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Chamois

Chamois

The only native representative of bovids.

The chamois is a even-toed hoofed animal and also our only native representative of bovids.
Even- toed hoofed animals are characterized by horns that grow all their lives and do not fall of. Both male and female chamois have horns.

Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra)

Size
  • up to 135 cm in length , up to 80 cm in height
Weight
  • up to 50 kg
Diet

  • grasses, herbs, lichens, mosses, tree and dwarf pine shoots...
Habitat

  • rocky cliffs, dwarf pines, alpine meadows; in winter, they descend to lower altitudes; found in the Alps, Apennines, Carpathians, Tatras, Pyrenees, Jura, Minor Asia, and the Caucasus
   
Kingdom
  • Animalia
Phylum
  • Chordata
Classs
  • mammals
Order
  • Artiodactyla
Family
  • Bovidae
Genus
  • Rupicapra
Species
  • Chamois

The chamois are true gymnasts, effortlessly moving across the inaccessible rocky walls with their strong and sturdy legs. Both the male and female have horns that grow throughout their lives.

 

They mate in November or December, and the mating period is called the rut or "prsk" in Slovenian.
The female gives birth to up to three young in May or June, after about 22 weeks of pregnancy, early in the summer. The young suckle for around three months.

The male and female chamois are very similar in appearance. Both have facial masks in the form of a dark stripe that runs from the eyes to the muzzle.

 

The facial masks are called reins.

Both have horns or antlers as well. The slender horns are upright and curve only towards the top. The horns of the males are generally a bit thicker and more curved.

The chamois' coat is brown in the summer and darker, more grayish in the winter. It has a darker stripe along its back, and the fur on its head is lighter in color.

 

Throughout the summer, these ruminants build up fat reserves that help them survive the winter.

In our region, chamois can be found in high mountain range of the Alps, as well as lower in the medium mountain region, hilly areas, and some rocky gorges. Chamois inhabit the Alps, the Dinaric Alps, the Carpathians, the Caucasus, and Asia Minor.

DO YOU KNOW?

  1. Chamois do not sweat, as they could freeze in winter under increased exertion.
  2. Do you know the Slovenian legend of Zlatorog? It tells the story of a white chamois with golden horns. In Bohinj, there is also a statue of him by the lake.