Screw horn (Pakistan)
The markhor (Capra falconeri) is a large Capra species. It is the national animal of Pakistan, where it is also known as the screw horn or "screw-horned goat", mārkhor (مارخور) in Urdu from Classical Persian.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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GraminivoreIn zoology, a graminivore (not to be confused with a granivore) is an herbivorous animal that feeds primarily on grass. Graminivory is a form of g...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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GrazingGrazing is a method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses, or other multicellular organisms such as algae. In agriculture...
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BrowsingBrowsing is a type of herbivory in which an herbivore (or, more narrowly defined, a folivore) feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high-growi...
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ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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HerdingA herd is a social grouping of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic. The form of collective animal behavior associated with...
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Altitudinal MigrantAltitudinal migration is a short-distance animal migration from lower altitudes to higher altitudes and back. Altitudinal migrants change their ele...
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Best HornsThe coat of the markhor is of a grizzled, light brown to black color, and is smooth and short in summer; it grows longer and thicker in winter. The fur of the lower legs is black and white. Males have longer hair on the chin, throat, chest, and shanks. Females are redder in color, with shorter hair, a short black beard, and are maneless. Both sexes have tightly curled, corkscrew-like horns, which close together at the head but spread upwards toward the tips.
Markhor are found in Central Asia, Karakoram, and the Himalayas. They occur in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India (Jammu-Kashmir), Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Markhor are adapted to mountainous terrain with steep cliffs; they typically inhabit open woodlands, scrublands, and forests made up primarily of oaks, pines, and junipers.
Markhor are diurnal animals and are mainly active in the early morning and late afternoon. Their diets shift seasonally: in the spring and summer periods, they graze, but turn to browsing in winter, sometimes standing on their hind legs to reach high branches. Markhor live in flocks that usually consist of nine animals. These flocks are composed of adult females and their young. Adult males are largely solitary. Adult females and kids comprise most of the markhor population. These majestic animals have many predators and that's why possess keen eyesight and a strong sense of smell to detect nearby predators. Markhor are very aware of their surroundings and are on high alert for predators. In exposed areas, they are quick to spot and flee from predators. Their alarm call closely resembles the bleating of domestic goats. Early in the season the males and females may be found together on the open grassy patches and clear slopes in the forest. During the summer, the males remain in the forest, while the females generally climb to the highest rocky ridges above.
Markhor are herbivores (folivores, graminivores). They feed on various grasses, leaves, twigs, and shrubs.
Markhor exhibit a polygynous mating system in which males mate with multiple females every single breeding season. They mate in winter, during which the males fight each other by lunging, locking horns, and attempting to push each other off balance. The gestation period lasts 135-170 days and usually results in the birth of one or two kids, though rarely three. The young are born precocial (fully developed) and are able to walk soon after birth. Mothers nurse and protect their kids within 6 months and after that, they become more independent. Young male and female markhor become reproductively mature at 18 to 36 months of age.
Poaching, with its indirect impacts as disturbance, increasing fleeing distances, and resulting reduction of effective habitat size, is by far the most important factor threatening the survival of the markhor population. Poaching causes fragmentation of the population. into small islands where the remaining subpopulations are prone to extinction. The markhor is a valued trophy hunting prize for its incredibly rare spiral horns which became a threat to their species. Markhor are potential prey for snow leopards, brown bears, lynxes, jackals, and golden eagles. While not directly causing their endangerment, the already small population of markhor is further threatened by their predation.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the markhor is 5,754 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are increasing.
Markhor help spread seeds of the wild grasses that compose their diet. They are also important prey for large predators including Golden eagles, Himalayan lynx, leopard cats, snow leopards, wolves, and black bears.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...