Pyrenean Ibex - Behaviour and Physical Characteristics

Behaviour and Physical Characteristics

The Pyrenean Ibex had short fur which varied according to seasons. During the summer, its hair was short and come winter, the hair grows longer and thicker to accommodate the weather. The abundance and length of hair on the Ibex’s neck remained the same throughout all seasons. Male and female Ibexes could be easily depicted due to color and fur differences. A male Ibex is commonly a faded greyish brown during the summer. Males are decorated with black in several places on the body such as the mane, forelegs and forehead. In the Winter, the Ibex is less radiant with its color. A male transforms from a greyish brown to a dull grey and where the spots were once decorated with black, it became dull and faded as well. A female Ibex on the other hand can easily be mistaken for a deer since its fur was brown throughout the summer. Unlike the male ibex, a female will lack black coloring. However, the offspring of the ibexes would result to looking like a female during the first year of life.

A male Ibex is known for its intricate horns which appear large and thick “curving outwards and backwards then outwards and downwards then inwards and upwards.” The surface of the horn is rough containing ridges that develop progressively with age. Its rings are said to each represent a year, so if one were to count an Ibex’s rings, the total would correspond to the Ibex’s age. Just like in color, the female is different than a male in its horn structure as well. Unlike the long, complex horn of males, a female possesses a short, cylindrical horn. Ibexes (male and female) had the diet of a herbivore. They mostly fed on greens such as grass and herbs.

Pyrenean Ibexes migrated according to seasons. During Spring, the ibex would migrate to more elevated parts of mountains where females and males would mate. After the mating sessions, females would normally leave the males behind so they can give birth in a more isolated area. Birthing season is typically during the month of May. Like most mammals, the Ibex only gives birth to one offspring. Twins aren’t impossible to give birth to but it is highly unlikely. During the winter, the Ibexes would migrate to valleys that aren’t covered in snow. These valleys allowed them to continue their diet regardless of the change in season.