Abyssinian ibex
The walia ibex (Capra walie, Amharic: ዋልያ wālyā ) is an endangered species of ibex. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the Alpine ibex. Threats against the species include habitat loss, poaching, and restricted range; only about 500 individuals survived in the mountains of Ethiopia, concentrated in the Semien Mountains, largely due to past poaching and habitat depletion. If the population were to increase, the surrounding mountain habitat would be sufficient to sustain only 2,000 ibex. The adult walia ibex's only known wild predator is the hyena. However, young ibex are often hunted by a variety of fox and cat species. The ibex are members of the goat family, and the walia ibex is the southernmost of today's ibexes. In the late 1990s, the walia ibex went from endangered to critically endangered due to the declining population. The walia ibex is also known as the Abyssinian ibex.Given the small distribution range of the Walia ibex in its restricted mountain ecosystem, the presence of a large number of domestic goats may pose a serious threat that can directly affect the survival of the population.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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GraminivoreIn zoology, a graminivore (not to be confused with a granivore) is an herbivorous animal that feeds primarily on grass. Graminivory is a form of g...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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GrazingGrazing is a method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses, or other multicellular organisms such as algae. In agriculture...
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BrowsingBrowsing is a type of herbivory in which an herbivore (or, more narrowly defined, a folivore) feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high-growi...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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HerdingA herd is a social grouping of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic. The form of collective animal behavior associated with...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Walia ibex is an endangered species of ibex that can be found only in the mountains of Ethiopia. These animals have a chocolate-brown to chestnut-brown coat coloration, a greyish-brown muzzle, and a lighter grey in the eyes and legs. The belly and insides of the legs are white in color, and black and white patterns stretch upon the legs of these animals. The males have very large horns that curve backward, reaching lengths up to 110 cm (43 in). These horns are used for dominance disputes between males. The males also have distinguished black beards. Females also have horns, but they are shorter and thinner. Females are smaller and lighter in color. The horns on both males and females are rigid.
Walia ibex live in the northern mountains of Ethiopia and are concentrated in the Semien Mountains. They inhabit very steep, rocky cliff areas, mountain forests, subalpine grasslands, and scrub.
Walia ibex are social animals. Outside of the mating season males live in bachelor groups and females live in groups with their offspring. Walia ibex are very agile and hardy, able to climb on bare rock and survive on sparse vegetation. They are most active in the morning and evening; during the midday, they usually rest in the sun on rock ledges. When not resting they spend their time grazing and may travel up to 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) per day in search of food. When foraging Walia ibex also often stand on their hind legs to get to young shoots of giant heath.
Walian ibex are herbivores (graminivores, folivores). They feed on various grasses, leaves, herbs, lichens, shrubs, and creepers.
Walia ibex are polygynous meaning that males mate with more than one female. They usually breed from March to May and during this time males compete for females by ramming their horns with amazing force. After the gestation periods of 150-165 days females give birth to a single kid, or rarely twins. They become reproductively mature at one year of age.
Walia ibex were once widespread in the Semien Mountains but the numbers dropped during the 20th century mainly due to habitat loss and overhunting. At present these animals also suffer from the encroaching settlement, livestock grazing, cultivation, and road construction that fragmentates their habitat. Although the only wild predators of adult Waian ibex are hyenas, young kids are often hunted by a variety of fox and cat species.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Walia ibex in the Simien Mountains National Park is over 975 individuals or 585 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are increasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...