Markhor

About this species

Size

Shoulder height 65–115cm; length 132–186cm

Weight

32–110kg

Diet

Grazes in spring and summer; browses in winter

Habitat

Mountain terrain at about 600–3,600m

Range

Central and South Asia; in India, part of the Pir Panjal range in south-west Jammu and Kashmir

Litter size

1–2 kids, occasionally 3

Gestation

135–170 days

The markhor is a large wild goat of the mountains between Central and South Asia. It stands 65–115 cm at the shoulder, weighs 32–110 kg, and has a grizzled light-brown to black coat that is short in summer and longer and thicker in winter, with black-and-white lower legs. Males grow spiralling horns up to 160 cm long and carry a mane; females are redder, maneless and have a short black beard and horns up to 25 cm. The name is Persian for curly, or by another reading snake-eater (Wikipedia, general species account).

In India it is restricted to part of the Pir Panjal range in south-western Jammu and Kashmir. It lives at 600–3,600 m and is mainly active in the early morning and late afternoon. It grazes in spring and summer and browses in winter, sometimes standing on its hind legs to reach high branches. Males are largely solitary and mate in winter, fighting by lunging and locking horns. Its main predators are the Eurasian lynx, snow leopard, Himalayan wolf and brown bear (Wikipedia, general species account).

Description: Wildlife of India guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)