Hello, I was looking at these 5 species of Ibex: Alpine, Siberian, Nubian, Walia, and Spanish, and was trying to see if I could figure out how to distinguish between the 5. I was wondering if any of the hoofstock-lovers on the forum could help me learn the differences in apprearance between them (not where they are located). So far what I've noticed is that Nubian have larger curved horns but are smaller in size, Spanish seem to be a yellow/pale kind of color with dark underbelly, and Walia have a pale streak of fur going along the sides of their neck, stomach, and legs.
Technically, I think they are subspecies, not species (but that is probably what you meant). I cannot help with the id, but I learned something interesting yesterday about the nubians. I was at Out Of Africa (review coming very soon) and they had some nubian goats. The tram driver said they are the result of domestic goats interbreeding with wild nubian ibex (in Africa, where the goat herders let them mix). I never knew that.
Some debate on that actually. I recently had to do some research on the Nubian Ibex we just got in at Dallas so we could have some talking points for the monorail tours, and according to IUCN and a few other organizations they are full species (i.e. Capra ibex, Capra nubiana, Capra walie, etc). Another one of those taxonomic debates that fascinates me.
Its a recent change, so it seems. Taxonomic changes have been occurring a lot over the last years. They are all separate species now.
Indeed, quite recently all three of the main clade Capra ibex have been separated into Alpine-Carpathian ibex C. ibex, Nubian ibex (C. nubiana) and Walia ibex (C. walie) signifying a significant distinction at the smallest level to have all 3 raised to individual species status. You are kind welcome to enquire further in pm!
I wish we had one single species here in the UK, at the moment there are none in any British collection, a great shame, they make a truly spectacular exhibit.
I am you ****. Walia ibex are restricted to the northern plateaux mountains of the Simen mountains in Ethiopia. They are even more restricted then the Ethiopian wolf/fox distribution-wise. There is an Ethiopian scientist doing research in locum on the present distribution on from earlier WWF studies.
Indeed, Capra sibirica is also now in a world of its own making. At a time when all the cervids in the family Cervus elaphus were reviewed, so were all the caprids.
The taxonomy of ibexes is not the only one that has been in a state of flux: the same goes for mouflons and urials, as well as for serows. Back to ibexes, in addition to the aforementioned, there are also ibexes in the Caucasus: the so-called West Caucasian tur (Capra caucasica), and the East Caucasian tur, Capra cylindricornis.
I dont think there has ever been any Walia ibex in captivity, but for sure there has been Spanish, Nubian, Alpine, and Siberian in captivity some of these species are more common then others in captivity eg. Nubian are more common then Spanish, with Spanish ibex being in only 3 zoos currently and Nubian being in multiple facilities
