chamois

1. An extremely agile goat antelope (Rupicapra rupicapra) of mountainous regions of Europe, having upright horns with backward-hooked tips.
2. also cham·my or sham·my (shăm'ē) pl., -mies, or -mies.
   1. A soft leather made from the hide of this animal or other animals such as deer or sheep.
   2. A piece of such leather, or a cotton fabric made to resemble it, used as a polishing cloth or in shirts.
3. A moderate to grayish yellow.

[French, from Old French, from Late Latin camōx.]

One of several species of mammals included in the tribe Rupicaprini of the family Bovidae. The group is heterogeneous in form, but all are intermediate in characteristics between the goats and antelopes. The chamois is the only European species of the group and is indigenous to the mountainous areas, especially the Alps. About nine races are recognized, based on their geographical range. The chamois is, however, becoming rare.

The chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) lives in small herds of both sexes in numbers from 10 to 50. The adult is almost 3 ft high and weighs about 90 lb (40 kg) maximum. Both sexes bear horns which are set close together on the forehead, project almost at right angles, and are straight except for the sharp curve backward at the top (see illustration). A soft, pliable leather, known as chamois cloth, is obtained from the skin of this animal.

The chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra).

The goral, serow, and Rocky Mountain goat are included in the same tribe of bovids as the chamois. Both the goral (genus Naemorhedus) and serow (genus Capricornis) are found in Asia. The goral is about 2 ft (0.6 m) high and has short horns. The male of the Rocky Mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) is larger than the female, weighing between 200 and 300 lb (90 and 135 kg) and standing over 3 ft (1 m) high. Both sexes are covered with thick, long white hair and have horns and beards. See also Antelope; Mammalia.

The chamois (of the family Bovidae) is a goat-like animal living in the mountainous areas of Spain, central Europe (the Alps and Apennines), south central Europe, the Balkans, Asia Minor, and the Caucasus. Agile and surefooted, with acute senses, it can jump 6.5 feet (two meters) in height and 19.5 feet (six meters) in distance, and run at speeds of 31 miles (50 kilometers) per hour. Its skin has been made into "shammy" leather for cleaning glass and polishing automobiles, although more commonly today the shammy or chamois skins sold are simply specially treated sheepskin.

1. sheepskin specially impregnated with fish oil to make it pliable; used for cleaning.
2. an agile goat-antelope; Rupicapra rupicapra.

• c. contagious ecthyma virus — see contagious ecthyma.

For other uses, see Chamois (disambiguation).

Chamois
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Genus:	Rupicapra
Species:	R. rupicapra
Binomial name
Rupicapra rupicapra (Linnaeus, 1758)

The chamois, Rupicapra rupicapra, is a goat-antelope species native to mountains in Europe, including the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, the European Alps, the Gran Sasso region of the central Italian Apennines, the Tatra Mountains, the Balkans, parts of Turkey, and the Caucasus. The chamois has also been introduced to the South Island of New Zealand. Chamois are strictly protected animals under the European Habitats Directive.^[2]

There are two species of chamois in the genus Rupicapra: R. rupicapra (the type species) is replaced in the Pyrenees by the Pyrenean chamois, R. pyrenaica. The chamois are in the goat-antelope subfamily (Caprinae) of the family Bovidae, along with sheep and goats.

The usual pronunciation in English is /ˈʃæmwʌ/ ("shamwa"), but when referring to its leather (and in New Zealand often for the animal itself) it is pronounced /ˈʃæmɨ/ ("shammy"), and sometimes spelt "chamy". As with many quarry species, the plural is the same as the singular.

Contents 1 Names 2 Subspecies 3 Biology and behaviour 4 Distribution and habitat 4.1 New Zealand 5 Hunting and wildlife management 6 References 7 External links

Names

The English name is from the French chamois. This is derived from Latin camox, borrowed from Gaulish, itself perhaps a borrowing from Iberian or Aquitanian akin to modern Basque ahuntz "goat".

The Dutch name for the chamois is gems, and the male is called a gemsbok. In Afrikaans, the name gemsbok came to refer to a species of Subsaharan antelope of the genus Oryx and this meaning has been adopted in English.

Subspecies

Chamois in Kosovo in the Sar Mountains

• Rupicapra rupicapra (chamois):

• R. r. tatrica (Tatra chamois): Slovakia (High Tatras, Western Tatras, Belianske Tatras, and Low Tatras) and Poland (High Tatras, Western Tatras)
• R. r. balcanica (Balkan chamois): Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, northern Greece (The Pindus Mountains),^[3] Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Slovenia

Abruzzo Chamois on the Gran Sasso mountain

• R. r. carpatica (Carpathian chamois): Romania
• R. r. cartusiana (Chartreuse chamois): France
• R. r. rupicapra (Alpine chamois): Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Slovakia (Veľká Fatra, Slovak Paradise)
• R. r. asiatica (Anatolian chamois or Turkish chamois): Turkey
• R. r. caucasica (Caucasian chamois): Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian Federation
• R. r. ornata (also Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata) (Abruzzo chamois): Italy

Biology and behaviour

Rupicapra rupicapra tatrica in the Tatra Mountains

Chamois live at moderately high altitudes and are adapted to living in steep, rugged, rocky terrain. A fully grown chamois reaches a height of about 75 centimetres (30 in) and weighs about 50 kilograms (110 lb). Both males and females have short, straightish horns which are hooked backwards near the tip. In summer, the fur has a rich brown colour which turns to a light grey in winter. Distinct characteristics are a white face with pronounced black stripes below the eyes, a white rump and a black stripe along the back. Chamois can reach an age of 20 years.

Female chamois and their young live in herds; adult males tend to live solitarily for most of the year. During the rut (late November/early December in Europe, May in New Zealand), males engage in fierce battles for the attention of unmated females. An impregnated female undergoes a gestation period of 20 weeks, after which a single kid is born. The kid is fully grown by three years of age.

Distribution and habitat

Rupicapra rupicapra carpatica in the Retezat Mountains

New Zealand

Alpine chamois arrived in New Zealand in 1907 as a gift from the Austrian Emperor, Franz Joseph I. The first surviving releases were made in the Aoraki/Mount Cook region and these animals gradually spread over much of the South Island.^[4][5].

In New Zealand, hunting of chamois is unrestricted and even encouraged by the Department of Conservation to limit the animal's impact on New Zealand's native alpine flora.^[5][6]

New Zealand chamois tend to weigh about 20% less than European individuals of the same age, suggesting that food supplies may be limited.^[7]

Chamois on the Piz Beverin mountain, Switzerland

Hunting and wildlife management

As their meat is considered tasty, chamois are popular game animals. Chamois have two traits that are exploited by hunters. The first is that they are most active in the morning and evening when they feed. The second trait is that chamois tend to look for danger from below. This means that a hunter stalking chamois from above is less likely to be observed and more likely to be successful.^[8]

The tuft of hair from the back of the neck, the gamsbart (chamois "beard"), is traditionally worn as a decoration on hats throughout the alpine countries. Chamois leather is very smooth and absorbent and is favored in cleaning and polishing because it produces no streaking.

References

1. ^ Aulagnier, S., Giannatos, G. & Herrero, J. (2008). Rupicapra rupicapra. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 5 April 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern.
2. ^ Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora at EUR-Lex
3. ^ Current status of the Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) in Greece : Implications for conservation at Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences
4. ^ A Note on the Chamois in New Zealand at New Zealand Ecological Society
5. ^ ^{a b} Recreational hunting in Nelson/Marlborough - Chamois at the Department of Conservation
6. ^ Heritage Preservation (p. 40 and 45) at the Department of Conservation
7. ^ Chamois in New Zealand at NZ Hunting Info
8. ^ Chamois Hunting NZ 2005 - A Guide for the Fit young Novice at NZ Hunting Info

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chamois

• ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System) report for the species Chamois
• New Zealand Chamois and their distribution in New Zealand

v • d • e Extant Artiodactyla species Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Mammalia · Infraclass: Eutheria · Superorder: Laurasiatheria   Suborder Ruminantia Antilocapridae Antilocapra Pronghorn (A. americana) Giraffidae Okapia Okapi (O. johnstoni) Giraffa Giraffe (G. camelopardalis) Moschidae Moschus Himalayan Musk Deer (M. chrysogaster) · Siberian Musk Deer (M. moschiferus) · Dwarf Musk Deer (M. berezovskii) · Black Musk Deer (M. fuscus) Tragulidae Hyemoschus Water Chevrotain (H. aquaticus) Moschiola Indian Spotted Chevrotain (M. meminna) · M. kathygre Tragulus Java Mouse-deer (T. javanicus) · Lesser Mouse-deer (T. kanchil) · Greater Mouse-deer (T. napu) · Philippine Mouse-deer (T. nigricans) · Vietnam Mouse-deer (T. versicolor) · Williamson's Mouse-deer (T. williamsoni) Cervidae Large family listed below Bovidae Large family listed below   Family Cervidae Muntiacinae Muntiacus Indian Muntjac (M. muntjak) · Reeves's Muntjac (M. reevesi) · Hairy-fronted Muntjac (M. crinifrons) · Fea's Muntjac (M. feae) · Bornean Yellow Muntjac (M. atherodes) · Roosevelt's muntjac (M. rooseveltorum) · Gongshan muntjac (M. gongshanensis) · Giant Muntjac (M. vuquangensis) · Truong Son Muntjac (M. truongsonensis) · Leaf muntjac (M. putaoensis) Elaphodus Tufted deer (E. cephalophus) Cervinae Cervus Red Deer (C. elaphus) · Elk (C. canadensis) · Thorold's deer (C. albirostris) · Sika Deer (C. nippon) · Barasingha (C. duvaucelii) · Eld's Deer (C. eldii) · Sambar Deer (C. unicolor) · Rusa Deer (C. timorensis) · Philippine Sambar (C. mariannus) · Philippine Spotted Deer (C. alfredi) Axis Chital (A. axis) · Hog deer (A. porcinus) · Calamian Deer (A. calamianensis) · Bawean Deer (A. kuhlii) Elaphurus Père David's Deer (E. davidianus) Dama Fallow Deer (D. dama) · Persian fallow deer (D. mesopotamica) Hydropotinae Hydropotes Water deer (H. inermis) Capreolinae Odocoileus White-tailed deer (O. virginianus) · Mule deer (O. hemionus) Blastocerus Marsh Deer (B. dichotomus) Ozotoceros Pampas deer (O. bezoarticus) Mazama Red Brocket (M. americana) · Small Red Brocket (M. bororo) · Merida Brocket (M. bricenii) · Dwarf Brocket (M. chunyi) · Gray Brocket (M. gouazoubira) · Pygmy Brocket (M. nana) · Fair Brocket (M. ochroleuca) · Yucatan Brown Brocket (M. pandora) · Little Red Brocket (M. rufina) · Central American Red Brocket (M. temama) Pudu Northern Pudu (P. mephistophiles) · Pudú (P. pudu) Hippocamelus Taruca (H. antisensis) · South Andean Deer (H. bisulcus) Capreolus Roe Deer (C. capreolus) · Siberian Roe Deer (C. pygargus) Rangifer Reindeer (R. tarandus) Alces Moose (A. alces)   Family Bovidae Cephalophinae Cephalophus Abbott's Duiker (C. spadix) · Aders' Duiker (C. adersi) · Bay Duiker (C. dorsalis) · Black Duiker (C. niger) · Black-fronted Duiker (C. nigrifrons) · Blue Duiker (C. monticola) · Harvey's Duiker (C. harveyi) · Jentink's Duiker (C. jentinki) · Maxwell's Duiker (C. maxwellii) · Red Forest Duiker (C. natalensis) · Ogilby's Duiker (C. ogilbyi) · Peters's Duiker (C. callipygus) · Red-flanked Duiker (C. rufilatus) · Ruwenzori Duiker (C. rubidis) · Weyns's Duiker (C. weynsi) · White-bellied Duiker (C. leucogaster) · Yellow-backed Duiker (C. Sylvicultor) · Zebra Duiker (C. zebra) Sylvicapra Common Duiker (S. grimmia) Hippotraginae Hippotragus Roan Antelope (H. equinus) · Sable Antelope (H. niger) Oryx East African Oryx (O. beisa) · Scimitar Oryx (O. dammah) · Gemsbok (O. gazella) · Arabian Oryx (O. leucoryx) Addax Addax (A. nasomaculatus) Reduncinae Kobus Upemba Lechwe (K. anselli) · Waterbuck (K. ellipsiprymnus) · Kob (K. kob) · Lechwe (K. leche) · Nile Lechwe (K. megaceros) · Puku (K. vardonii) Redunca Southern Reedbuck (R. arundinum) · Mountain Reedbuck (R. fulvorufula) · Bohor Reedbuck (R. redunca) Aepycerotinae Aepyceros Impala (A. melampus) Peleinae Pelea Grey Rhebok (P. capreolus) Alcelaphinae Beatragus Hirola (B. hunteri) Damaliscus Korrigum (D. korrigum) · Common Tsessebe (D. lunatus) · Bontebok (D. pygargus) · Bangweulu Tsessebe (D. superstes) Alcelaphus Hartebeest (A. buselaphus) · Red Hartebeest (A. caama) · Lichtenstein's Hartebeest (A. lichtensteinii) Connochaetes Black Wildebeest (C. gnou) · Blue Wildebeest (C. taurinus) Pantholopinae Pantholops Tibetan antelope (P. hodgsonii) Caprinae Large subfamily listed below Bovinae Large subfamily listed below Antilopinae Large subfamily listed below   Family Bovidae (subfamily Caprinae) Ammotragus Barbary Sheep (A. lervia) Budorcas Takin (B. taxicolor) Capra Wild goat (C. aegagrus) · West Caucasian Tur (C. caucasia) · East Caucasian Tur (C. cylindricornis) · Markhor (C. falconeri) · Alpine Ibex (C. ibex) · Nubian Ibex (C. nubiana) · Spanish Ibex (C. pyrenaica) · Siberian Ibex (C. sibirica) · Walia Ibex (C. walie) Hemitragus Nilgiri Tahr (H. hylocrius) · Arabian Tahr (H. jayakari) · Himalayan Tahr (H. jemlahicus) Naemorhedus Red Goral (N. baileyi) · Japanese Serow (N. crispus) · Long-tailed Goral (N. caudatus) · Gray Goral (N. goral) · Mainland Serow (N. sumatraensis) · Taiwan Serow (N. swinhoei) Oreamnos Mountain goat (O. americanus) Ovibos Muskox (O. moschatus) Ovis Argali (O. ammon) · Domestic sheep (O. aries) · Bighorn Sheep (O. canadensis) · Dall Sheep (O. dalli) · Mouflon (O. musimon) · Snow sheep (O. nivicola) · Urial (O. orientalis) Pseudois Bharal (P. nayaur) · Dwarf Blue Sheep (P. schaeferi) Rupicapra Pyrenean Chamois (R. pyrenaica) · Chamois (R. rupicapra)   Family Bovidae (subfamily Bovinae) Boselaphini Tetracerus Four-horned Antelope (T. quadricornis) Boselaphus Nilgai (B. tragocamelus) Bovini Bubalus Water Buffalo (B. bubalus) · Lowland Anoa (B. depressicornis) · Mountain Anoa (B. quarlesi) · Tamaraw (B. mindorensis) Bos Banteng (B. javanicus) · Gaur (B. gaurus) · Yak (B. mutus) · Cattle (B. taurus) · Kouprey (B. sauveli) Pseudonovibos Kting Voar (P. spiralis) Pseudoryx Saola (P. nghetinhensis) Syncerus African Buffalo (S. caffer) Bison American Bison (B. bison) · Wisent (B. bonasus) Strepsicerotini Tragelaphus Sitatunga (T. spekeii) · Nyala (T. angasii) · Bushbuck (T. scriptus) · Mountain Nyala (T. buxtoni) · Lesser Kudu (T. imberbis) · Greater Kudu (T. strepsiceros) · Bongo (T. eurycerus) Taurotragus Common Eland (T. oryx) · Giant Eland (T. derbianus)   Family Bovidae (subfamily Antilopinae) Antilopini Ammodorcas Dibatag (A. clarkei) Antidorcas Springbok (A. marsupialis) Antilope Blackbuck (A. cervicapra) Gazella Mountain Gazelle (G. gazella) · Neumann's Gazelle (G. erlangeri) · Speke's Gazelle (G. spekei) · Dorcas Gazelle (G. dorcas) · Saudi Gazelle (G. saudiya) · Chinkara (G. bennettii) · Thomson's Gazelle (G. thomsonii) · Red-fronted Gazelle (G. rufifrons) · Dama Gazelle (G. dama) · Grant's Gazelle (G. granti) · Soemmerring's Gazelle (G. soemmerringii) · Cuvier's Gazelle (G. cuvieri) · Rhim Gazelle (G. leptoceros) · Goitered Gazelle (G. subgutturosa) Litocranius Gerenuk (L. walleri) Procapra Mongolian gazelle (P. gutturosa) · Goa (P. picticaudata) · Przewalski's Gazelle (P. przewalskii) Saigini Pantholops Tibetan antelope (P. hodgsonii) Saiga Saiga Antelope (S. tatarica) Neotragini Dorcatragus Beira (D. megalotis) Madoqua Günther's Dik-dik (M. guentheri) · Kirk's Dik-dik (M. kirkii) · Silver Dik-dik (M. piacentinii) · Salt's Dik-dik (M. saltiana) Neotragus Bates's Pygmy Antelope (N. batesi) · Suni (N. moschatus) · Royal Antelope (N. pygmaeus) Oreotragus Klipspringer (O. oreotragus) Ourebia Oribi (O. ourebi) Raphicerus Steenbok (R. campestris) · Cape Grysbok (R. melanotis) · Sharpe's Grysbok (R. sharpei)   Suborder Suina Suidae Babyrousa Buru Babirusa (B. babyrussa) · North Sulawesi Babirusa (B. celebensis) · Togian Babirusa (B. togeanensis) Hylochoerus Giant forest hog (H. meinertzhageni) Phacochoerus Desert Warthog (P. aethiopicus) · Warthog (P. africanus) Porcula Pygmy Hog (P. salvania) Potamochoerus Bushpig (P. larvatus) · Red River Hog (P. porcus) Sus Palawan Bearded Pig (S. ahoenobarbus) · Bearded Pig (S. barbatus) · Indo-chinese Warty Pig (S. bucculentus) · Visayan Warty Pig (S. cebifrons) · Celebes Warty Pig (S. celebensis) · Flores Warty Pig (S. heureni) · Oliver's Warty Pig (S. oliveri) · Philippine Warty Pig (S. philippensis) · Boar (S. scrofa) · Timor Warty Pig (S. timoriensis) · Javan Pig (S. verrucosus) Tayassuidae Tayassu White-lipped Peccary (T. pecari) Catagonus Chacoan Peccary (C. wagneri) Pecari Collared Peccary (P. tajacu) · Giant Peccary (P. maximus)   Suborder Tylopoda Camelidae Lama Llama (L. glama) · Guanaco (L. guanicoe) Vicugna Vicuña (V. vicugna) · Alpaca (V. pacos) Camelus Dromedary (C. dromedarius) · Bactrian Camel (C. bactrianus)   Cetartiodactyla (unranked clade, higher than Artiodactyla) Hippopotamidae Hippopotamus Hippopotamus (H. amphibius) Choeropsis Pygmy Hippopotamus (C. liberiensis)

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - vaskeskind, gemse

idioms:

• chamois leather    vaskeskind

Nederlands (Dutch)
gems, zeemleren, zeemlap

Français (French)
n. - (Zool) chamois, en peau de chamois
v. tr. - chamoiser

idioms:

• chamois leather    peau de chamois

Deutsch (German)
n. - Gemse, Sämischleder
v. - sämisch gerben, mit Sämischleder polieren

idioms:

• chamois leather    Sämischleder

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (ζωολ.) αίγαγρος, (δέρμα) σαμουά
v. - κατεργάζομαι (δέρμα αίγαγρου), τρίβω ή γυαλίζω με δέρμα σαμουά

idioms:

• chamois leather    (δέρμα) σαμουά

Italiano (Italian)
camoscio, pelle di camoscio, scamosciato

idioms:

• chamois leather    pelle di camoscio

Português (Portuguese)
n. - camurça (f), cabrito (m) montês (Zool.)

idioms:

• chamois leather    pele (f) de camurça

Русский (Russian)
серна, замша

idioms:

• chamois leather    замша

Español (Spanish)
n. - gamuza, cuero de gamuza, de gamuza
v. tr. - revestir con cuero de gamuza

idioms:

• chamois leather    cuero de gamuza

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - stenget, sämsksskinn
v. - klä med sämsksskinn, polera med sämsksskinn

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
岩羚羊, 麂皮, 羚羊皮

idioms:

• chamois leather    油鞣革, 羚羊革

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 岩羚羊, 麂皮, 羚羊皮

idioms:

• chamois leather    油鞣革, 羚羊革

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 샤무아, 새미 가죽

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - シャモア, セーム革

idioms:

• chamois leather    セーム革

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) نوع من الظبيان الجبليه, وعل, جلد الظبي (فعل) يلبس هذا الجلد, يلمع بواسطه الجلد‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮יעל, עור-יעל‬

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