GORALS
Gorals are small ungulates with a goat-like or antelope-like appearance. Until recently, this genus also contained the serow species. The name "goral" comes from an eastern Indian word for the Himalayan goral. There are four species: 1) Himalayan goral (also known as ghural, Naemorhedus goral), found in northwestern and northeastern India, as well as Nepal and Bhutan; 2) long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus), found eastern Russia and China and western Thailand and eastern Myanmar and the DMZ between North and South Korea; 3) red goral (Naemorhedus baileyi), found in Yunnan province of China, to Tibet and northeastern India and northern Myanmar; and 4) Chinese goral (Naemorhedus griseus), found in Myanmar, China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, and possibly Laos.
Gorals look like serows, are closely related to them and occupy similar but higher habitats. They are often found on rocky hillsides at high elevations. Though their territories often coincide with those of serow, gorals usually be found on higher, steeper slopes with less vegetation. Gorals and antelopes share many similarities but gorals are stockier and have broader, heavier hooves. In comparison to goats, female gorals have four functional teats, while female goats and sheep have only two functional teats. Unlike serows, gorals have no working preorbital glands.
Gorals typically weigh 25 to 40 kilograms (55 to 88 pound) and are 80 to 130 centimeters (31 to 51 inches) in length, with short, backward-facing horns. Coloration differs between species and individuals, but generally ranges from light gray to dark red-brown, with lighter patches on the chest, throat, and underside, and a dark stripe down the spine. They have woolly undercoats covered by longer, coarser hair, which helps to protect them in the cold areas where they are often found.
Bovids
Gorals 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. /=\
See Separate Article: BOVIDS: CHARACTERISTICS, BEHAVIOR, SUBFAMILIES factsanddetails.com
Long-Tailed Gorals
Long-tailed gorals (Naemorhedus caudatus) are also known as Chinese gorals, Amur gorals and Chinese grey gorals. They are found in the mountain ranges of eastern Russia, northeastern China and Korea, In China, they are mainly found in the Xiao Hinggan Ling mountains, as well as the Changbaishan range which is shared with North Korea. In Korea the animals have been designated South Korean natural monument 217. And are believed to reside in the Hamgyong and Taebaek mountains, although where they actually live is not well known. A group lives in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, (DMZ) between North and South Korea near the tracks of the Donghae Bukbu Line. In Russia, they are found in the southern portions of the Sikhote-Alin and Bureya mountain ranges and along the Khor, Kafen, Chuken, and Sukpay rivers.[Source: Meredith Crane and Jami Willard, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Long-tailed gorals prefer steep, mountainous habitat and are usually found in rocky terrain with evergreen and deciduous forests They live at elevations of 500 to 3,500 meters (1640 to 11,482 feet). They are also sometimes found on exposed grassy ridges. The average life span in the wild is about 15 years. Some captive gorals have lived to more than 17 years.
On the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, long-tailed gorals are listed as Vulnerable. In CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild) they are in Appendix I, which lists species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants. They are classified as endangered in South Korea, where less than 250 remain. Threats include habitat destruction, poaching for meat and body parts to use in traditional medicine, and competition from agriculture and domestic livestock in the areas they inhabit.
Long-Tailed Goral Characteristics and Diet
Long-tailed gorals are relatively small, mid-size, goat-like mammals. They range in weight from 22 to 32 kilograms (48.5 to 70.5 pounds), have a head and body length of 0.8 to 1.3 meters (32 to 51 inches) and stand 55 to 80 centimeters (21.6 to 31.5 inches) at the shoulder. Sexual Dimorphism (differences between males and females) is present: Males are larger than females. Their coloring is different, Males can weigh 28 to 42 kilograms (62 to 93 pounds) and females 22 to 35 kilograms (49 to 77 pounds). Females usually are lighter in color than males and their horns are smaller. [Source: Meredith Crane and Jami Willard, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Long-tailed gorals are brownish gray to bright red in color. Their outer fur is long. Their horns curve backward, are cylindrical, and sharply pointed and have distinct rings. The face of a goral is flat like that of a serow, and the nose and eyes are very close together. The bushy tail is usually dark brown or black in color. There are openings between their hooves. Gorals are sure-footed and agile on the rocky crags and cliffs they inhabit.
Long-tailed gorals are primarily herbivores (primarily eat plants or plants parts), and are also classified as folivores (eat leaves). Among the plant foods they eat are leaves seeds, grains, nuts, fruit and lichens. Gorals are grazers and browsers. They eating mostly grasses in the warm months and browse on lichens and leaves of evergreens and deciduous trees and shrubs in the winter. When snow is on the ground, they use their muzzles to push snow to uncover grass stems and shrubs. They typically feed during the morning and late evening.
Long-Tailed Goral Behavior
Long-tailed gorals are diurnal (active during the daytime), crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk), motile (move around as opposed to being stationary), sedentary (remain in the same area), solitary and social Their average territory size is about 40 hectares. Natural predators of long-tailed gorals include snow leopards, lynx, Siberian tigers, and wolves in some areas. They do not flee until predators are almost upon them and escape by bounding uphill and away in irregular patterns consisting of long leaps to confuse the predators. [Source: Meredith Crane and Jami Willard, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Long-tailed gorals usually travel in groups of 12 or fewer for most of the year. Females, kids, and subadults tend to travel in such groups, while older males are usually solitary. They tend to migrate up and down hill less than two kilometers in steep rocky regions. During the summer months Long-tailed gorals in Russia do not travel more than one kilometer from their steep cliffs. During the winter, when they are not feeding, they can be found hiding under rocky overhangs and in caves. Long-tailed gorals try to avoid walking in deep snow, if the snow is deeper than 35 centimeters they leave belly marks in the snow as they move along. Long-tailed gorals are most active in the early morning and late evening, although they have been observed being active throughout the entire day during overcast weather. 1989) /=\
Long-tailed gorals sense using vision, touch, sound and chemicals usually detected with smell. They communicate with sound and chemicals that include pheromones (chemicals released into air or water that are detected by and responded to by other animals of the same species).. In times of emergency they communicate with one another with wheezing alarm sounds. They also stomp their hooves to threaten a predator and warn other gorals in the area. During mating season, males attract females with a “zer… zer” or “ze-ze-ze” call. When females approach and are ready to encourage a male, they make a whistling noise. The nose-genital contact that takes place during the mating season is a form of chemical communication. /=\
Long-Tailed Goral Mating, Reproduction and Offspring
Long-tailed gorals are polygynous (males have more than one female as a mate at one time). They engage in seasonal breeding, breeding once a year during the early winter. The number of offspring rangesis usually one. The average gestation period is 180 days, with independence occurring on average at one year. Females and males reach sexual or reproductive maturity at two to three years. [Source: Meredith Crane and Jami Willard, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Male rut begins in late September to November and mating takes place in early winter. Estrus only lasts 20 to 30 hours. During the mating season, males occupy marked territories of 22 to 25 hectares. During the rut, male red gorals — a closely related species — follow females closely in order to make nose-genital contact to determine whether the female has come into heat. Females that have not come into estrus leave the area, while females that are in heat stand for an approaching male and signal they are in estrus by raising their tail.
Young (kids) are typically born between April and May. They are precocial. This means they are relatively well-developed when born. Pre-birth, and pre-weaning provisioning and protecting are done by females. Pre-independence protection is provided by females. The young remain with their mother for about a year. During this time females tend to be less aggressive than they are at other times.
Red Gorals
Red goral (Naemorhedus baileyi) are found mountainous areas in India, China (Tibet) and Myanmar at elevations of 1,000 to 2,000 meters (3900 to 7,800 feet). They are are easily distinguished from other gorals and serows by their reddish coat — all other gorals are greyish-brown with grizzled hairs. Both males and females have a pair of short, arcing horns. The horns of males tend to be longer and thicker than those of females. Lengths of 7.5–16 centimeters are common for both sexes. The curvature of the horns of red gorals is greater than that of other gorals. [Source: Wikipedia]
Red gorals are the smallest gorals, Their body weight ranges from 20 to 30 kilograms (44 ot 66 pounds) and their head and body length tops out at about one meter. Size difference between male and female is minimal but evidence suggests that females may be larger than males. The IUCN lists the red goral as vulnerable.It was estimated in 2008 that their mature population was below 10,000 individuals, and there was a continuing population decline due to over hunting.
Red gorals are most active during the day, and tend to retreat to inaccessible cliffs at night, where they sleep on sheltered ledges. They are strong climbers and jumpers, and seek safety from predators by fleeing up cliffs. The main predators of red goral are jackals and leopards. Although generally quiet, males make a call which sounds like "zer - zer" during the breeding season; female red gorals also whistle as males approach.
Red gorals migrate vertically according to the season. During the summer they stay in the upper area of the forest. During the winters they migrate down to lower areas in the forest. Red gorals typically inhabit a home range of around 40 hectares. Males are territorial during the breeding season. Their diets consist of lichens, grasses, stems, and leaves. Their most common food source is Usnea which is a type of lichen.
Himalayan Gorals
Himalayan gorals (Naemorhedus goral) are also known as grey gorals. They live in forests, scrub-covered slopes, bare rocks and mountain cliffs throughout the Himalayas and Karakorum mountains at elevations from 1,000 to 4,000 meters (3,281 to 13,123 feet) from Pakistan through Nepal and northern India to Bhutan. In China they can be found in Sichuan, Yunnan and Eastern Tibet.
On the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Himalayan goral are a are listed as Near Threatened. In CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild) they are in Appendix I, which lists species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants. On China’s National List for Specially Protected Wild Animals, they are listed as a threatened species. [Source: Eric Cohen, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Himalayan gorals are threatened by habitat loss and hunting. They have traditionally been for meat, wool, and hides. Their blood was used in some folk medicine. As humans construct roads deeper into the mountains of the Himalayas, build dams, and log forests Himalayan gorals lose habitats and have their behavior disrupted as their isolation is compromised. Additionally, advances in weapon technology have allowed hunters to kill gorals from farther distances away.
Natural predators include snow leopards, Eurasian lynx, wolves and wild dogs. The dark grey fur of Himalayan gorals and their relatively sedentary behavior during the day allow them to blend in with the surrounding mountainside. Their agility in rough terrain allows them to escape from less sure-footed predators.
Chinese Gorals
Chinese gorals(Naemorhedus griseus) are also known as the grey long-tailed goral and central Chinese gorals. Listed by the IUCN as a "vulnerable species", primarily due to overhunting, they live in mountainous regions in northeastern India, Myanmar and northwestern Thailand, through northern Vietnam and possibly northern Laos, to most of China apart from the extreme north and west. They are mostly found in rugged, inaccessible areas, on steep slopes, plateaus and in rocky areas, but sometimes are observed in evergreen-deciduous forest and mixed woodland. [Source: Wikipedia]
Chinese gorals stand 50 to 78 centimeters (20 to 31 inches) and have a head and body length of 82 to 130 centimeters (32 to 51 inches). They are stockily built and have long, stout limbs and broad hooves. Their horns are short and conical and their ears fairly long and pointed. Their coat consists of a short, dense under layer and an upper layer of longer, semierect, coarse guard hairs. Their coloring ranges from pale grey to dark brown or reddish brown. A dark stripe runs along the back and the throat and underparts are pale.
Chinese gorals generally live in small groups of up to 12 individuals. Older males are usually solitary. Gorals are wary, shy and retiring, spending their time on high rocky slopes where they can evade such predators such as the wolves and snow leopards. They browse predominantly on twigs and leaves of bushes, but also consume grass, nuts, and acorns. They move to lower ground in winter. Breeding takes place in late spring when one or two kids are born after a gestation period of about 215 days. The young can walk soon after birth and are weaned in the autumn, remaining with the mother throughout the winter.
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 March 2025