Ibex - any
of several surefooted, sturdy wild goats of the genus Capra,
family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla), found in the mountains of Europe,
Asia, and northeastern Africa. The European, or Alpine,
ibex (C.
ibex
ibex) is typical. It stands
about 90 cm (3 feet) at the shoulder and has brownish gray fur, darker
on the underparts. The male has a beard and large, semicircular horns
with broad, transversely ridged front surfaces. The European
ibex inhabits the line of
perpetual snow and lives in herds, except for the old males, which are
usually solitary. Formerly common throughout the higher ranges of the
Alps, this ibex is now greatly
reduced in numbers. It is protected locally in the Italian Alps and
has been reintroduced elsewhere.
"ibex."
Encyclopędia Britannica.
2006
