Capra aegagrus, Erxleben, 1777
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6512484 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6636930 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F50713-9923-FF98-0375-FE1CF8C1F877 |
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treatment provided by |
Conny |
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scientific name |
Capra aegagrus |
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Wild Goat
French: Bouc sauvage / German: Bezoarziege / Spanish: Cabra bezoar
Other common names: Bezoar; Chiltan Goat (chialtanensis)
Taxonomy. Capra aegagrus Erxleben, 1777 View in CoL ,
Daghestan District of Caucasus, S Russia.
The name C. aegagrus is used here for the wild species. Populations on Mediterranean islands are derived from domestic forms and classified as feral domestic goats ( C. hircus ). The subspecies blythi (S Pakistan) and turemenica (S Turkmenistan) are not valid because these populations cannot be differentiated from populations inhabiting areas in other regions. The “Chiltan Goat” population (chialtanensis), of which the only viable population now occurs in the Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park in NW Pakistan, has been classified as a subspecies of either a Wild Goat or a Markhor ( C. falconeri ), or it may be a hybrid population between them. Chiltan Goat populations were formerly sympatric with both Wild Goat and Markhor populations, and share anatomical characters of both species. The Wild Goat was the progenitor of the domestic goat, but domestic goats have probably been hybridized with other wild goat species in Asia. Monotypic.
Distribution. Turkey, S Russia (Daghestan and Chechnya), NE Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, N Iraq, Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and SW Pakistan. A free-roaming population introduced in 1970 in SC New Mexico, USA, increased to 2000 animals, but the population is actually maintained at 500-1000 by legalized sport hunting. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 129-152 cm (males), tail 11-13 cm (males), shoulder height 73-90 cm (males) and 55-60 cm (females), hindfoot 30-31cm (males); weight 45-90 kg (males) and 25-55 kg (females). Newborn kids weigh 2:5.3-3 kg (males) and 2-3 kg (females). The longest recorded horn is 152 cm, with a basal circumference of 20 cm, but horns rarely exceed 127 cm. Basal horn girth of males 4-11 years old is 16.5-25 cm. Horns of males curve upward and backward and are laterally compressed and frontally keeled, with knobs, which form at the borders of annual segments, projecting from the keel. Tips of horns grow parallel or diverge, or infrequently the horn tips converge, sometimes crossing. The lateral sides of horns are convex and inner sides are flat. Horns of females rarely exceed 33 cm and lack frontal knobs. Adult males have a prominent dark beard growing from the middle of the chin. Subadult males are brownish-gray to reddish-brown; adult males in the winter coat have a distinctive cinereous to whitish body color that contrasts sharply with the blackish-brown color of the face, front of neck, breast, area between the front legs, and front of the legs (except for the knees, where callosities develop). A callosity can also develop on the breast plate. There is a dark dorsal stripe extending from the nape to the black tail, an equally dark broad streak encircling the shoulder and connecting with the dark back stripe and neck front, and a dark flank stripe connected with dark breast and stripes on the hindlegs separating the belly. Males rarely live more than eleven years. The record for longevity in captivity was 14 years. Diploid chromosome number is 60.
Habitat. Wild Goats occur in rocky, precipitous habitats associated with cliffs from sea level to 4000 m, but usually occur below 2500 m. In Daghestan, they inhabit montane forests, principally of pine and birch, at elevations of 1000-2700 m, but avoid areas with tall, dense vegetation stands on gentle slopes. Females inhabit the steep lowerriver valleys, including areas with interspersed human habitations and farmlands. Males remain in the upper forest zones, but will occasionally enter alpine areas inhabited by Daghestan Tur (C. cylindricornis ). Females and young remain in the lower valley sides within a forested zone only 300-500 m in width. In areas other than Daghestan, most Wild Goat populations inhabit deserts and semi-arid areas. In the central Kopet Dagh Mountains of southern Turkmenistan, the percentage of time spent in five habitat types was 5-3% on small hills, 7-2% on plateaus, 15-3% on grass-covered slopes, 42-1% on rocky slopes, and 30-1% on ledges. They have been recorded in shallow, accessible valleys and semi-desert foothills, but only in areas undisturbed by humans. Natural predators such as Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) and Leopards (Panthera pardus) have been extirpated in most areas occupied by Wild Goats.
Food and Feeding. They are grazers, but feed on high percentages of browse in arid regions. In southern Pakistan, Wild Goat diets consisted of grasses when available but diets shifted to browse during the dry season.
Breeding. Females become sexually mature at 2-3 years. Although males are sexually mature at two years, they do not participate in mating until they are four. In southern Turkmenistan, mating occurs in November and kids are born in late April and early May. In arid southern Pakistan, most mating occurs in mid-October to November, although mating can commence as early as August. Most births are in February and March, but births can extend into April. In the Caucasus, the principal mating period is from November to January but the mating period can extend into February, and births can occur as late as mid-July. Gestation is 150-160 days. Twinning is common but triplets are uncommon. In Daghestan, 52% of females (n = 19) with young had twins. In Turkey, 30% of females had singletons, 66% had twins, and 4% had triplets. Kids are occasionally preyed upon by golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) and bearded vultures (Gypaetus barbatus ). Reproductive success of females is probably most influenced by annual rainfall variation of the current and previous year. During years of low rainfall, females fail to conceive or give birth to weak offspring. In arid southern Pakistan, vegetative growth resulting from rainfall as early as August can induce physiological female recovery, enabling females to reproduce. Wild Goats are serially polygynous; dominant males do most of the mating. Males remain within a female herd during the mating season instead of wandering from herd to herd searching for estrous females.
Activity patterns. Wild Goats are diurnal and feed in the early morning and late afternoon during warm weather. During the dry season, large congregations can occur near watering sites.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Detailed movements and home range studies have not been conducted. Migrational movements have not been recorded. Seasonal movements involve elevation shifts to lower areas to avoid deep snows. Herds show a high degree of fidelity to specific areas. In October, at the initiation of the mating season, adult males join female herds and males and females remain in mixed herds during winter and spring. During the breeding season, most adult males form male herds that separate from the female herds. Males associate with other males of equal age or social status. During the rut, younger males do not associate with older, larger, dominant males. In areas with large populations, herds of 100-200 animals can occur.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. Wild Goats occur in disjunct populations throughout their range. The Wild Goat was extirpated from Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Its present status in Iraq and Afghanistan is unknown. Wild Goats have been reported from Oman, but the possibility remains that they are feral populations of domestic goats. There are few population estimates. In Daghestan, there were an estimated 1500 in the early 1990s. In the Kirthar National Park, southern Pakistan, the goat population increased from about 400-500 (3-3— 4-1 ind/km?®) in the early 1970s to 700-1000 (11:8-16-3 ind/km?) in the mid-1980s after the area was protected in a national park. Prior to 1980, Wild Goats were numerous in Iran, occurring in most mountain ranges. Populations have decreased since then, but census figures are not available. They have been extirpated over large areas of their former distribution range due to livestock usurpation of rangelands, resulting in habitat deterioration. Other contributing factors have been illegal hunting, destruction of woodlands, human disturbance, and feral and domestic dogs, which can be significant predators. Roads can also isolate populations, causing population fragmentation and increasing vulnerability to extirpation. Over most of their distribution, viable populations rarely occur outside protected areas.
Bibliography. Baskin & Danell (2003), Edge & Olson-Edge (1990), Ellerman & Morrison-Scott (1966), Frisina et al. (2006), Gasperetti (1978), Gippoliti & Giovanni (2006), Gundogdu & Ogurlu (2009), Harris (2007), Harrison (1968a, 1968b), Harrison & Bates (1991), Heptner et al. (1988), Manceau, Després et al. (1999), Masseti (1998), Roberts (1997), Schaller (1977), Shafique & Barkati (2002), Valdez (1985), Valdez et al. (1977), Weinberg (2001), Weinberg et al. (2008), Ziaie (1997).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
