Portuguese Ibex
Encyclopedia
The Portuguese Ibex Capra pyrenaica lusitanica (an extinct subspecies of Spanish Ibex
) was a subspecies of mountain goat
that inhabited the north mountainous zones of Portugal
, Galicia, Asturias
and western Cantabria
. In size and colouration it was much like the Spanish animals, though inclining towards brown rather than black markings. Its horns were strikingly different from any of the other Iberian subspecies
. They were only half the length of the Pyrenean Ibex
(about 51 cm or 20"), but were almost twice as wide, and, consequently, much closer together at their base.
stones in its stomach which were regarded as potent medicine and antidotes for poisons of all kind. The skins were used as coverlets and the horns both as ornaments and as trumpets of alpine horns to call across the narrow valleys of the north-western mountains.
By 1870, this ibex was a rare animal. The last herd of about a dozen animals was recorded in 1886. An old female was captured alive in September 1889, but only survived for three days. Two more females were found dead next year, victims of a Galician avalanche
. The last known Portuguese Ibex in Spain
died in 1890, and the last known sighting was a female near Lombade Pan in the Serra do Gerês in Portugal
in 1892.
Some scientists have pointed to factors other than human interference that may have affected the decline of the Portuguese Ibex. Grey wolves and golden eagles
, disease from domestic herds and a disproportionate number of males may have contributed to the rapid population decline. But the last point can be debated, since the bucks were a more likely target for hunters and the last recorded sightings were all of females.
Another subspecies, the Gredos Ibex Capra pyrenaica victoriae Cabrera, 1911, was introduced in the former range of the Portuguese Ibex and now thrives in this terrain.
A Portuguese Ibex specimen was on display in the Museo Bocage in Lisbon until a fire destroyed it in 1978.
Spanish ibex
The Iberian ibex, Spanish ibex, Spanish wild goat, or Iberian wild goat is a species of ibex with four subspecies. Of these, two can still be found on the Iberian Peninsula, but the remaining two are now extinct. The Portuguese subspecies became extinct in 1892 and the Pyrenean subspecies became...
) was a subspecies of mountain goat
Mountain goat
The Mountain Goat , also known as the Rocky Mountain Goat, is a large-hoofed mammal found only in North America. Despite its vernacular name, it is not a member of Capra, the genus of true goats...
that inhabited the north mountainous zones of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Galicia, Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
and western Cantabria
Cantabria
Cantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
. In size and colouration it was much like the Spanish animals, though inclining towards brown rather than black markings. Its horns were strikingly different from any of the other Iberian subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
. They were only half the length of the Pyrenean Ibex
Pyrenean Ibex
The Pyrenean Ibex is an ibex, one of the two extinct subspecies of Spanish Ibex. The subspecies once ranged across the Pyrenees in France and Spain and the surrounding area, including the Basque Country, Navarre, north Aragon and north Catalonia. A few hundred years ago they were numerous, but by...
(about 51 cm or 20"), but were almost twice as wide, and, consequently, much closer together at their base.
Extinction
Until 1800, the Portuguese Ibex was widespread in its range, but thereafter its decline was rapid as hunting pressure increased. Local hunters did not respect the closed hunting seasons and shot Portuguese ibexes when the herds came down to lower altitudes in May. Local people hunted it for its meat and for the bezoarBezoar
A bezoar is a mass found trapped in the gastrointestinal system , though it can occur in other locations. A pseudobezoar is an indigestible object introduced intentionally into the digestive system....
stones in its stomach which were regarded as potent medicine and antidotes for poisons of all kind. The skins were used as coverlets and the horns both as ornaments and as trumpets of alpine horns to call across the narrow valleys of the north-western mountains.
By 1870, this ibex was a rare animal. The last herd of about a dozen animals was recorded in 1886. An old female was captured alive in September 1889, but only survived for three days. Two more females were found dead next year, victims of a Galician avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
. The last known Portuguese Ibex in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
died in 1890, and the last known sighting was a female near Lombade Pan in the Serra do Gerês in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in 1892.
Some scientists have pointed to factors other than human interference that may have affected the decline of the Portuguese Ibex. Grey wolves and golden eagles
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
, disease from domestic herds and a disproportionate number of males may have contributed to the rapid population decline. But the last point can be debated, since the bucks were a more likely target for hunters and the last recorded sightings were all of females.
Another subspecies, the Gredos Ibex Capra pyrenaica victoriae Cabrera, 1911, was introduced in the former range of the Portuguese Ibex and now thrives in this terrain.
A Portuguese Ibex specimen was on display in the Museo Bocage in Lisbon until a fire destroyed it in 1978.
Sources
- Almaça, C. 1992. Notes on Capra pyrenaica lusitanica Schlegel, 1872, Mammalia, Paris, 56: 121-124.
- Choffat, P. 1920. Le Bouquetin du Gerez et le Bouquetin de Monte Junto. Bulletin de la Société Portugaise des Sciences Naturelles, Lisbonne, VIII (2) : 151-156. Cabra do Gerês. Capra lusitanica. Geologia. Paleontologia. Ossos de Capra hispanica, não de C. lusitanica.
- Day, D., 1981, The Doomsday Book of Animals, Ebury Press, London.
- França, C. 1908. Descrição da nova espécie, Capra lusitanica França, 1908, in: Le Professeur Barbosa du Bocage - 1823-1907. Bulletin de la Société Portugaise de Sciences Naturelles, II (1-2), pág. 144.
- França, C. 1917. Le bouquetin du Gerez : Capra Lusitanica ; notes sur une espèce éteinte / Carlos França IN: Arquivos da Universidade de Lisboa: Lisboa , vol. 4, 1917, p. 19-53. Fauna - Serra do Gerez (Portugal) / Cabra Lusitana .
- Maas, P. 2005. Portuguese Ibex - Capra pyrenaica lusitanica. The Extinction Website.
- Perez, J.M., Granados, J.E., Soriguer, R.C., Fandos, P., Marquez, F.J., and Crampe, J.P. 2002. Distribution, status and conservation problems of the Spanish ibex, Capra pyrenaica (Mammalia: Artiodactyla). Mammal Rev. 32(1):26-39.