Fact Sheet Chamois
Fact sheet Chamois
Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) fact sheet Biology
Status
Distribution
Management
Conservation
References
Biology back to top
Food: Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) feed in sub-alpine areas close to forests. They eat mainly grass. In summertime, herbs and leaves are added to the diet, in wintertime it is sprouts of conifers and broad-leaved trees. Behaviour: Chamois live in variable group size. Herds can range from 5 to 30 animals. The bigger groups are formed mostly by females, yearlings and kids. During summer, herds of chamois wander alpine meadows above 1’800 meters. Home ranges average 74 hectares. As winter approaches, chamois shift to lower altitudes (below 1’100 meters), where they may enter forested regions, although they remain near steep cliffs. During the rutting season, in autumn, males seek female herds and engage in fierce fights with other males. In Mai/June females leave the group to give birth. When alarmed, chamois run to the most inaccessible places, making leaps as high as 2 meters and spanning as much as 6 meters. They can travel up to 50 km/h over steep or uneven ground. Habitus: The chamois has a body-length of 120-150 cm and a height of 70-85 cm. The heavier male weighs 35-50 kg, whereas the female’s weight is about 30-40 kg. The short, smooth summer coat is overall tawny or reddish- brown, while in winter it becomes a chocolate brown, with guard hairs measuring 10-20 cm covering a woolly under layer. The under parts are pale. The legs are usually darker, and there is a slight mane on the throat. Distinct characteristics are a white face with pronounced black stripes below the eyes, a white backside and a black dorsal strip. The slender, black horns are found in both sexes. The males’ horns are more curved than the females’. Horns can reach a length of 32 cm. Chamois have flexible, padded hooves which enable them to gallop up steep rock faces. Their visual sense is highly developed and reflects their adaptation to the rocky, steep habitat in which they live. Reproduction: Females are sexually mature after 2 years, males leave the group after 3 years. Rutting season is in November and December. Males compete against each other and defend their territory (where females are located in). These fights can end deadly. After 23 weeks the female gives birth to one or two kids, which can follow their mother almost immediately after birth. Life span generally ranges between 14 and 22 years. Habitat: During summer, chamois live on high alpine meadows. With the arrival of winter, they move to lower, forested areas. Chamois have a patchy and isolated distribution.
Distribution back to top
Chamois live widely distributed in the Alps, in the Jura Mountains, in the Black Forest, the Vosges mountains, the Swabian Alps, the Elbe Sandstone Mountains and the High Ash Mountains. Today’s populations are mainly ascribed to reintroduction.
Austria: Alpine chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra) are distributed throughout the Austrian Alps. They increasingly occur in less suitable, forest-dominated habitats.
France: Three subspecies of chamois live in the country. Alpine chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra) are found throughout the Alps, the Jura Mountains, the Vosges and the Massif Central. Chartreuse chamois (Rupricapa rupicapra cartusiana) are restricted to the Chartreuse limestone massif and Pyrenean chamois (Rupricapra pyrenaica pyrenaica) along the southwest border to Spain.
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Germany: Most Alpine chamois present in the country are concentrated in the Bavarian Alps. In addition, 800-1'000 individuals live in the Black Forest and small populations of about 10-40 animals in Adelegg, in the Upper Danube valley, in the Neckar valley, in the Jura and in Weissenburg.
Italy: Chamois are distributed along the northern boarders to France, Switzerland and Austria. A small population of Apennine chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra ornata) lives in the National Park of Abruzzo.
Slovenia: Chamois is found throughout the Alps, northwest Dinaric alps and the hilly regions of the pre-Alpine and pre- Dinaric areas [Krystufek et al. 1997]. Small isolated populations are also found in the low mountains in eastern Slovenia bordering the Supannonian plain.
Switzerland: Alpine chamois are distributed all over the Swiss Alps and the forest regions. They can also be seen in the Midland forests of the Jura mountains.
Status back to top
As a species, the chamois is still common and not threatened.
Austria: In 1976, 157’000 animals were estimated to live in the country. Nowadays, the number is presumably significantly higher (Least Concern).
France: The Alpine chamois population was estimated to consist of 31-40’000 individuals in 1989, 30’000 to 36’000 of which were located in the Alps, 1’300-1’600 in the Jura Mountains, 580-640 in the Vosges and 160-200 in the Massif Central (Least Concern). The Chartreuse chamois population amounted to only about 150 animals in 1986-87 (Endangered). The Pyrenean chamois counts approximately 15'500 individuals (Least Concern).
Germany: Alpine chamois’ population consists of about 9’000-11’000 animals (Least Concern).
Italy: The current population of the Apennine chamois is estimated to be around 400 individuals (Vulnerable), the population of the Alps around 70’000 individuals (1992) (Least Concern).
Slovenia: The total population was estimated in 1990 at just over 11'000 animals for the whole of former Yugoslavia, with the highest density populations occurring in the higher areas of the Alps along the northern border of Slovenia [Krystufek et al. 1997]. In 1990, a total of 1462 animals were estimated to inhabit Triglav National Park, which represents about 16% of the total population of this species.
Switzerland: There are an estimated 94’447 animals in the Alps (Least Concern).
Management back to top
Management issues differ all over Europe.
Austria: Chamois are legally hunted throughout Austria and harvest levels are set based on estimates or counts of the sizes of local populations. In 2003, the hunting bag was 26'183 animals [website of the Austrian Hunting association]. Efforts to control sarcoptic mange in chamois and its possible spread to other species are centred on better pro- and post-prophylactic strategies [Gossow & Zeiler 1997].
France: In 1989, a harvesting plan for both species of chamois in France became law, which required that every animal shot must be tagged immediately. It is hoped that with this plan, chamois numbers will increase and a more even distribution of animals will result in both the Alps and Pyrenees [Roucher 1997].
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Germany: Even though not threatened overall in Germany, the small sub-alpine populations are vulnerable to poaching and stocastic events, and possibly to inbreeding depression. Disturbance acts as a major threat to small populations and has caused declines in some. But large populations face threats, too. Numbers in the Bavarian Alps are decreasing due to sharply increased harvest rates. In most areas, however, hunting bags are reviewed annually [Briedermann et al. 1997].
Italy: In the Italian Alps, an average of 9000 to 11'000 animals are hunted annually [Pedrotti et al. 2001]. Official guidelines issued by the National Wildlife Institute shall improve hunting management, especially in the central and western sectors of the Alpine arc, both in application of correct census methods and in planning culling programs [Tosi & Lovari 1997].
Slovenia: In Slovenia, the first legal provisions and restrictions were enforced in 1849. Trying to improve management of chamois populations, the Hunting Association of Slovenia promoted the translation of the book "Chamois" (Knaus & Schröder 1978) and provided copies to circa 22'000 hunters in the Republic. Hunting is strictly controlled. The legal harvest was 2360 animals in 2003/04 [Republic of Slovenia 2004].
Switzerland: Chamois management and hunting are regulated by a Federal law and by two ordinances. The average hunting bag is just over 17'127 animals [National hunting statistics].
Conservation back to top
By and large, Rupicapra rupicapra is not threatened. Conservation issues are more considered on a small scale where populations are declining. Conservation actions and implementations are taken in different areas.
References back to to
● Briedermann, L., Bauer, J. J., and D'Oleire-Oltmanns, W. (1997). Germany. In Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan for Caprinae - Wild Sheep and Goats and their Relatives: 99-103. Shakleton, D. M.(Ed.): IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
● Corbet, G. et Ovenden, D. (1985). Guida dei Mammiferi d’Europa – atlante illustrato a colori Franco Muzzio & c. editore, Padova.
● Gossow, H. & Zeiler, H. (1997). Austria. In Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan for Caprinae - Wild Sheep and Goats and their Relatives: 80-85. Shakleton, D. M. (Ed.). IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
● Krystufek, B., Milenkovic, M., Rapaic, Z., and Tvrtkovic, N. (1997). Former Yugoslavia. In Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan for Caprinae - Wild Sheep and Goats and their Relatives: 138-143. Shakleton, D. M.(Ed.): IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
● Lovari, S. & Tosi, G. (1989). Predazione naturale e abbattimenti selettivi di ungulati: Confronto e implicazioni di gestione. In Reintroduzione dei predatori nella aree protette (Atti del convegno 24./25.6.1989): 31-35.Torino: Regione Piemonte.
● Pedrotti, L., Dupré, E., Preatoni, D., Toso, S. Banca dati ungulati. Status, distribuzione, consistenza, gestione, prelievo venatorio e potenzialità delle popolazioni di ungulati in Italia. Biologia e conservazione della Fauna 109. 2001.
● Roucher, F. (1997). France. In Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan for Caprinae - Wild Sheep and Goats and their Relatives: 92-98. Shakleton, D. M. (Ed.). IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
● Rebublic of Slovenia 2004.
● Tosi, G. & Lovari, S. (1997). Italy. In Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan for Caprinae - Wild Sheep and Goats and their Relatives: 80- 85. Shakleton, D. M. (Ed.). IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
Internet:
● http://www.iucnredlist.org
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● http://www.ultimateungulate.com/
● http://www.iberianature.com/
● http://de.wikipedia.org/
● http://www.ljv.at
● http://www.wild.unizh.ch/jagdst/index.php
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