The East Caucasian tur (Capra cylindricornis) is a mountain-dwelling caprine living in the eastern half of the Greater Caucasus mountains. The ancestors of the modern goats are thought to have moved into mountainous regions where they adapted to very steep terrain far from predators.
East Caucasian turs are goat-like animals with large but narrow bodies and short legs and show significant sexual dimorphism in overall size and horn development. Males have slightly lyre-shaped horns that reach 70 to 90 cm (28 to 35 in) in length, while in females they are typically only 20 to 22 cm (7.9 to 8.7 in) long. The summer coat is short and sandy-yellow, with dirty white underparts. Also, dark brown stripes occur along the front surface of the legs and on the upper surface of the tail. In the winter, the coats of females and juvenile males become slightly greyish in color but otherwise remain similar. However, the winter coats of adult males are a solid dark brown, without visible stripes on the legs. Males develop a beard with their winter coats in their second year, reaching the full length of about 12 cm (4.7 in) by their fourth or fifth year. Compared with other goats, the beards of East Caucasian turs are relatively stiff and project somewhat forwards, rather than drooping down. The beard is small or entirely absent in females and in males in their summer coats.
This species is restricted to the Greater Caucasus Mountains, roughly extending from Mt. Shkhara (Georgia) in the west to Mt. Babadag (Azerbaijan) in the east. In general, East Caucasian turs avoid human disturbance and occur in extremely rugged, open terrain. In areas with no or little human disturbance, turs occur in gentler and much lower terrain. The species is heat-sensitive but prefers snow-free, grass-dominated areas near escape cliffs, and in terrain that is difficult for humans and livestock to reach.
East Caucasian turs are social animals. Outside of the breeding season, females live in stable groups with an average of 7 individuals, often including a few juvenile males. Older males live in larger, single-sex groups, with an average of 12 members, while some younger males travel in groups of 2 or 3. These male groups break up around November, when the rut (breeding season) begins and mixed-sex groups become the norm, reforming again in January or February. During the warm months, East Caucasian turs forage at intervals throughout the late afternoon, night, and morning; during the hottest hours of the day they usually rest in sheltered places. In winter, herds may remain in open pastures throughout the day, alternately grazing and resting. Daily movements may cover 15 to 20 km (9.3 to 12.4 mi). East Caucasian turs migrate seasonally a vertical distance of 1,500-2,000 m (4,900-6,600 ft), with an upward thrust in May and a retreat downwards in October. The adult males generally inhabit higher altitudes than females and their young, descending to join them in the breeding season. During the summer, the turs also make daily migrations, moving as much as 1,000 m (3,300 ft) vertically between feeding meadows and night-time resting spots.
East Caucasia turs ar herbivores (folivores, graminivores). They eat almost all kinds of available vegetation but prefer forbs in spring and summer, and grasses, trees, and shrubs in autumn and winter.
East Caucasian turs are polygynandrous (promiscuous) meaning both the males and the females mate with more than one partner during the breeding season. During this time, which occurs from late November to early January, vigorous competitions arise as males vie for mating rights. Older males are dominant over younger ones, which they drive away from females using threatening postures, rushing, and occasional clashes with their horns. Fights between equally sized males are fiercer; they begin with both animals rearing on their hind legs and butting each other, before vigorous horn-wrestling that often results in the combatants rolling down steep slopes until one submits and leaves the group. During the rut, males also mark their territory by debarking and scent-marking tree trunks and heavy branches. After a gestation period of 160-165 days, females give birth to a single kid. Newborn turs weigh 3.4-4.1 kg (7.5-9 lb). They are extremely agile, being able to scamper about steep slopes after only a day of life. They generally start sampling grasses after one month but continue to suckle until about December. Growth is relatively slow, with females not reaching their full adult size for 5 years, and males at around 10 or 11 years of age. Females become reproductively mature at 2 years, but, in the wild, usually do not breed until the age of 4.
The main threats to East Caucasian turs are poaching and competition with livestock for grazing areas. They also suffer from severe winters and the loss and degradation of their native habitat.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total Eas Caucasian tur population size is estimated at 31,000-32,000 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List, but its numbers today are stable.
