A small, nimble goat-antelope of the rugged mountains of Europe, Turkey and the Caucasus. Both sexes have short horns hooked back at the tip. Its coat is rich brown in summer and grey in winter, with bold black and white face markings.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?In places
A popular game animal hunted for its meat.
At a glance
Found inEurope, Asia, New Zealand
HabitatMountains, Forest
ColoursBrown, Black, White
SizeMedium
Length107–137 cm
Height70–80 cm at the shoulder
WeightMales 30–60 kg; females 25–45 kg
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives inherds
Lives for15–20 years
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Mountains of Europe from the Pyrenees and Alps to the Carpathians and Balkans, plus Turkey and the Caucasus; introduced to New Zealand.
- What it eats
- Mountain grasses and herbs in summer; conifers, bark and needles in winter.
Did you know
It gave its name to chamois leather, once made from its hide and still used for polishing.
Can run at 50 km/h and jump 2 m straight up or 6 m across.
Hunters stalk it from above, because it tends to watch for danger coming from below.
Often confused with
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