth. However, little kids are very vulnerable, so the first week they lie down in a secluded place. The female comes to feed them, and then the kids begin to accompany her. At the age of 1-2 months, kids are very mobile and playful, during this period of life they do not stand still for a minute, it seems as if a secret spring is hidden in them, which makes them jump, run, climb on their mother's back. Kids become completely independent at 1-1.5 years, and goats reach puberty at two years, and goats at 3-4 years. They live in nature up to 5-10 years, and in captivity up to 12-15.

The blows of the horns are accompanied by a loud crack that can be heard from a kilometer away, but they never bring injury to the fighting ibex.

Since mountain goats are the predominant species of ungulates in the mountain systems of the Alps, Pyrenees, Caucasus, Pamir, Altai, Tibet, Sayan, Tien Shan, they form the basis of the diet of many predators - snow leopards, wolves, lynxes, golden eagles. In North Africa, they are hunted by leopards. In addition to predators, mountain goats often die from starvation and snow avalanches, but their high fecundity allows them to quickly restore their numbers. However, some species of mountain goats (for example, the Pyrenean goat) are on the verge of extinction due to the reduction of natural habitats under the onslaught of man.

Wild alpine goat of the Nubian subspecies (Capra ibex nubiana) on the side of a highway in Egypt (Sinai Peninsula).

People have hunted mountain goats since ancient times. The horns of a large male have always been considered a valuable trophy, because it is not easy to detect and kill a cautious and dexterous animal. But people also derived quite practical benefits from mountain goats: the skins were used to make shoes and clothes, meat was a very tasty and easily digestible product, fat was also used in cooking, and pellets of undigested wool from the stomach of mountain goats - bezoars - were considered healing. Such valuable qualities of mountain goats led to their domestication, and now in the world there are many different breeds of domestic goats (dairy, meat, downy). Nowadays, mountain goats can be found in any zoo, as they are very easy to tame, tolerate captivity well and breed easily. Despite the fact that the goat is a symbol of an unclean, even diabolical animal (as opposed to the image of a meek sheep), in reality, these animals are very smart and easy to train (but mountain sheep or sheep are just not smart at all). The important role of mountain goats in the life of the peoples of Asia and the Mediterranean is reflected in the name of one of the zodiac constellations - the constellation of Capricorn.