Four species of mountain goats, considered to be subspecies of Capra Ibex not long ago but were distinguished as separate species, habitat in European Alps and on the remote and impassable mountain gorges of north-east Africa and Asia. Long distances and geographical barriers isolated the goat population for thousand years and it led to the appearance of differences in the morphometry and color of the wool.
Wild goats of Europe and Asia haven’t huge habitats: Siberian wild goat Capra sibirica- is a numerous species with an extensive distribution area covering about 2.3 million km2, extending from the northwestern Himalayas in India and Pakistan to the Sayan Mountains in southeastern Siberia in the Russian Federation.
It is now customary to distinguish four subspecies of Capra sibirica, based on the work of a number of researchers:
* Capra sibirica sibirica – Siberian mountain goat, or Siberian ibex. Natural habitat: Altai and Sayans west of Lake Baikal;
* Capra sibirica alaiana – Central Asian mountain goat, or Central Asian ibex.
Habitat: Natural habitat: Pamir, Alai and Zaalai ranges, Tien Shan;
* Capra sibirica sakeen- Habitat: Himalayas, Pamir, Hindu Kush and Karakorum within the northern Pakistan and North Korea India and adjacent areas of the Western China;
* Capra sibirica hagenbecki – Gobi mountain goat, or Mongolian mountain goat. Natural habitat: Gobi, including the Trans-Altai Gobi, Eastern Tien Shan and adjacent areas of northern China.
General appearance and distinctive features
Both genders have horns, but female’s horns are much shorter and thinner, not ribbed; the bases are located further from each other, and the color of the horns is usually lighter than in males. Annular horn's rings, indicating the annual growth, make it possible to accurately determine the age of the animal. The horns of mountain goats grow most actively in the second year of life. In subsequent years, growth slows down. The growth of horns of adult males (aged 9-10 years) slows down even more. Since the development of horns and their growth strongly depend on environmental factors (the availability of food, minerals, weather), the only horns suitable for comparison are very well-developed horns of adults, since the influence of nutrition and the environment on these animals is minimal.
The horns of males have a saber-shaped or crescent-shaped, arc-shaped shape. They are oval in the section, with two noticeable ribs and a clearly distinguishable flat, but ribbed front surface between them. The anterior surface is covered with protruding transverse ribs or bumps located every 3-5 cm, from the base and almost to the ends of the horns.
These ribs or bumps grow from a thick, calloused skin at the base of the horns. Two transverse ribs usually grow on the segments between the annual rings, less often one or three. Some forms have more prominent edges, others have smaller ones. Usually, the outer edge of the transverse tubercles of C. Ibex (Alpine ibex) and C. Sibirica is developed as well as the inner one, often intersecting with the longitudinal lateral ribs. The transverse tubercles of C. Nubiana are usually better developed at the inner edge, which, in combination with their narrower horns and rounded outer edges, enhances the ribbed appearance of the horns.
The shape of the horns is very variable not only between different phenotypes, but also among males from the one group. The bend can vary from almost straight horns to a complete semicircle, and the distance between the ends can be either narrow or very wide, with the tips of the horns pointing either straight or turned inwards or outwards. An important factor in the overall quality of the head is the ratio of the length of the horn to its thickness along its entire length (horn mass index), which is also subject to significant variability.
The longest horns are found in adult males of the Siberian mountain goat (up to 152 cm, and sometimes longer).
Unlike the Alpine mountain goat, whose wool has a uniform color and is usually darker, the color of the wool of the Siberian ibex varies significantly throughout the vast distribution area, depending on the geographical location, and also has seasonal and age variations.
In the north of the habitat, the main color is quite light; specimens from the Tien Shan and Pamir often have chocolate-brown fur, but there are also lighter shades from reddish to light gray. The shape of spots on the lower back and in the neck area is very different for all Asian phenotypes; spots can be either pronounced or absent altogether, even within one herd. Spots on the back may be absent in summer wool, but they can be clear and bright in winter. Nubian mountain goats generally show a uniform light sandy or yellowish-brown color, while Abyssinian mountain goats have dark chocolate or chestnut wool. All male mountain goats have impressive beards.
C. sibirica, like other Asian species, has clear markings on the front legs, which is absent in Alpine mountain goats. Unlike mountain goats of Europe and Africa, the Siberian mountain goat has a callus on the knees and wrist joints of the front legs with a diameter of about 3 cm to climb steep slopes.
Siberian mountain goats have to contend with an impressive list of large predators, such as snow leopards, lynx and wolves. Older males are particularly vulnerable to predators.
Siberian mountain goats that dwell in remote and highly rugged terrain were the least affected by human influence, although some populations in certain areas of their habitat were subjected to commercial hunting for meat, as well as to a reduction in their range.
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The number of mountain goats in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in Soviet times (the 1970s) was estimated at about 70,000 animals. By 1980, the National Center for Biodiversity and Biosafety (2003) counted about 41,000 Central Asian mountain goats in Tajikistan. The civil war in Tajikistan (1992-1997) led to excessive poaching, which caused a significant reduction in the population. However, at the end of the millennium, the populations of mountain goats seem to be recovering.
Recent reports from both countries indicate that the Central Asian mountain goats are in a safe position, although their exact number has not been named. Hunting legislation in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan is specific; in both countries, there are quotas for trophy hunting programs.
Kazakhstan. In Soviet times, the population was estimated at 17,000 Siberian mountain goats (mainly C. s. alaiana, but also some C. s.sibirica along the border with the Russian Federation).
At present, in some areas, the number of Central Asian mountain goats in the Tien Shan from the Kazakh side could decrease, as well as the trophy value of the extracted animals, which requires a transparent and scientifically based approach to the rational use of the corresponding phenotypes.
Uzbekistan. In Soviet times (mid-1970s), the total number of Central Asian mountain goats (C. s. alaiana) was 2,400 individuals. Scientists believe that Central Asian mountain goats have been preserved in the Kyzyldarya River basin in the number of 400-500 individuals, and at least 1000 Siberian mountain goats inhabit the Hissar Nature Reserve.
The limiting factors are the poor quality of forage plots, competition for feed with livestock, the development of agriculture, poaching and concern from human activity. Central Asian goats are a traditional object of trophy hunting. Apparently, the production of poachers is significantly higher than the officially declared total production.
Russian Federation Hunting of Altai mountain goats (C. S. sibirica) is allowed under a license, but a much larger number are shot illegally. In Soviet times (the 1970s), population estimates in southern Siberia ranged from 8,000 to 9,000 Altai mountain goats, of which 3,000-3,500 lived in the Altai itself, 2,500 in the Tannu-Ola Mountains (Tyva), 1,500 in the Western Sayan and 2,000 - 2,500 in the Eastern Sayan (Buryatia).
