Altai ibex, Central asia(n) ibex, Gobi ibex, Himalayan ibex, Mongolian ibex, Tian shan ibex
The Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica ), also known as the Altai ibex, Central Asia(n) ibex, Gobi ibex, Himalayan ibex, Mongolian ibex or Tian Shan ibex, is a species of ibex that lives in central Asia. It has traditionally been treated as a subspecies of the Alpine ibex, and whether it is specifically distinct from other ibex is still not entirely clear. It is the longest and heaviest member of the genus Capra, though its shoulder height is surpassed by the markhor.
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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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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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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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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
Among 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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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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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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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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Partial MigrantPartial migration is when within a migratory species or even within a single population, some individuals migrate while others do not.
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starts withSiberian ibexes are large and heavily built goats. Their coats vary in color ranging from dark brown to light tan, with some reddish individuals. There is usually a stripe of darker hair down the center of the back and onto the tail, and some males have saddle-like patches on the back in the winter. The undersides are paler, and, in the winter, mature males becoming much darker with white patches. Females and infants are generally blander in color and do not always have the stripe down the back. Siberian ibexes typically molt between April and July, developing their paler summer coat, which continues to grow and become darker during the year, reaching the full winter condition around December. Both sexes have beards and horns. The female's horns are relatively small, and grey-brown in color. Those of fully-grown males are black. Both sexes have circular rings around their horns that represent annual growth, but males also have large transverse ridges along the front surface.
Siberian ibexes are found in Afghanistan, western and northern China (Primarily Xinjiang), north-western India, south-eastern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, eastern Uzbekistan, Mongolia, northern Pakistan, and south-central Russia. These animals live mostly above the tree line, in areas of steep slopes and rocky scree. Their habitat consists of a mixture of high altitude tundra, alpine meadows, and regions of semi-desert. In the Gobi Desert, they may be found on hills as low as 700 m (2,300 ft) in summer, descending to lower, sometimes sparsely forested, slopes during the winter.
Siberian ibexes live in herds that vary in size depending on the local population; about 5-30 is most common, although they can become much larger during the rut. Outside of the rut, most herds are single-sex, although some mixed-sex herds persist throughout the year. Siberian ibexes are diurnal and spend much of the day grazing, staying an hour or more at each location before moving on. Usually living at high elevations, Siberian ibexes seek out lower slopes during the winter in search of food. They seek out shaded areas with vegetation on hot days but do not enter forested areas, preferring to return to their alpine habitat when the weather has cooled. When snow is heavy, they will paw away snow to reach the vegetation below. Siberian ibexes communicate with each other during the breeding season, when warning about predators, and for recognition between mother and young. Females usually recognize their newborn through scents and also call their young for feeding. Communication during the rut is based mainly on physical posturing in which males perform flehmen. Flehmen includes raising and curling of the upper lip, along with shutting the external nares.
Siberian ibexes are herbivores (folivores) and their diet mainly consists of alpine grasses and herbs. During spring and summer, they feed mainly on grasses and sedges, while during winter they eat more tall herbs, and the twigs and needles of trees such as aspen, spruce, juniper, and willow. During the summer, they often visit salt licks.
Siberian ibexes are polygynous which means that males mate with more than one females. Courtship rituals consist of licking, ritualized postures, and flehmen. Males compete for dominance during the rut, rearing up on their hind legs and clashing their horns together. The rut takes place from late October to early January. The gestation period lasts 170-180 days, after which usually a single kid is born, although twins and triplets may also be born but on rare occasions. Newborn kids weigh about 3 kg (6.6 lb) and grow rapidly during their first year. The horns are visible after about 3-4 weeks. They begin to eat at 8 days after birth, but do not do so regularly until they are about one month old, and are not fully weaned until 6 months. Males reach reproductive maturity at 18 months of age but do not reach their full adult size for 9 years. Females first breed in their second year.
Main threats to Siberian ibexes are hunting for food and poaching in some areas by military personnel, road maintenance workers, and others. Other threats include competition with livestock for food and habitat, and in some areas by local predators among which are wolves, dholes, snow leopards, lynxes, foxes, and eagles.
According to IUCN, the Siberian ibex is abundant and widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. However, there are estimates of its populations in the following areas: China: Tian Shan - 40,000-50,000 individuals; Bei Mountains (northern Gansu) - 3,000-4,000 individuals. India: Ladakh - 6,000 individuals; south side of the main Himalaya - 4,000 individuals; Kanji-Boodkharbu Wildlife Sanctuary - 330 individuals; Lungnag Wildlife Sanctuary - 225 individuals; Rangdum Wildlife Sanctuary - 250 individuals; Rizong Wildlife Sanctuary - 174 individuals; Pin Valley National Park - 174 individuals. Former Soviet Republics of Central Asia: Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan - 70,000 individuals; Kazakhstan - 17,000 individuals; southern Siberia - 8,000-9,000 individuals; Altai - 3,000-3,500 individuals; Tannu Ola mountains of Tuva - 2,500 individuals; Western Sayan - 1,500 individuals; Eastern Sayan - 2,000-2,500 individuals; Uzbekistan - 2,400 individuals. Mongolia - around 80,000 individuals. Northern Pakistan - 2,545 individuals; Azad Jammu and Kashmir - 375 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...