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
Image Subspecies Distribution R. p. pyrenaica (Pyrenean chamois) Andorra, France and Spain R. p. parva (Cantabrian chamois) Spain R. p. ornata (Abruzzo chamois) Central and southern Italy
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 horns 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.Pérez-Barbería, F. J., García-González, R. (2004). "Rebeco – Rupicapra pyrenaica." Enciclopedia Virtual de los Vertebrados Españoles. Carrascal, L. M., Salvador, A. (Eds.). Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales. Madrid .
References
Further reading Haack, M. 2002. Rupicapra pyrenaica. Animal Diversity Web. . Pérez, T., Albornoz, J. & Domínguez, A. (2002). "Phylogeography of chamois (Rupicapra spp.) inferred from microsatellites". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 25(3), 524–534. doi:10.1016/1055-7903(02)00296-8.