Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure

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Fast Facts:

Males have long hair on the chin, throat, chest, and shanks.
The tightly curled, corkscrew-like horns are present in both sexes. In males, they can grow up to 64 inches long, and up to 10 inches in females.

Markhor

Scientific Name	Bovidae capra falconeri
Classification	Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla
Status	Markhor are an endangered animal.
Range	Western Himalayas of Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Tajikstan, and Uzbekistan.
Habitat	Arid cliff side habitats in sparsely wooded mountainous area.
Diet	grass, leaves and twigs
Size	Height: 3-4 fee Weight: 200 lbs
Lifespan	12 - 13 years.
Location
Print Fact Sheet	Markhor

Special Features

Females and young live in herds of around 9 animals. Males are usually solitary.
Mainly active in early morning and late afternoon, resting midday chewing cud.
Will sometimes stand on hind legs to reach the nourishing leaves.
The horns are used in traditional Asian medicine.
The coat is short and reddish brown in the summer and long, silky and gray in the winter.

Social Structure & Behavior

Baby Markhor are called "kids". Markhor reach sexual maturity at 10-30 months with mating occurring in the winter.

During the rut males fight for breeding rights. These competitions involve lunging and locking the horns, followed by the combatants twisting and pushing in an attempt to make the other lose his balance.

Gestation is 135-170 days resulting in the birth of one to three kids which are weaned at 5-6 months.