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Range and Habitat: The Chinese gray goral inhabits areas
from far east Russia to east China, south to east Myanmar and
west Thailand. Gorals live in steep, dry rocky habitats ranging
in elevation between 2,700-8,000 feet, but sometimes as high
as 13,500 feet. They live along precipitous cliffs with dense
cover of thorny bushes and are not generally found on the more
open gentle mountain slopes.
Habits and Adaptations: Gorals are timid creatures and
are found living in groups from 2-12, though older males are
solitary. Due to their excellent ability to climb and leap, they
stay close to rocks and cliffs where they can escape the ambush
of predators such as leopards and wolves. They also rely on
their keen eyesight and hearing which helps them to detect predators,
along with their coloration which blends in with their surroundings
hiding them from danger. They are very surefooted and traverse
steep rock faces with almost the same agility as true goats.
Goral are known to jump eight foot barriers from a standstill.
Diet: Gorals are browsers, eating leaves and twigs off
trees and shrubs. During the summer months, they graze on grasses.
Gorals are ruminant animals, meaning they have a four-chambered
stomach. In order to properly digest their food, they regurgitate
partially digested food and re-chew it, similar to a dairy cow.
Breeding and Maturation: Gorals mate during the period
from November to December. Gestation is 180-240 days and the
females usually give birth to one kid. Twins are the exception
but they have been reported. Sexual maturity is reached at 2
years of age. Young remain with the female until the next offspring
is born. Females with young kids tend to keep away from other
small groups.
Conservation Status: Listed as vulnerable by
the IUCN Redlist and protected from trade under CITES Appendix
I, they are threatened by poaching and destruction of their mountainous
habitat.
Although there are less
than 2,000 Chinese gorals in the wild, no field studies or in
situ conservation efforts are in progress.
Miscellaneous:
• Both sexes of goral have horns of almost
equal size, which are slender, cylindrical, not divergent but
backward curving
• The only vocalization is a hissing alarm snort which
is immediately repeated by any other goral in the vicinity when
heard
• The etymology of the generic name is nemoris (Latin
for a grove or forest) and haedus (Latin for a young goat), therefore
Nemorhaedus refers to a goatlike animal and its habitat in forested
regions. The species name, goral, is a local name for the animal
from northeastern India.
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