Nemorhaedus baileyi, Pocock, 1914
|
publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6512484 |
|
DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6773130 |
|
persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F50713-99C9-FF72-0371-F5DFF854F4D5 |
|
treatment provided by |
Conny |
|
scientific name |
Nemorhaedus baileyi |
| status |
|
Red Goral
French: Goral rouge / German: Tibet-Goral / Spanish: Goral rojo
Taxonomy. Nemorhaedus bailey: Pocock, 1914 ,
Tibet.
The generic name was originally spelled Naemorhedus , but the spelling Nemorhaedus , despite being an unjustified emendation, is “in prevailing” usage and is used here. The range of the Red Goral separates the range of the Himalayan Brown Goral ( N. goral ) in the Himalayas from those of the Long-tailed Goral ( N. caudatus ) and the Chinese goral ( N. griseus ) in eastern China. The Red Goral has been previously classified as N. goral baileyi or N. g. cranbrooki , but the distinction appears to be only geographic. Monotypic.
Distribution. S China (SE Xizang and the Gongshan County in Yunnan) to the high Mts of N Myanmar, perhaps as far S as 19°30’ N, and NE India (Arunachal Pradesh) where restricted to areas close to Chinese and Myanmar borders. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 90-110 cm, tail 7-10 cm, shoulder height 55-60 cm, ear 9-5—-11 cm; weight 20-30 kg. Horn length 9-15 cm (males) and 7.5-13 cm (females), horn basal girth 5.5-9. 5 cm (males) and 4.3-7. 8 cm (females). The Red Goralis one of the smallest goral species. As the name implies,its overall body color, includingits legs,is reddish-brown to a rather bright fox-like red (although the type specimen was described by R. I. Pocock in 1914 as uniform dark brown). The pelage is long,soft, and rather shaggy, with each hair pale brown at the base and tipped with red. The head is a slightly more tawny color than the rest of the body; long blackbased hairs occur on the forehead, which is particularly dark between the horns. In young individuals, a small white spot often occurs between the horns, fading with age. Margins of the upper and lower lips are white. Ears of the Red Goral are smaller than in other goral species, whitish on the inside and fawn on the backside. The back and sides are typically darker in color than the pale-buff undersides. The chest and throat are often a rich chestnut and some individuals have a black patch on their chest that may extend as a dark stripe onto the belly. A black mid-dorsal stripe runs from the top of the head to the tip of the tufted tail, which is shorter and longer-haired than in other goral species. The scrotum is white. Horns of both sexes are black and curve backward to a greater degree than those of the Himalayan Brown Goral. Diploid chromosome number is 55.
Habitat. The Red Goral occurs at elevations of 2000-4500 m, generally higher than other goral species. Preferred habitats are steep, rocky coniferous woodland, scrub, and meadows, where rainfall is abundant, particularly in May-August.
Food and Feeding. Although detailed studies are lacking, lichens, particularly species of Usnea, are a main food source of the Red Goral. Grasses, herbaceous plants, and browse also are eaten. In captivity, they will drink daily.
Breeding. The Red Goral typically mates in December, but mating may be earlier and extended in some locations (September-December). Captive females are sexually mature at 1-5 years, and the estrous cycle is 17-23 days. Estrus lasts 6-72 hours, and males repeteadly copulate with females (10-20 times). During rut, males are said to hold territories of 22-25 ha and vocalize with a “ze-ze-ze” call to attract females. Females also use a loud whistling call when a male approaches, audible to humans up to 500 m. A mature male follows a female closely, frequently checking her genital area and displaying lip curls. If a female is not ready to breed, she will flee or head-butt the male. When she is ready to breed, she will stand still with hertail raised. A single offspring is typical, and most are born in June-July after a gestation of 180 days. In captivity, weaning occurs at 3-5 months, and longevity is about 15 years.
Activity patterns. The Red Goral is primarily diurnal. Sunny slopes are sought out for foraging.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. In summer, Red Gorals move up in elevation, often above timberline to alpine meadows and thickets. From November through March, they move down slope to avoid snow, returning to higher elevations in April. Home ranges of the Red Goral are small, about 40 ha. Mature males are primarily solitary. Females live in small groups of 2-3 composed of her offspring of the current year and a male, orjust her offspring from the current and/or the previous year.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix I. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. The total number of Red Gorals is estimated at 10,000, but that number is probably high. In Xizang, China, the estimate in the 1980s was 810 individuals. Illegal hunting is the threat, but increasing human populations and habitat loss from the conversion of forested habitats to agriculture in formerly undisturbed areas are other causes of concern. Enforcement of existing game lawsis essential.
Bibliography. Ellerman & Morrison-Scott (1966), Francis (2008), Groves & Grubb (1985, 2011), Grubb (2005), Hayman (1961), Huffman (2010a), Jiang Qiuming & Bleisch (1996), Lekagul & McNeely (1988), MacKinnon (2008), Pocock (1914), Rabinowitz (1999), Salter & Shackleton (1997), Soma & Kada (1984), Soma et al. (1987), Wang Sung etal. (1997), Xie (2006), Zhang Cizu (1987).
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.
|
Kingdom |
|
|
Phylum |
|
|
Class |
|
|
Order |
|
|
Family |
|
|
Genus |
Nemorhaedus baileyi
| Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier 2011 |
Nemorhaedus bailey:
| Pocock 1914 |