Markhor

The markhor (Capra falconeri) is a large wild Capra species native to the mountain regions at the crossroads of Central and South Asia, including the Karakoram and Himalayas. It occurs in parts of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. It has been listed on the IUCN Red List as Near Threatened since 2015. The markhor is the national animal of Pakistan, where it is also known as the screw-horn or screw-horned goat. The word "markhor" is derived from the Persian word markhar, meaning "curly" because of its curly horns. The word, which comes from both Pashto and mainly classical Persian languages, is combined from "mar" and "khor" and more literally means "snake eater", referencing the ancient belief that the markhor would actively kill and consume snakes.

The markhor (Capra falconeri) is a large wild Capra species native to the mountain regions at the crossroads of Central and South Asia, including the Karakoram and Himalayas. It occurs in parts of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. It has been listed on the IUCN Red List as Near Threatened since 2015. The markhor is the national animal of Pakistan, where it is also known as the screw-horn or screw-horned goat. The word "markhor" is derived from the Persian word markhar, meaning "curly" because of its curly horns. The word, which comes from both Pashto and mainly classical Persian languages, is combined from "mar" and "khor" and more literally means "snake eater", referencing the ancient belief that the markhor would actively kill and consume snakes.

Description

Markhor adults stand at the shoulder, are long and weigh from . They have the highest maximum shoulder height among the species in the genus Capra, but is surpassed in length and weight by the Siberian ibex. The coat is of a grizzled, light brown to black colour, and is smooth and short in summer, while growing longer and thicker in winter. The fur of the lower legs is black and white. Markhor are sexually dimorphic, with males having longer hair on the chin, throat, chest, and shanks. Females are redder in colour, with shorter hair and a short, black beard, and are maneless. Both sexes have tightly curled, corkscrew-like horns, which close together at the head, but spread upwards toward the tips. The horns of males can grow up to long, and up to in females.

Behaviour and ecology

The markhor is diurnal and mainly active in the early morning and late afternoon. Its diets shift seasonally; in the spring and summer, it grazes, but turns to browsing in winter, sometimes standing on its hind legs to reach high branches. The mating season is during winter, when males fight each other by lunging, locking of horns, and attempting to push each other off balance. The gestation period lasts 135–170 days, and usually results in the birth of one or two kids, and occasionally three. Markhor live in herds, usually numbering nine animals, composed of adult females and their young. Adult males are largely solitary. Adult females and kids comprise most of the markhor population, with adult females making up 32% and kids making up 31%. Adult males comprise 19% of the population, while subadults (males aged 2–3 years) make up 12%, and yearlings (females aged 12–24 months) 9%. Their alarm call closely resembles the bleating of domestic goats. Early in the season, the males and females may be found together on the open, grassy patches and clear slopes among the forest. During the summer, the males remain in the forest, while the females generally climb to the highest rocky ridges above. In the spring, the females stay closer to cliffs in areas with more rock coverage to provide protection for their offspring. The males stay in higher elevated areas with more access to vegetation for foraging so as to improve their body condition.

Predators

Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), snow leopard (Panthera uncia), Himalayan wolf (Canis lupus chanco), and brown bear (Ursus arctos) are the main predators of the markhor. The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) has been reported to prey upon young markhor. The markhor possess keen eyesight and a strong sense of smell to detect nearby predators. Markhor are very aware of their surroundings and on high alert; in exposed areas, they are quick to spot and flee from predators.

Relationship with the domestic goat

Some authors have postulated that the markhor is the ancestor of some breeds of the domestic goat. The Angora goat has been regarded by some as a direct descendant of the Central Asian markhor. Evidence for markhors crossbreeding with domestic goats has been found. One study suggested that 35.7% of captive markhors in the analysis from three different zoos had mitochondrial DNA from domestic goats. Other authors have suggested that markhor may have been the ancestor of some Egyptian goat breeds, based on their similar horns, though the lack of an anterior keel on the horns of the markhor belies any close relationship. The Changthangi domestic goat of Ladakh and Tibet may derive from the markhor. The Girgentana goat of Sicily is thought to have been bred from markhor, as is the Bilberry goat of Ireland. The Kashmiri feral herd of about 200 individuals on the Great Orme limestone headland of Wales are derived from a herd maintained at Windsor Great Park belonging to Queen Victoria. Fecal samples taken from markhor and domestic goats indicate that a serious level of competition exists for food between the two species. The competition for food between herbivores is believed to have significantly reduced the standing crop of forage in the Himalaya–Karkoram–Hindukush ranges. Domestic livestock have an advantage over wild herbivores, since the density of their herds often pushes their competitors out of the best grazing areas, and decreased forage availability has a negative effect on female fertility. Genetic studies suggest that the markhor diverged early from other Capra species, making it one of the most evolutionary distinct wild goats. Capra falconeri forms a well-supported clade, meaning it is genetically distinct and monophyletic descended from a common ancestor not shared with other species in the genus.

Threats

Hunting for meat as a means of subsistence or trade in wildlife parts adds to the growing problem for wildlife managers in many countries. Poaching, with its indirect impacts as disturbance, increasing fleeing distances and resulting reduction of effective habitat size, is by far the most important factor threatening the survival of the markhor populations. The most important types of poachers seem to be local inhabitants, state border guards, the latter usually relying on local hunting guides, and Afghans, illegally crossing the border. Poaching causes fragmentation of the population into small islands, where the remaining subpopulations are prone to extinction. The markhor is a valued trophy hunting prize for its spiral horns. The Pakistani government issued several tags in an attempt to save the species, which since the introduction of hunting, the species has seen a remarkable rebound. The continuing declines of markhor populations finally caught the attention of the international community.

Hunting

In British India, the markhor was considered to be among the most challenging game species, because of the danger involved in stalking and pursuing it in mountainous terrain. According to Arthur Brinckman in his The Rifle in Cashmere, "a man who is a good walker will never wish for any finer sport than ibex or markhoor shooting". Elliott Roosevelt I wrote of how he shot two markhor in 1881, his first on 8 July, his second on 1 August. Although hunting markhor in Afghanistan is illegal, it has been traditionally hunted in Nuristan and Laghman Provinces, and this may have intensified during the War in Afghanistan. In Pakistan, hunting markhor is legal as part of a conservation process; expensive hunting licenses are available from the Pakistani government that allow the hunting of old markhors, which are no longer good for breeding purposes. In India, hunting markhor is illegal, but it is poached for food and for its horns, which are thought to have medicinal properties. The markhor is listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List; as of 2013, the population was estimated at 5,800 individuals that was projected to be stable in view of ongoing conservation efforts.

In culture

The markhor is the national animal of Pakistan. It was one of the 72 animals featured on the World Wide Fund for Nature Conservation Coin Collection in 1976. Markhor marionettes are used in the Afghan puppet shows known as buz-baz. The markhor features in the Pakistani animated film Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor.

Etymology

The name is thought to be derived from Persian language — a conjunction of ( , "snake, serpent") and the suffix ( , "-eater"), interpreted to represent the animal's alleged ability to kill snakes, or as a reference to its corkscrew-like horns, which are somewhat reminiscent of coiling snakes. In folklore, the markhor is believed to kill and eat serpents. Thereafter, while chewing the cud, a foam-like substance comes out of its mouth that drops on the ground and dries. This foam-like substance is sought after by the local people, who believe it is useful in extracting the poison from snakebites.

References

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373213722 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.