Portuguese ibex

The Portuguese ibex ( Capra pyrenaica lusitanica ) is an extinct subspecies of Iberiensteinbocks.

Description

The Portuguese Capricorn reached about the body length of the Iberiensteinbocks. The type specimen ( a young male ) has a length of 142 centimeters and a shoulder height of 73 centimeters. The horns of the males were only about half as long as that of Iberiensteinbocks with a length up to 51 centimeters. They stood at the base closely together and then doubled up twice as far to the outside as in her Spanish relatives. The horns of a female, in the Museum of the University of Coimbra, Portugal, is one measure only 18 centimeters. The Portuguese Capricorn had a similar skin color as the Iberiensteinbock. For them, the summer coat has run a blond brown tint with black markings, particularly on the flanks and thighs. In winter, the dorsal stripe is wider and forms a round spots on the withers. The female has the same coat color in them, however, lack the markings. The Portuguese Capricorn had brown fur markings in comparison.

Occurrence and habitat

The distribution area of the Portuguese ibex stretched from the slopes of Borrageiro ( 1433 m) to Mont Alegre in northern Portugal, Galicia and Asturias in northwestern Spain, as well as the western Cantabria in northern Spain. This habitat is dominated by mountains and rocky regions with an average annual temperature of 17.3 ° C and an annual rainfall of 627 millimeters. The vegetation zone consists of grass, herbs, shrubs and evergreen deciduous trees, which formed the chief food of the ibex.

Extinction

Until 1800, the Portuguese Ibex was widespread until a merciless hunt began for him. Local hunters killed the ibex for their fur, their horns, their meat and the Bezoarsteine ​​. From the horns were works of art and musical instruments ( such as Alphorns ) were prepared. The fur was used as a bedspread and the Bezoarsteinen was a medical effect, particularly in many of poisoning have been alleged. As more and more males than females were killed, the balance changed dramatically and the ibex were already around 1870 a great rarity. The last herd of about 12 copies, which consisted entirely of females, was observed in 1886. An old female, died in 1890 after only three days in captivity in Spain, two other beasts fell in 1891 an avalanche in Galicia victim. The last female was seen in 1892 at Lombade Pan in the Serra do Gerês.