Nemorhaedus goral (Hardwicker, 1825)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2011, Bovidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 2 Hoofed Mammals, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 444-779 : 743-744

214.

Himalayan Brown Goral

Nemorhaedus goral

French: Goral a queue courte / German: Osthimalaja-Goral / Spanish: Goral marrén del Himalaya

Other common names: Eastern Gray Goral

Taxonomy. Antilope goral Hardwicke, 1825 , Nepal.

The generic name was originally spelled Naemorhedus , but the spelling Nemorhaedus , despite being an unjustified emendation, is “in prevailing” usage and is used here. Sutlej River is the probable distributional boundary between the Himalayan Brown Goral and the Himalayan Gray Goral (NN. bedfordi). Monotypic.

Distribution. Nepal, N India (Kumaon, Garwhal), NE India (including Sikkim), Bhutan, and marginally extreme S Xizang, China.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 82-120 cm, tail 7.5-20. 3 cm, shoulder height 60-71 cm, ear 10-14 cm; weight 35-42 kg. Both sexes have short, backward-curving horns with small irregular ridges. Male horn length is 15-23. 5 cm, and basal horn girth is 9-11. 5 cm. Females have noticeably more slender horns than males. Color of the Himalayan Brown Goral is medium brown with black-tipped hairs, or gray-brown to pale or dark fawn. The pelage is shaggy in winter. Slender legs are light brown, with very bright tan or white on forelegs only. The chest and belly are paler. Older males develop a semi-erect crest of longer black and gray hairs along the back of the neck and shoulder. The back is slightly arched. The Himalayan Brown Goral has a white patch on the upper throat and white spots on lower muzzle and cheeks. The facial profile is concave. Diploid chromosome number is 56.

Habitat. The Himalayan Brown Goral occurs in wooded mountains at elevations of about 400-4000 m, using precipitous cliffs and rough rocky terrain with 30-40° slopes. Their preferred habitats have a fairly dense cover of thorny shrubs and trees.

Food and Feeding. Crepuscular and partly nocturnal in feeding activity. Over 90% of winter and summer diet is grass, but seasonally also browse including fruits and nuts. The Himalayan Brown Goral never feeds far from escape cover. They drink water daily, particularly after morning feeding.

Breeding. Mating occurs in October-December. Males are territorial. Gestation is about 180 days. Single offspring are the norm, rarely twins. Young are born in April-May. Offspring are weaned at 7-8 months of age. The Himalayan Brown Gorallives up to 17-6 years in captivity, likely less in the wild.

Activity patterns. The Himalayan Brown Goral is active in early morning on northwesterly slopes and in evening on north-easterly facing slopes. It tends to avoid open habitats when temperature exceeds 20°C and becomes nocturnal when confronted with persistent human disturbance.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Himalayan Brown Gorals are very nimble and move with ease through rugged topography. They are well camouflaged, making them difficult to observe. Although they can move with great speed, they often remain motionless in the face of danger. Two or three Himalayan Brown Gorals will feed in proximity, but adult males are usually solitary. Only 27% of females observed were solitary; 73% were in groups, whereas 69% of males were solitary and 31% were in groups. Female groups consisted of 2-3 individuals. Mixed groups (females plus at least one male) had 2-5 individuals, and neither sex predominated. They are rarely seen in groups larger than ten. A hissing or sneezing alarm call is used to alert conspecifics of danger.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix I. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red Lust. Illegal subsistence hunting and habitat destruction and fragmentation are major threats to the Himalayan Brown Goral. Status of populations is unknown due to lack of monitoring.

Bibliography. Ellerman & Morrison-Scott (1966), Fox & Johnsingh (1997), Groves & Grubb (1985, 2011), Grubb (2005), Hess et al. (1997), llyas & Khan (2003), Lovari & Apollonio (1993, 1994), Lydekker & Dollman (1924), MacKinnon (2008), Mead (1989), Mishra et al. (2006), Pendkharkar & Goyal (1995), Roy et al. (1995), Schaller (1977), Soma & Kada (1984), Soma et al. (1987), Wangchuk et al. (2004), Wegge & Oli (1997), Wollenhaupt et al. (1997).

Figures

208. Pyrenean Chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica), 209. Abruzzi Chamois (Rupicapra ornata), 210. Cantabrian Chamois (Rupicapra parva), 211. Alpine Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), 212. Carpathian Chamois (Rupicapra carpatica), 213. Asia Minor Chamois (Rupicapra asiatica), 214. Himalayan Brown Goral (Nemorhaedus goral), 215. Himalayan Gray Goral (Nemorhaedus bedfordi), 216. Chinese Goral (Nemorhaedus griseus), 217. Burmese Goral (Nemorhaedus evansi), 218. Long-tailed Goral (Nemorhaedus caudatus), 219. Red Goral (Nemorhaedus baileyi)

Distribution. Nepal , N India (Kumaon, Garwhal), NE India (including Sikkim), Bhutan , and marginally extreme S Xizang, China .