Himalayan Goral
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| Himalayan Goral[1] | ||||||||||||||
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| Naemorhedus goral (Hardwicke, 1825) |
The Himalayan Goral (Naemorhedus goral), also known as the Gray Goral, is a small, rough-haired, cylindrical-horned ruminant native to the Himalayas. In the past, it was also known as Urotragus goral.
[edit] Appearance
The Himalayan Goral is typically 95-130 cm (37"-53") in length and weighs 35-42 kg (77-92 lb.). It has a gray or gray-brown coat with tan legs, lighter patches on its throat, and a single dark stripe along its spine. Males have short manes on their necks. Both males and females have backward-curving horns which can grow up to 18 cm (7") in length.
In addition to certain peculiarities in the form of the skull, gorals are chiefly distinguished from the closely-related serows in that they do not possess a gland below the eye, nor a corresponding depression in the skull.
[edit] Ecology and distribution
The Himalayan Goral is found in the forests of the Himalayas and Hindukush, usually between 1000 and 4000 m in elevation. Groups of animals typically occupy a territory of about 100 acres. The Himalayan Goral can live for 14 or 15 years. The female gives birth, usually to a single offspring, after a gestation period of 170-218 days. The young are weaned at 7 or 8 months of age and reach sexual maturity at around age 3.
The Himalayan Goral often forms small bands of four to twelve individuals, although it is also known to pair off or, especially in the case of older males, be solitary. The animal is crepuscular, being most active in the early morning and late evening. After a morning meal, it often drinks and then rests on a rock ledge through the day. It feeds on leaves and associated softer parts of plants, mainly grasses[3]
The Himalayan Goral is very agile and can run quickly, and its coloration provides it with camouflage which, especially since it spends much of the day lying still, can make it extremely difficult to see. However, it is hunted by various predators. When threatened, the Himalayan Goral will vocalize with hissing or sneezing sounds. The IUCN classifies the Himalayan Goral as low risk, near threatened.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Charles A. Woods and C. William Kilpatrick (2005-11-16). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds). ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd edition ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?id=14200804.
- ^ a b Duckworth, J.W. & MacKinnon, J. (2008). Naemorhedus goral. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2008. Retrieved on 5 April 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of near threatened.
- ^ Fakhar-i-Abbas,F et al., Food and Feeding Preferences of Himalayan Gray Goral (Naemorhedus goral bedfordi) in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Zoo Biology 27:371–380 (2008)
