#capra

A Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana) in Palestine

Alpine Ibex (Capra ibex), male., family Bovidae, found in Alps of Europe

Markhor (Capra falconeri), male, family Bovidae, order Artiodactyla, Augsburg Zoo, Germany

The National Animal of Pakistan

Today's animal of the day is the Siberian Ibex (Capra sibirica)!

Photo credit: Dorje Bodh

This species of wild goat can be found throughout Central Asia and is the most widespread species of goat in the world. They are also the longest and heaviest species of goat, with males weighing between 130 and 290 lb and females between 75 and 123 lb. Though the markhor is slightly taller. Males (called bucks) have large, backwards-curving horns that are black in color. The largest males can have horns that are up to 58 inches long, though the average is around 45 inches. Females have much smaller horns (around 11 inches). Both sexes have circular rings around their horns that represent a new year's worth of growth. Because of this, you can determine an ibex's age by counting the rings on its horns.

Photo credit: Dmitry Kulakov

Like other ibexes, the Siberian ibex prefers to live at higher elevations and tends to stay well above the tree line, which is the boundary that marks the end of where trees are able to grow on a mountain. They will occasionally venture down to lower elevations on hot days to rest in the shade of the trees, but they rarely venture into the actual forest and tend to stay along the edge. Herds can vary in size between 5 and 30 individuals, and outside of the breeding season, males and females usually live in separate herds since they prefer to eat different types of plants. There are some areas where males and females will coexist all year round, but females tend to prefer areas close to water and with nutrient-rich plants to increase the chances of survival for their kids, while males are more willing to take risks when foraging for food.

Photo credit: Zafeer Ahmed Shaikh