IBEX: CHARACTERISTICS, BEHAVIOR, REPRODUCTION, SPECIES

IBEX

Walia ibex

Ibex are wild goats that live in the mountainous regions of Europe, north central Asia and northern Africa. There are five species of ibex, according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). Other sources list six or more. They have long, curved horns and cloven hooves. Males have long beards. Ibex are related to antelopes, buffalo, bison, cattle, goats and sheep. About 8,000 to 10,000 years ago in southwest Asia and the Middle East, humans began domesticating wild goats. [Source: Alina Bradford, Live Science, July 23, 2014]

Relatives of mountain goats, ibex were depicted in Ice Age paintings and immortalized as the zodiac sign Capricorn. People have hunted the ibex for thousands of years, providing them with meat to eat and hide for clothing. Over the centuries they have been intensively hunted in part because of the therapeutic properties attributed to various body parts. Folk remedies made from ibex horn and organs were some of the most sought after items in medieval pharmacies. The horns were injected for cramps and morning sickness and hot ibex blood was mixed with parsley to prevent bladder stones.***

The name ibex comes from Latin, borrowed from Iberian or Aquitanian (Old Spanish) word bezerro, meaning 'bull'. A male ibex is called a buck, a female is a doe, and young juveniles are called kids. Buck are usually larger and heavier than does. The most noticeable difference between the sexes is the larger size of the bucks' horns. Does have horns but they are smaller, thinner and grow much more slowly than those of bucks. Horns appear at birth and continue to grow through the rest of an ibex's life. [Source: Wikipedia]

Of the nine species of goat, six are ibex: 1) Capra ibex (Alpine ibex), 2) Capra nubiana (Nubian ibex), 3) Capra pyrenaica (Spanish ibex), 4) Capra sibirica (Siberian ibex), 5) Capra walie (Walia ibex) and 6) Wild goat (Capra aegagrus). Three closely related varieties of goats found in the wild are not usually called ibex: the markhor, western tur, and eastern tur.

The taxonomy of ibex, according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) is: Kingdom: Animalia; Phylum: Chordata; Subphylum: Vertebrata; Class: Mammalia ; Order: Artiodactyla; Family: Bovidae; Genus: Capra Sources: San Diego Zoo: Goats; BBC Nature: Ibex; Dallas Zoo: Nubian ibex; University of Michigan: Siberian Ibex; Large Herbivore Network: Alpine Ibex; Rams: Facts About Male Bighorn Sheep.

Ibex Range and Habitats

Ibex are found in the Alps, the Iberian peninsula and the mountains of Central Asia, the Caucasus, Arabia and North Africa. The generally inhabit montane pastures at an elevation of 2,300 to 3,700 meters (7,550 to 12,240 feet) but have been spotted as high as 6,700 meters (22,000 feet). They often are found in high, barren parts of the mountains, far from humans, which is one reason why there are still some left. The life span of ibex in the wild is about 17 years.[Source: Caroline Grodinsky and Michael Stüwe, Smithsonian ***]

In the early 1990s, about 22,000 ibex lived in the Alps and the mountains of Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, France and Germany, up from 14,000 ibexes living in 108 colonies in 1977. About 3,000 live in Gran Paradiso National Park in the Italian Alps, established in 1922 for their protection. Unfortunately they have become so numerous now that their colonies have to be culled from time to time, which has also meant the ibex are more fearful of humans than they once were and escape to places where tourist find them harder to see.

Alina Bradford wrote in in Live Science: “Ibex make their homes on cliffs that would be dangerous for predators. The Walia ibex can live at altitudes as high as 8,200 to 14,800 feet (2,500 to 4,500 m) in the cliffs of the Ethiopian highlands, according to the BBC. The Nubian ibex has a special way to deal with the hot, dry climates of the African and Arabian mountains: Their shiny coats reflect sunlight and keep them cool. [Source: Alina Bradford, Live Science, July 23, 2014]

Ibex Characteristics

Ibex stand 0.3 to 1.05 meters (one to 3.4feet) at the shoulder and are 1.2 to 1.7 meters (4 to 5.5 feet) in length, with a 10 to 20 centimeters (4 to 8 inches) long, and weigh 30 to 150 kilograms (66 to 330 pounds). Males are a deep brown color, with a white patch on the rump in the summer. Females are lighter and tan in color. Both sexes grow thicker coats in the winter that vary in color. The coat is short but shaggy. Males have a beard at their chin. Both male and female ibex have very long horns, which are used for territorial defense and sexual selection. They curve backward, forming a semicircle, and have knobby rings on the outer curve. Rams have long scimitar-shaped horns that can reach a length of 150 centimeters. Female horns are thinner and curve slightly backwards, with a maximum length of 38 centimeters. Ibex can live up to 20 years.

Ibex can jump more than 1.8 meters straight up without a running start. Ibex hooves expand and contract and have sharp edges and concave undersides that act like suction cups, allowing them to clasp on to footholds on cliffs. They have been seen descending down narrow canyons by jumping back and forth, 30 or so feet, from one cliff-like canyon wall to the other. Their thick fur helps them survive severe winters and their huge stomachs enable them get by on grass in the summer and pine needles in the winter, and little else. [Source: Caroline Grodinsky and Michael Stuwe, Smithsonian magazine]

Ibex are herbivores; they only eat vegetation, such as shrubs, bushes and grasses. Grazing accounts for a significant part of their eating habits. The low nutritional value of their diet means the ibex must spend much of the day eating. Alpine ibex have been observed climbing up the side of the Cingino Dam in the Italian Alps to lick salt and lichens from the stones. [Source: Alina Bradford, Live Science, July 23, 2014]

Bovids

Ibex are bovids. Bovids (Bovidae) are the largest of 10 extant families within Artiodactyla, consisting of more than 140 extant and 300 extinct species. According to Animal Diversity Web: Designation of subfamilies within Bovidae has been controversial and many experts disagree about whether Bovidae is monophyletic (group of organisms that evolved from a single common ancestor) or not. [Source: Whitney Gomez; Tamatha A. Patterson; Jonathon Swinton; John Berini, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Wild bovids can be found throughout Africa, much of Europe, Asia, and North America and characteristically inhabit grasslands. Their dentition, unguligrade limb morphology, and gastrointestinal specialization likely evolved as a result of their grazing lifestyle. All bovids have four-chambered, ruminating stomachs and at least one pair of horns, which are generally present on both sexes.

Bovid lifespans are highly variable. Some domesticated species have an average lifespan of 10 years with males living up to 28 years and females living up to 22 years. For example, domesticated goats can live up to 17 years but have an average lifespan of 12 years. Most wild bovids live between 10 and 15 years, with larger species tending to live longer. For instance, American bison can live for up to 25 years and gaur up to 30 years. In polygynous species, males often have a shorter lifespan than females. This is likely due to male-male competition and the solitary nature of sexually-dimorphic males resulting in increased vulnerability to predation. /=\

Ruminants

Cattle, sheep, goats, yaks, buffalo, deer, antelopes, giraffes, and their relatives are ruminants — cud-chewing mammals that have a distinctive digestive system designed to obtain nutrients from large amounts of nutrient-poor grass. Ruminants evolved about 20 million years ago in North America and migrated from there to Europe and Asia and to a lesser extent South America, where they never became widespread.

As ruminants evolved they rose up on their toes and developed long legs. Their side toes shrunk while their central toes strengthened and the nails developed into hooves, which are extremely durable and excellent shock absorbers.

Ruminants helped grasslands remain as grasslands and thus kept themselves adequately suppled with food. Grasses can withstand the heavy trampling of ruminants while young tree seedlings can not. The changing rain conditions of many grasslands has meant that the grass sprouts seasonally in different places and animals often make long journeys to find pastures. The ruminants hooves and large size allows them to make the journeys.

Describing a descendant of the first ruminates, David Attenborough wrote: deer move through the forest browsing in an unhurried confident way. In contrast the chevrotain feed quickly, collecting fallen fruit and leaves from low bushes and digest them immediately. They then retire to a secluded hiding place and then use a technique that, it seems, they were the first to pioneer. They ruminate. Clumps of their hastly gathered meals are retrieved from a front compartment in their stomach where they had been stored and brought back up the throat to be given a second more intensive chewing with the back teeth. With that done, the chevrotain swallows the lump again. This time it continues through the first chamber of the stomach and into a second where it is fermented into a broth. It is a technique that today is used by many species of grazing mammals.

Ibex Behavior

Nubian ibex in Israel

Ibex are social and live in groups called herds. Females and their young generally form separate herds from males who form their own groups. The male herd is called a bachelor herd. Sometimes, males will wander without a herd. Female-offspring groups generally have 10 to 20 members. The two herds usually meet only during breeding season.

Ibex, chamois, sheep and goats have similar behavioral patterns. Ibex are diurnal. The best time to spot ibex is in the early morning and evening when the animals are feeding. During the heat of the afternoon they like to lie down.

In the spring ibex migrate to alpine pastures. In May and June the animals can be seen at the bottom of the valleys but as the snow melts they move higher up. In the autumn they descend to lower elevations and browse on buds and shoots.

Young ibex invite others to play by rearing up on their hind legs. Young animals ofteb play by knocking horns and thumping their bodies together. Later combat establishes social status. Ibex are sometimes killed by falls or falling rocks.

Ibex Senses and Communication

Ibex sense and communicate with vision, touch, sound and chemicals usually detected by smelling. They also employ pheromones (chemicals released into air or water that are detected by and responded to by other animals of the same species) and scent marks produced by special glands and placed so others can smell and taste them. [Source:Jan Tomsen, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Goats and ibexes are considered relatively non-vocal, but they have evolved a complex system of visual signals for aggression. Jan Tomsen wrote in Animal Diversity Web: Courtship displays are the most intensively studied component of communication in caprines, and are largely similar across all members of this groups. Males will display to other males with their horns, body movements, tongue or lips. They will also display to females. Females often bleat during estrus, and males may make several clicking, nasal sounds, or bleats. The rump patch is shown when animals are indicating submissiveness. /=\

During the rut, males will attempt to gain access to females by sniffing them, licking their anal areas, or nuzzling. If a female urinates, the male will then sniff her carefully, often curling his upper lip, which is a posture known as flehmen that further opens his olfactory senses. Non-receptive females will refrain from urinating, and simply continue grazing or occasionally run away. Horns are used for fighting, specifically for ramming rather than puncturing. Typically two males will spar, clashing their horns together to establish dominance. Occasionally females will also use their horns for aggression towards upstart young males or other females. Sparring between individuals seldom results in serious damage or bodily injury. /=\

Ibex Mating and Reproduction

Ibex males use scent to communicate with potential mates. Male ibex often approach potentially receptive female with horns back and tongue flicking (a peace gesture) and coaxes the female to turn around so he can sniff her rear for signs of estrus. An ibex expert told National Geographic, “he’ll taste her urine, breathing it in as one tests wine quality.” If his advances are tolerated “he’ll persist with chasing and mounting.” Nubian ibex males use their beards to spread a scent that draws in and excites females during breeding season.

During the December-January rutting (mating) season males engage in fierce battles to gain dominance and mating rights over female groups. Opponents rear up on their hind legs then lunge forward and crash heads and horns with intense, and sometimes loud force. The winners court the female in a process that can take around 30 minutes.

Alina Bradford wrote in in Live Science: “Once pregnant, females will have a gestation period of 147 to 180 days. She will give birth to one to three babies, called kids, at a time. Right after birth, a kid is very alert and can jump around. After four weeks, it is ready to join the other kids in the group. At four to six months, a kid is weaned. It will remain with its mother for at least a year. Females will go on to have their own young at 2 to 6 years of age. [Source: Alina Bradford, Live Science, July 23, 2014]

Ibex Conservation

Iberian ibex in the snow in Portugal

Alina Bradford wrote in in Live Science: “Most wild goat species are doing well, but two are facing extinction. The Nubian ibex is considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because its numbers are decreasing; it is estimated that there are fewer than 10,000 mature individuals. According to the IUCN, the Walia ibex is endangered, with only about 500 of their kind left. [Source: Alina Bradford, Live Science, July 23, 2014]

One species, the Pyrenean ibex, was declared extinct in 2000. However, it may not be gone forever. In 2009, Spanish biologists used frozen tissue to clone a Pyrenean ibex. The clone only lived for seven minutes, but scientists are hopeful that this cloned ibex will pave the way for the successful cloning of extinct animals.

Browsers, ibex probably influences the vegetational communities in their habitats. Known predators of ibex, usually young, include golden eagles, bears, wolves, leopards and humans. Ibex are herding animals and being a member of a groups is one of their primary means of defense. As prey species, it is likely that the presence of ibex affects the populations of predators. In addition to trophy hunting, ibex are sought after because their body parts are believed to be useful in traditional medicine. Ibex may compete with domestic goats (Capra hircus) for food and water. ~

Ibex Species

Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica) are also known as Asian ibexes. Inhabiting long and vast mountain systems of the central Asian deserts and the northwestern Himalayas, they stand .8 to one meter (2.5 to 3.3 feet) at shoulder, and weighs an average 60 kilograms (132 pounds. They are widely distributed over an area stretching from the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan to Sayan Mountains in Mongolia. They animals are found most often at elevations ranging from 3000 to 5300 meters (9,842 to 17,900 feet). [Source: Wikipedia]

Alpine Ibex (Capra ibex) are found in the European Alps and other mountains in France, Bulgaria, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Germany and Slovenia. They have been introduced to ranches in the United States, Canada and Argentina.

Bezoar goat in Armenia

Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) were formerly called Spanish ibex. They are restricted to mountainous enclaves of the Iberian Peninsula, in Spain, Portugal and the French Pyrenees. In the past they also occurred in southern France. There are approximately 50,000 Iberian ibex living. Two subspecies have become extinct. One of those, the Pyrenean Ibex, was cloned in 2003, but the resulting individual died very quickly.

Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana) inhabits the desert regions of the Middle East and the Itbay region of Sudan and Egypt. They are the smallest ibex species and adapted for arid environments with a tan color, white underbelly and rump, black legs, and dark tail. This species is Vulnerable, with less than 4,500 individuals in the wild. The population is declining through most of its range.

Walia ibex (Capra walie) are also called or Ethiopian ibex. They are found in the Semien Mountains of the Ethiopian Highlands, where they have recently been upgraded from critically endangered to endangered. They are sometimes considered a subspecies of Alpine Ibex. This Ibex was the national emblem of the Axumite Empire.

Wild goats (Capra aegagrus) also known as West Asian ibex and Bezoar ibex. They are found in Turkey and the Caucasus in the west to Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan in the east. They are the ancestor of domestic goats.

Siberian Ibex

Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica) are also known as Asian ibexes. Inhabiting long and vast mountain systems of the central Asian deserts and the northwestern Himalayas, they stand .8 to one meter (2.5 to 3.3 feet) at shoulder, and weighs an average 60 kilograms (132 pounds. Adult males have long pointed beards and scimitar-shaped horns with prominent ridges on the frontal surface. Their coat is dark brown with greyish underparts. A stripe runs across the back from neck to tail. Adult males also have grey saddle patches on their backs. Females are smaller with small straight horns that are widely separated at the base. Siberian ibex are widely distributed over an area stretching from the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan to Sayan Mountains in Mongolia. They animals are found most often at elevations ranging from 3000 to 5300 meters (9,842 to 17,900 feet) are occasionally soppted as low as 1000 meters (3930 feet) in the Altai Mountains. Their main anti-predator strategy is to hang out in rugged terrain. [Source: Wikipedia]

Siberian ibex are found as far north as southern Siberia. There are numerous distinct populations in Mongolia and China, and throughout the central Asian ranges of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Male Siberian ibexes can live up to 15 years, and females up to 17 years in the wild, though males generally live for eight to ten years . A female Siberian ibex has been reported to live over 22 years in captivity in a London Zoo. [Source: Jeffrey Williams, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Siberian ibex are the largest members of the Capra (goat) genus. Their bow-shaped horns are also the largest within the genus. Throughout their Siberian ibex inhabit rocky mountain zones, especially those with steep slopes. The elevation inhabited by can range greatly due to seasonal weather conditions. There is also a large elevation difference between the mountain ranges they occupy.

Alpine Ibex

Alpine Ibex (Capra ibex) are found in the European Alps and other mountains in France, Bulgaria, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Germany and Slovenia. They have been introduced to ranches in the United States, Canada and Argentina. They live at elevations up to 3200 meters (10,500 feet). Males stay up on the rock cliffs during the day, whereas females stay below in the rolling slopes and brushy areas. At night they will move down into the forest to feed. Their lifespan in the wild is typically 10 to 18 years. Ones in captivity have lived up to 21.25 years. [Sources: Wikipedia; John Sippl, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Alpine ibex range in weight from 65 to 100 kilograms (143 to 220 pounds) and have a head and body length that ranges from 1.3 to 1.4 meters (4.3 to 4.6 feet). Their tails are 12 to 15 centimeters (5 to 6 inches long. Sexual Dimorphism (differences between males and females) is present: Males are larger than females. Ornamentation is different. Males stand 65 to 105 centimeters (2 to 3.5 feet) in height at the shoulder and weigh about 80 to 100 kilograms (176 to 220 pounds) while females stand about 65 to 70 centimeters (2 to 2.2 feet) at the shoulder and weigh from 30 to 50 kilograms (66 to 110 pounds. Their coats are uniformly brown to gray, with thick beards. The underside of southern alpine ibex is lighter than the northern alpine ibex. Nubian ibexes and Walia ibexes are smaller than alpine ibexes.

Alpine ibex have sustainable populations due to successful reintroduction programs. On the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List they are listed as a species of Least Concern. In CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild) they have no special status.

Alpine Ibex Diet, Reproduction and Behavior

Alpine ibex are diurnal (active during the daytime), crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk), motile (move around as opposed to being stationary), nomadic (move from place to place, generally within a well-defined range), solitary social and have dominance hierarchies (ranking systems or pecking orders among members of a long-term social group, where dominance status affects access to resources or mates). They sense using touch and chemicals usually detected with smell. Females live in social hierarchies that consist of 10 to 20 females in a herd with one dominant female. Males live in smaller herds of about 6 to 8, until the fall when the males rut. During this time males become solitary and are aggressive to other males. Some males live solitary all year long. [Source: John Sippl, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Foods commonly eaten by Alpine ibex include grasses, forbs (herbaceous flowering plants), leaves, shoots and bark. In the spring these animals migrate into the mountains to new feeding areas. In the winter when the snow is deep and the weather is severe they migrate down to south facing slopes which have more food and less snow. They are both browsers and grazers and become active in the afternoon and into the evening and feed through out the night in the forests, returning to the rock cliffs in the morning.

Alpine ibex breed once yearly. Mating occurs in late fall. The number of offspring ranges from one to two, with the average number of offspring being 1.1. The gestation period ranges from 4.9 to six months. Females provide milk for their young, as do all mammalian females. The young are precocious, and are able to follow their mothers shortly after birth. During the pre-weaning stage provisioning and protecting are done by females. The post-independence period is characterized by the association of offspring with their parents. The age at which young are weaned ranges from three to 12 months. Females and males reach sexual or reproductive maturity at 10 months.

The Alpine ibex mating system is polygynous. Males compete in fighting competition to mate with a group of females. Males join the females in December after fierce battles with other males. The winner of the battle obtains the right to breed with group of 10 to 20 females. A day after birth, young are able to walk on the rock cliffs following their mothers. The young are mature at 8 to 12 months, but don’t breed until two or three years of age.

Bezoar Ibex

Bezoar ibex (Capra aegagrus aegagrus) are a vulnerable subspecies of wild goat and ancestor of domestic goats. They are 1.2 to 1.6 meters in length, with a six to eight centimeter tail and weigh 55 to 210 kilograms. They are found in varied habitats from arid scrub to alpine pastures up to elevation of 4,200 meters. Females are red-gray to yellow-brown. Adult males are bearded and silver gray with drank markings. Both sexes have horns. Males fight for dominance in their bachelor herd for access to females.

The bezoar goat, if not the sole progenitor of the modern domestic goat, was at least its main progenitor. The archaeological evidence traces goat domestication as far back as ca. 10,500 year Before Present and DNA evidence suggests 10,000 years BP. [Source: Wikipedia +]

The bezoar ibex (Capra aegagrus aegagrus) is native to Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq, Iran, Russia and Turkey. It has been extirpated from Lebanon. They were also introduced to the Florida Mountains of New Mexico. The bezoar goat is found in the mountains of Asia Minor and across the Middle East. It is also found on some Aegean Islands and in Crete where it is accepted that the goats constitute relict populations of very early domestic animals that were taken to the Mediterranean islands during the prehistoric period and now live as feral populations. +

Climate Change Forces Ibex to Adopt More Dangerous Nocturnal Lifestyle

Scientists in Italy have found that rising temperatures are forcing ibex goats to adopt a more nocturnal lifestyle, making them more vulnerable to predators. Rosa Rahimi wrote in CNN: Researchers from the University of Sassari in Sardinia and the University of Ferrara in northern Italy followed the activity of 47 Alpine ibexes between the months of May and October for 14 years. Tracking their movements, they used motion sensor data from GPS collars worn by the goats and found the species — which is normally diurnal (active by day) has become more nocturnal. [Source: Rosa Rahimi, CNN, January 18, 2024]

The change in behavior can be attributed to feeling increased “heat stress,” Francesca Brivio, one of the co-authors of the study, told CNN. While goats are typically diurnal, warmer temperatures during the day mean they have to expend more energy foraging for food. “This is also true for humans,” said Brivio, “[when] it is very hot, we stop working or we go inside home to avoid the sun.”

By foraging at night, they can preserve more energy — but this can also bring new risks. The research, which was conducted in Italy’s Gran Paradiso National Park and Switzerland’s Swiss National Park, surprised scientists with one of its findings: They expected the species to be less active at night in areas where wolves, which are nocturnal predators, are active. But this wasn’t the case. “We conjecture that for ibex, it is more important to avoid the heat stress rather than avoid predation risk,” Brivio said.

Not only does moving in the dark make it harder for these daytime animals to detect predators with their limited vision, but the ibex live on rocky slopes, which make movement and foraging riskier during the night. The study suggests that these new behaviors could ultimately lead to reduced reproduction and survival rates.

Wild goat and ibex species: 178) Wild Goat (Capra aegagrus), 179) Markhor (Capra falconeri), 180) Iberian Ibex (Capra pyrenaica), 181) Nubian Ibex (Capra nubiana), 182) Walia Ibex (Capra wale), 183) Alpine Ibex (Capra ibex), 184) Siberian Ibex (Capra sibirica), 185) Kuban Tur (Capra caucasica), 186) Daghestan Tur (Capra cylindricornis)

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org ; National Geographic, Live Science, Natural History magazine, CNTO (China National Tourism Administration) David Attenborough books, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Discover magazine, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Wikipedia, The Guardian, Top Secret Animal Attack Files website and various books and other publications.

Last updated April 2025