Rupicapra carpatica Couturier 1938

212.

Carpathian Chamois

Rupicapra carpatica

French: Chamois des Carpathes / German: Karpaten-Gamse / Spanish: Rebeco de los Carpatos

Taxonomy. Rupicapra carpatica Couturier, 1938,

Romania.

Formerly considered a subspecies of R. rupicapra. Monotypic.

Distribution. Carpathian Mts in Romania.

Descriptive notes. Few measurements available. Head-body 115-125 cm, tail ¢. 3— 4 cm, shoulder height ¢.75-90 cm; weight 50-60 kg; horn length 23-30 cm (males), horn basal circumference 7-10 cm. The Carpathian Chamois is characterized by a larger body, longer horns and darker winter coat than other chamois taxa.

Habitat. The Carpathian Chamois occupies alpine habitats in summer and lower ectotone areas of grasslands and forests in winter. Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) and Eurasian Lynxes (Lynx lynx) are the mammalian predators. Domestic dogs also can be significant predators.

Food and Feeding. The diet of the Carpathian Chamois is similar to that of the Alpine Chamois (R. rupicapra). Carpathian Chamois consume higher percentages of graminoids during spring and browse in winter.

Breeding. The mating season of the Carpathian Chamois is probably in November-December, and births occur in May-June after gestation of 165-175 days.

Activity patterns. Similar to Alpine Chamois. In warm season, graze early in morning and seek shade during warmest period of the day. Resume grazing in late afternoon when day temperatures are cooler.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Probably similar to Alpine Chamois. Seasonal migrations occur between lower-elevation forests in winter and subalpine grasslands in the spring. Detailed studies of home ranges and social organization have not been conducted.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List (under R. rupicapra). There were about 6800 Carpathian Chamois in 2006 and about 203 were harvested annually by sport hunters. Major concerns are small, fragmented populations that could be extirpated, disturbance by shepherds and dogs, and competition with domestic livestock. In some areas, poaching is a major concern. Current monitoring protocols do not accurately estimate populations. The number of protected areas should be increased and the existing ones enlarged; habitat improvement projects should be initiated and game laws strictly enforced. Reestablishment of populations in areas where they had been extirpated should be continued and populations established in newly created protected areas.

Bibliography. Apollonio, Andersen & Putman (2010), Aulagnier et al. (2008), Corlatti et al. (2011), Couturier (1938), Giacometti et al. (1997), Groves & Grubb (2011), Grubb (2005), Micu et al. (2010), Pemberton et al. (1989), Rodriguez et al. (2009), Simpson & Epley (2002), Weber (1997).