Capra sibirica (Pallas, 1776)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6512484 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6636942 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F50713-9927-FF9D-0648-FBE4FDD0F8D9 |
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Conny |
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scientific name |
Capra sibirica |
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Siberian Ibex
French: Bouguetin de Sibérie / German: Sibirien-Steinbock / Spanish: ibice de Siberia
Other common names: Asiatic Ibex, Himalayan Ibex
Taxonomy. I bex sibiricus Pallas, 1776 ,
Siberia.
Formerly, it was sometimes classified as a subspecies of C. ibex , butit is strongly distinct. It occurs over a wider area than any other ibex and is the most primitive ibex. Numerous subspecies have been described, resulting in a confusing array of names. There is a need for a taxonomic revision of this species. Four subspecies are tentatively recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
C.s.sibiricaPallas,1776—Russia(Siberia),NWChina,WMongolia,NEKazakhstan.
C.s.alaianaNoack,1902—Kyrgyzstan,SEKazakhstan,Uzbekistan,Tajikistan,NAfghanistan,WChina.
C.s.hagenbeckiNoack,1903—C&SMongolia,NChina.
C. s. sakeen Blyth, 1842 — N Pakistan, N India. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 103-132 cm (males) and 85-101 cm (females), tail 18-20 cm (males) and 13-22 cm (females), shoulder height 65-105 cm; weight 60-130 kg (males) and 30-56 kg (females). Horn length 91-148 cm (males) and 19-39 cm (females), basal horn girth 20-31 cm (males) and 9-14 cm (females). Male horns diverge and curve backward; the tips in older males curve forward or downward and eitherslightly inward or outward. Anterior surfaces of horns are flattened, with transverse ridges or bosses. Beard is long (up to 20 cm), bushy, and thick. Tail is flat and hairless underneath. Coloration is highly variable regionally. General winter coat in males, including the tail, beard, legs, and belly, is a shade of brown, ranging from pale to chocolate. A prominent whitish saddle patch is divided by the dark dorsal stripe. An additional whitish area can develop at the base of the back of the neck. In specimens from southern Mongolia, the whitish areas may be absent. Females lack whitish coloration. In the wild, males rarely live more than twelve years; they live up to 15 years in captivity and females live up to 22 years. Diploid chromosome number is 60.
Habitat. The Siberian Ibex occurs at 700 m above sea level in low, rocky hills in the Gobi Desert and up to ¢. 6700 m in the Himalayas in rocky, precipitous terrain interspersed with cliffs, deep valleys, scree, and rocky outcrops. They forage in alpine meadows, gentle slopes, and even wet meadows of mountain streams, usually staying close to precipitous escape terrain. They avoid areas with deep snow and tall vegetation, but will occasionally enter forests during heavy snow. In northern India, Siberian Ibexes were predominantly observed within 50 m of rugged,steep terrain. Larger feeding groups were significantly farther from cliffs than smaller groups, and were within 100-200 m of escape terrain a minimum of 90% of the time. Ibexes usually occur at higher elevations than other wild ungulates. Major predators include Snow Leopards (Panthera uncia), Gray Wolves (Canis lupus), and Eurasian Lynxes (Lynx lynx). Up to 78% of lynx feces and 19% of wolf feces contain remains of Siberian Ibex . Of 104 successful wolf predations, 74 ibexes were males and 30 were females. Die-offs due to disease, such as pleuropneumonia, can occur. About 25-35% of kids survive their first year, but survival can be lower during harsh winters. Of 87 male skulls found in the Tianshan, 53% were of 6-8year-olds.
Food and Feeding. On an annual basis, the diet of the Siberian Ibex consists primarily of graminoids in summer and browse in winter, but diets can vary depending on plant species’ availability. They feed in timberline sedge and herb meadows and in steppe and alpine meadows. Up to 85% ofthe diet can be browse seasonally. Males can eat up to 16 kg and females up to 10 kg of green forage per day. They frequentsalt licks when available. In the Himalayas, ibexes, domestic goats and sheep, and free-ranging horses had similar diets, preferring grasses. Siberian Ibex diet differed most from those of domestic Yaks, donkeys, and cattle.
Breeding. Mating occurs in October—January, with regional differences during rut. In healthy populations with abundant, nutritious forage, females become pregnant when 2-5 years old, but most females first become pregnant at age 3-5 years. Estrus lasts 20 days, and females can cycle again if not impregnated. In one population, only 25% of two-year-old females were pregnant, but 98% of females older than three were pregnant. Females reproduce until 9-15 years of age. In northern areas, births occur in April-early May; in the Himalayas and central Tianshan mountains, births occur in late May—early June; and in the Pamirs in June. Gestation is 170-180 days. Singletons are most common but twinning can be 4-25%. Triplets have been recorded. Newborns usually weigh 3.4-5 kg. Malesfive years old and older do most of the courting and mating.
Activity patterns. During winter, ibexes are most active before and after sunrise and are inactive at midday. During periods of heavy snows, they are most active at midday. In winter and summer, they preferred south-facing slopes.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Daily movements in the Himalaya were less than 300 m and the longest movements seen were 3—4 km. Seasonal movements and migrations vary from 40 km to 100 km, with an altitudinal shift of 700-2000 m. Movements in autumn commence after heavy snow. Movements can also be influenced by livestock intrusions, hunting, and bothersome insects. They usually remain within a seasonal home range, but home rangesize has not been determined. Heavy snows can cause shifts in home ranges. During winter, they descend to steep, grassy, south-facing slopes. Herd size depends on population size, with means ranging from 5-4 animals to 29 animals. Mixed-group herds have as many as 100-200 animals. During autumn, 80-96% of Siberian Ibexes are in mixed herds; this decreases to 17-8% in summer. Males form separate herds from females in May-July and rejoin female herds in autumn. Both males and females probably form linear social hierarchies.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The largest numbers of Siberian Ibexes occur in China (40,000 -50,000), the former Soviet republics of Central Asia (105,000), and Mongolia (over 50,000). There are probably no more than 20,000 individuals in all other countries combined. These estimates are based on unsubstantiated data. Siberian Ibexes have been extirpated over large areas, especially in war-devastated Afghanistan. Major threats include competition with livestock and associated human disturbance,illegal subsistence hunting, and habitat degradation and fragmentation.
Bibliography: Bagchi, Mishra & Bhatnagar (2004), Byers (1977, 1980), Egorov (1955), Fedosenko & Blank (2001), Fedosenko & Savinov (1983), Fox & Johnsingh (1997), Fox et al. (1992), Habibi (1997a), Heptner et al. (1988), Hess (1990b), Kuzanskaya et al. (2007), Lydekker (1913), MacKinnon (2008), Mahon (1996), Mallon et al. (1997), Reading & Shank (2008), Reading et al. (1999), Roberts (1997), Savinov (1962), Schaller (1977), Schaller et al. (1994), Sobansky (1992), Sokolov (1959), Wang Sung et al. (1997), Weinberg et al. (1997), Wilson & Reeder (2005), Zavatsky (1990).
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