Rupicapra parva Cabrera 1911

• Main Authors: Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Lynx Edicions 2011
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Chordata; Mammalia; Artiodactyla; Bovidae; Rupicapra; Rupicapra parva; Canis lupus
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/6636976; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6636976

210. Cantabrian Chamois Rupicapra parva French: Isard de Cantabrie / German: Kantabrien-Gamse / Spanish: Rebeco cantabrico Taxonomy. Rupicapra parva Cabrera, 1911, Picos de Europa Mountains, NW Spain. Closely related to the Pyrenean Chamois (R. pyrenaica). Monotypic. Distribution. Cantabrian Mts in NW Spain. Descriptive notes. Head—body 90-130 cm, tail 3-4 cm, shoulder height 76-80 cm; weight 20-35 kg. Horn length 15-20 cm (males), horn basal girth 6.4-9 cm (males). Little sexual dimorphism occurs in body measurements of the Cantabrian Chamois. Body size and horn lengths average less than those of the Pyrenean Chamois. Pelage of the Cantabrian Chamois is redder in summer than the Pyrenean Chamois and tends to be gray in winter. Habitat. The Cantabrian Chamois occurs atelevations of 400-2400 m in alpine and subalpine habitats with an element of precipitous terrain. Alpine meadows offer excellent feeding sites, but chamois have become equally adapted to forested habitats. The alpine—forested ecotone affords proximity to habitats that meet their foraging and thermal cover requirements. Proximity to steep, rugged, rocky habitats that affords security cover and escape terrain is especially required by females with young. Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) are significant predators in some areas. Food and Feeding. Diets of the Cantabrian Chamois consist primarily of forbs and graminoids with a peak in spring and higher intake of browse in winter. In spring the diet of the Cantabrian Chamois is 85-95% graminoids; in winter it is 70% browse. Females tend to consume higher percentages of forbs than males throughout the year. Females graze more actively than males except in winter, when no difference in feeding activity between sexesis detected. In alpine habitats, they favor northern exposures in summer and southern and western exposures in winter. Females show less fluctuation in kidney fat index than males. Breeding. The mating season of the Cantabrian Chamois occurs in November-December; births occur in May-June after ...