Overview
More information is needed to determine physical characteristics that distinguish this subspecies from the Alpine chamois subspecies. The short summer coat is reddish or pale brown. The winter coat of long guard hairs over thick underfur is a dark shade of brown. The underparts are pale, the rump is white. Throat, lower jaw, front of face and inside of ears are white, and there is a dark mask from ear to muzzle. Both sexes grow short, slim black horns that are round in cross section and hook sharply backward near the tips. The female's horns can be longer than the male's, but are slimmer and sometimes lack the hooks.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammal
- Order
- Artiodactyla
- Family
- Bovidae
- Genus
- Rupicapra
- Species
- Rupicapra rupicapra
Habitat
These chamois prefer high-altitude areas with continuous cover. Summer range consists of open tussock grassland near precipitous, rocky country. This animal descends to subalpine forest and scrub in winter. Distrubution- France, where it is restricted to an area around Grenoble, at the western edge of the French Alps.
Diet
Chamois both graze and browse. During summer months chamois feed on herbs and flowers, while during winter they turn to lichens, mosses and young pines.
Behavior
This is a graceful and agile mountain animal. Chamois usually use speed to escape predators and can run at 31 mph (50 kmh) and jump 6.6 ft (2 m) vertically into the air or over a distance of 20 ft (6 m). They are gregarious, living in herds of up to 20-30 animals. Older males are usually solitary except during the rut in May-June when they join the females. Chamois are diurnal, feeding early and late, with the middle part of the day spent resting. A sentinel (usually a female) is posted to watch for danger, and will warn the others with shrill whistles. All senses are excellent, but eyesight is exceptional. Very agile and elusive, handling precipitous terrain with ease.
Hunting
It is best to hunt chamois from above, as their natural instinct is to scan for danger from below.
Conservation Status
Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. They are confined to a single mountain where the population is around 1,000 mature individuals. However, populations are considered stable. More information is needed on the conservation status and population of this subspecies of chamois.