Wildlife Wednesdays: Markhor
By: Madeline Davis, researched by Hal Dittbrenner
Scientific Name: Capra falconeri
Classification:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Class: Mammalia
- Family: Bovidae
Population Number: Less than 6,000 in the wild
As the largest wild goat species, the markhor holds a powerful history. The word markhor is derived from two Persian words, ‘mar’ which means snake and ‘khor’ which means eater. In folklore, it is believed that markhors were able to kill and eat snakes using their horns. However, there is no evidence that confirms that this is true. Rather, it is more likely that the markhor has the ability to kill snakes with its strong hooves, and the snake-like twist of their horns gave them their name.
Markhors have a light brown to black color coat. Their fur grows longer and thicker in the winter, while remaining short in the summer. Markhors are sexually dimorphic, which means that the male and females present different characteristics. Male markhors have longer hair on their chin, throat, legs, and chest, while females have shorter, red-tinted hair and no mane. Markhors can stand from 26 to 45 inches tall at the shoulder, and weigh 71 to 234 pounds.
The most notable feature of markhors are their glorious horns. Their horns form a unique, corkscrew shape, and male horns can grow over 60 inches tall. Males have much longer horns than female markhor, with female horns typically only growing to 10 inches. Their horns can be used to dig in the ground or to remove bark from trees, but are most often used for defense. Male markhors will use their horns to fight each other during mating season, and female markhors will use them to protect their young from predators. The shape of their horns also earns them their alternative name, the screw-horned goat.
Markhors live in lightly forested areas and grassy foothills. They also live in mountainous areas, and can be found 2,000 to 11,800 feet in elevation! Markhors are native to South and Central Asia, with most of their populations residing within Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkestan, Northern India, and the Himalaya Mountain region. In the 1970s, Pakistan named the markhor as their national animal due to the significance the animal has on their country.
Although markhors are strong, they do not live without threat. They are threatened by poaching, hunting, and animal predators. Lynx, leopards, wolves, and bears are all predators to markhors. Golden eagles are also a threat and have been reported to prey upon young markhors. Additionally, feral dogs are also a threat to markhors as the dog population increases. Feral dogs have killed hundreds of markhors in Chitral Gol National Park in Pakistan.
Markhors are poached commonly for their unique horns. Historically, the horns served as a hunting trophy, and could be used in traditional Chinese medicine. They are also hunted for the wildlife meat trade. These two dangers are the primary reason that the markhor population is decreasing. With markhors currently listed as critically endangered, the Pakistan government has made efforts to help the markhor population. Several government issued tags have been put in place in an attempt to save the species, and conservational efforts have continued. Pakistan also named the markhor as the mascot for their intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence, in hopes of spreading awareness and awe at the magnificent ancestor of the goat.
For more information about markhors, check out our sources:
– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markhor#
– https://factanimal.com/markhor/
– https://www.oneearth.org/species-of-the-week-markhor/
-https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/hunter-kills-himalayan-goat-screw-horned pakistan-markhor-a8730646.html