| West Caucasian tur | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Caprinae |
| Genus: | Capra |
| Species: | C. caucasica |
| Binomial name | |
| Capra caucasica Güldenstädt andPallas, 1783 | |
TheWest Caucasian tur (Capra caucasica) is a mountain-dwellinggoat-antelope native to the western half of theCaucasus Mountains range, inGeorgia andEuropean Russia.
It is also known by the names "zebuder," "zac" and "Caucasian ibex."[2][3] TheEast Caucasian tur is sometimes considered a subspecies of this species, though some separate the two out as different species. There is a third intermediate form that lives between the two called the Mid-Caucasian tur.[4]
West Caucasian turs stand up to 1 m (3.3 ft) tall at the shoulder and weigh around 65 kg (143 lb). They have large but narrow bodies and short legs. West Caucasian turs have a chestnut coat with a yellow underbelly and darker legs. Their horns are scimitar-shaped and heavily ridged. In males, these horns are around 70 cm (28 in), while in females they are much smaller.
They aresexually dimorphic, with the males larger than the females.[5]
West Caucasian turs live in rough mountainous terrain between 800 and 4,000 m (2,600 and 13,100 ft) above sea level, where they eat mainlygrasses andleaves. They used to be found in much lower altitudes, have been forced upwards by humans and climate change. Their range is about 4,500 square kilometres (1,700 mi2), and likewise used to be much larger before the 20th century.[5] In thePleistocene, it was found as far from the Caucasus as southern France.[6]
The West Caucasian tur isnocturnal, eating in the open at night, and sheltering during the day. They live in herds of around ten individuals in the summer, and herd sizes increase during the winter to about 20. The mating season is November to January, and the kids are born in May through July.[1]
They are preyed upon bysteppe wolves andlynxes;Persian leopards andSyrian brown bears may also be possible predators.[1] Humans are also a risk due to hunting expeditions; it is legal to hunt them from August to November in Russia, though they are fully protected in Georgia.[7][5] They are sometimes poached, for meat, skin, or horns, which are used to make drinking horns calledKantsi.[5] Many also die of avalanches.[1]
It is listed asEndangered on theIUCN Red List, as the wild population is estimated to be between 3,000 and 4,000 individuals. This population has been declining due to livestock grazing in their habitat and poaching, as well as harsh winters.[1]
