Hemitragus jemlahicus (C.H. Smith, 1826)

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 : 672

175.

Himalayan Tahr

Hemitragus jemlahicus

French: Thar de I'Himalaya / German: Himalaja-Tahr / Spanish: Tahr del Himalaya

Taxonomy. Capra jemlahica C.H. Smith, 1826 ,

Nepal (Jemla Hills).

Based on phylogenetic analyses, H. jemlahicus is closely related to Capra . Monotypic.

Distribution. Himalayas in N India (Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim), Nepal, and W China (S Xizang). Introduced into New Zealand (South Island), South Africa (Western Cape), and California ( USA).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 130-170 cm (males) and 90 cm (females), tail 9-12 cm, shoulder height 100 cm (males) and 65 cm (females); weight 90-124 kg (males) and 55-72 kg (females). Horn length 28-38 cm (males), horn basal girth 20-25 cm (males). Horns are laterally compressed, diverging, and with an anterior horn edge with a sharp keel. General adult male color is coppery-brown to blackish, with conspicuous long hairs that cover the neck, shoulders, and chest down to the knees and from the back and rump to the flanks and thighs. Diploid chromosome number is 48.

Habitat. The Himalayan Tahr occurs at elevations of 1550-5300 m. In eastern Nepal, they occurred at 2500-4400 m in a variety of plant communities, depending on elevation, and favored steep cliffs with a cover of grass and small stands of forest and bamboo below 3500 m. They are usually found at 2000-3300 m in timberline habitats on the southern forested slopes of the Himalayas. In northern India they were in forested areas at 2000-3270 m and used steep terrain with some overstory, which provided security and thermal cover, and with a ground cover of shrubs and grasses. In northern India, Leopards (Panthera pardus) are the main predator of the Himalayan Tahr in areas below the tree line. Other large predators include Snow Leopards (P. uncia), Dholes (Canis alpinus ), and Gray Wolves (C. lupus). In Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal, the staple diet of Snow Leopards, which had been extirpated but became naturally reestablished, consisted of tahrs. The relative occurrence of tahrs in Snow Leopard diets was 48% in summer and 37% in autumn, with a preference for the young of the year. After the return of Snow Leopards, there was a 70-90% decrease in the kid population per year in summer, the majority of which was probably due to Snow Leopard predation. The number of tahrs decreased from 350 in 1989 to 100 in 2007. A continued high predation level could jeopardize the survival of the tahr population.

Food and Feeding. The greater portion of their diet consists of graminoids. Grasses can constitute up to 75% of their winter diet. In Nepal, average annual consumption consisted of 34% grasses, 21% sedges, 38% forbs and shrubs, 4% ferns, and 4% mosses.

Breeding. Rut occurs in October—January with a gestation period of about 180 days. Females usually have their first young at age three. Most young are born in May and June. Males can reach sexual maturity at age two but do not participate in the rut until reaching adult age, when they can gain access to females by intimidating other males. Younger, paler-colored males have a higher rank than older darker males, the ruff color being used to signal rank and dominance. Males usually occur in separate groups except during the rut. Himalayan Tahrs live up to 22 years in captivity.

Activity patterns. Peaks of activity occur before 09:00 h and after 13:30 h.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Seasonal movements occur from lower elevations in winter to above timberline in summer. In northern India, there were 2-3 ind/km® and the largest group observed consisted of four. In Nepal, mean group size was 6-5, with herds consisting of 2-23 tahrs. Female herds in March had an average of four tahrs, and mixed groups, consisting of males, females, and young, had an average of 10-2. Sixty-four percent of the herds recorded were in mixed groups. The population was divided into three subunits of mixed herds: the largest group had eight adults and two yearling females; another subgroup had five young and eight males, of which two were yearlings; in the third group, four were subadults, and two were adults. Animals remained for over a month on about 1 km?Densities in separate protected areas in India were 2-3 ind/km® and 17 ind/km?; they were up to 25 ind/km? in Nepal. In a protected area, 130 tahrs were recorded in an area of 2 km?. In areas where tahrs and livestock are sympatric, there is potential for spatial competition. In Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, India, tahrs used steep slopes greater than 40° in areas mainly above the tree line and were more selective in their habitat use than domestic sheep and goats. The presence oflivestock could be limiting the spread of tahrs to lower-elevation areas.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. Most populations are unmonitored and their statuses unknown. The Himalayan Tahr occurs in some areas with such rough topography that human disturbance has not been a factor, but also often occur in scattered, fragmented populations, especially outside protected areas. Increasing human populations and associated increased grazing and disturbance, resulting in habitat loss and degradation, and illegal subsistence and sport hunting are negatively impacting populations. Community-based protected areas have been successful in furthering wildlife conservation and management.

Bibliography. Bajracharya et al. (2005), Bhatnagar & Lovari (2008), Dematteis et al. (2006), Forsyth & Tustin (2005), Fox & Johnsingh (1997), Gaston et al. (1981, 1983), Gray (1972), Green (1979), Groves & Grubb (2011), Grubb (2005), Kittur et al. (2010), Long (2003), Lovari, Boesi et al. (2009), Lovari, Pellizzi et al. (2009), Lydekker & Dollman (1924), MacKinnon (2008), Pandey (2002), Rawat & Sathyakumar (2002), Ropiquet & Hassanin (2005), Schaller (1977), Wang Sung et al. (1997), Wegge & Oli (1997), Wolf & Ale (2009).

Figures

167. Chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii), 168. Rocky Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus), 169. Mishmi Takin (Budorcas taxicolor), 170. Bhutan Takin (Budorcas whitei), 171. Sichuan Takin (Budorcas tibetana), 172. Golden Takin (Budorcas bedfordi), 173. Aoudad (Ammotragus lervia), 174. Arabian Tahr (Avabitragus jayakari), 175. Himalayan Tahr (Hemutragus jemlahicus), 176. Greater Blue Sheep (Pseudois nayawr), 177. Dwarf Blue Sheep (Pseudois schaeferi)

Distribution. Himalayas in N India (Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim), Nepal , and W China (S Xizang). Introduced into New Zealand (South Island), South Africa (Western Cape), and California ( USA ).