Apennine Chamois 
Apennine Chamois
Apennine Chamois
Scientific Name:
Rupicapra rupicapra ornata
Group:
Mammals
Status/Date Listed as Endangered:
EN-US FWS: June 14, 1976
Area(s) Where Listed As Endangered:
Italy
 
Advertisement
 

The Apennine chamois is a subspecies of the chamois, a goat-like mammal found in the mountains of Europe. Both male and female have hook-shaped horns that slightly curl backwards and grow little by little each year, never falling off. Their coats are light brown in the summer and darker in the winter, with a light colored mark on the throat. There are also two darker bands on their flanks.

In the summer, the Apennine chamois prefers rock faces and pasture lands at heights above 1700 meters for its habitat, and in the winter it prefers to retreat to the woods below. Diet of the chamois consists of grasses, leaves, buds, shoots and fungi. Adult males prefer a solitary life, only approaching females during the mating season. Groups consist only of females, young males, and "kids." Females give birth to only one kid after a gestation period of 23 to 24 weeks.

The Apennine chamois was said to have been hunted close to extinction until the Abruzzi National Park intervened with a reintroduction program, which led to the return of the chamois in the mountains of Italy. However, there is still a threat to the survival of the species due to long periods of genetic isolation resulting in very little genetic variation.




Wikipedia Article

This article is only an excerpt. If it appears incomplete or if you wish to see article references, visit the rest of its contents here.
Wikipedia Article
Copyright Notice: This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Rupicapra".

Featured Article

10 Unusually White Creatures You'll Probably Never See in Real Life
Creatures with albinism and leucism are beautiful and rare animals. They have all the characteristics of others of their species except they are white in color. The lack of melanin generally results in the animal looking bleached all over, appearing white or pink. It happens in many animals ranging from squirrels to whitetail deer. Here are ten incredible and rare, white-colored creatures that you'll probably never see in real life.

Read More...


Advertisement


Endangered Species of Our Planet

Donate, Adopt, Get Involved

EEC Conservation Directory
Donate

Mailing List

Would you like to receive a notice and link when the new Creature Feature is posted?

Enter your e-mail address below:

 

Fun & Games

Are you inspired by endangered animals? Check out our games and coloring pages! More to come soon.
color endangered creatures
play hangman