| Alpine Ibex | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| Range | European Alps |
| Estimated Population | 20,000 |
| Scientific Classification | |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Artiodactyla |
| Family | Bovidae |
| Genus | Capra |
| Species | Capra ibex |
| Conservation Status | |
 Extinct | |
The Alpine Ibex is a species from the Capra genus.
Appearance
It has brownish grey hair over most of the body, with slightly darker markings on the chin and throat, and in a stripe along the back, and a pale abdomen. They moult twice a year, firstly in April or May, and then again in September, when they replace the short summer coat with thicker hair and a woolly undercoat.
Behavior
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Diet
Alpine ibexes are strictly herbivorous, with over half of their diet consisting of grasses, and the remainder being a mixture of moss, flowers, leaves, and twigs.
Lifespan
The breeding season starts in December, and typically lasts around six weeks. Males will perform courtship displays. In the second phase of the rut, a male will separate from this group and follow an individual female. Gestation lasts around 167 days, and results in the birth of one or two kids, with twins making up about 20% of births. Alpine ibex reach sexual maturity at eighteen months, but females do not reach their maximum body size for five to six years, and males not for nine or eleven years. Alpine ibex have been reported to live for up to nineteen years in the wild.
Gallery
Facts
- Needs Information