The Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) is a goat-antelope that lives in the Pyrenees and Cantabrian Mountains of Spain, France and Andorra, and the Apennine Mountains of central Italy. It is one of the two species of the genus Rupicapra, the other being the chamois, Rupicapra rupicapra.

Names

• Aragonese: sarrio, chizardo

• Asturian: robecu/robezu

• Basque: Pirinioetako sarrioa

• Catalan: isard

• French: izard/isard

• Galician: rebezo

• Italian: camoscio dei Pirenei, camoscio appenninico

• Occitan: isard, sarri

• Spanish: rebeco, gamuza

Subspecies

Description

Up to tall, its summer coat is a ruddy brown; in winter, it is black or brown, with darker patches around the eyes. Both males and females have backward-hooked hornss up to in length. They browse on grass, lichens and buds of trees. Sure-footed and agile, they are found on any elevation up to .

Conservation

Like other species of chamois, it was hunted almost to extinction, especially in the 1940s, for the production of chamois leather. The population has since recovered, and in 2022 was estimated to be about 50,000 mature individuals.

References

Further reading

• Haack, M. 2002. . Animal Diversity Web. .

• Pérez, T., Albornoz, J. & Domínguez, A. (2002). "Phylogeography of chamois (". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 25(3), 524–534. doi:10.1016/1055-7903(02)00296-8.