Monday, September 15, 2014

Creature Feature #331: Ibex

The Ibex is a species of wild goat, found in the European Alps. Both male and female bear curving, ridged horns, although the male's are considerably longer and he is larger in size. He is an excellent climber, ascending above the snowline during the summer to feed on the alpine meadows and descending during the winter months. He has even been observed standing on the sheer wall of dams, licking the stonework for the mineral salts. Social in nature, groups are frequently segregated by gender and age throughout the year, with mixed gender groups most frequent during the breeding season. Male Ibex compete with one another to secure mates, sometimes just strutting and posturing, other times head-butting or bucking one another.

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