Overview
More information is needed to determine physical characteristics that differ this sub-specie from the Alpine chamois sub-specie.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. The hoofs have hard, sharp edges to utilize small rock projections, and rubbery soles to grip on slippery rock. 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. Descends to subalpine forest and scrub in winter. Distribution- Tatra Mountains of Slovakia and Poland.
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
Very limited license are available for this species, with the only hunting opportunities occuring in Slovakia. It is best to hunt chamois from above, as their natural instinct is to scan for danger from below.
Conservation Status
The highest ever population was recorded in 2014, when 1,389 individuals were counted in Tatras. This is a major conservation success story considering their population numbers were estimated at around 200 individuals when the count was done in 1999-2,000. This was the result of habitat protection and a suppression of poaching.