Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae

Northern Chamois

Rupicapra rupicapra

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

Spotted something wrong?

Its hooves combine hard rims for gripping rock with elastic central pads that work like suction cups.

Weight

20 kg – 60 kg

Size

1 m – 1.4 m

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Herd

Lives in large groups as a strategy against predators.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

MountainHerbivore Diurnal In herds Mountain Mammal

25countries 11parks86same family

Fun facts

That adaptation lets it climb near-vertical rock with extraordinary agility.
It eats mountain grasses, leaves, shoots and fungi.
It lives in alpine and subalpine meadows above the treeline in southern and central Europe.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Alpine and subalpine meadows above the treeline in the mountains of southern and central Europe, Turkey and the Caucasus
Birth weight: Born precocial and well furred
Size at birth: Born precocial
Sexual maturity: Female: ~22-23 months | Male: ~8-9 years to breed successfully
Gestation / incubation: ~122-170 days (usual reference ~23-24 weeks)
Litter / clutch size: 1 young per birth
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 17.6 years in captivity

Sources consulted: A-Z Animals; Animal Diversity Web; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Springer (Northern and Southern Chamois chapter); Wikipedia (Rupicapra); PMC (population viability analysis table)

Where to find it

See its range on the interactive map

Best time: From October to December, during the rut, when the males chase each other across the slopes; in summer it climbs to the tops and in winter it drops down into the woods.