| Nilgiri Tahr | |
|---|---|
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Caprinae |
| Genus: | Nilgiritragus Ropiquet & Hassanin, 2005 |
| Species: | N. hylocrius |
| Binomial name | |
| Nilgiritragus hylocrius (Ogilby, 1838) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Hemitragus hylocrius |
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The Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) is an ungulate that is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in southern India.It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.[2]
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Etymology
It is known locally as the Nilgiri Ibex or simply Ibex (leading to potential confusion with the "true" ibex). In the Tamil Language it is called warryato or "varaiaadu", the term being composed of two Tamil words, wurrai a precipice, and aadu, a goat. It was previously named Capra warryato by Gray.[3]
Its closest relatives are sheep (genus Ovis). Until 2005, it was placed with the Himalayan Tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus) and the Arabian Tahr (Arabitragus jayakari) in the genus Hemitragus. However, it has recently been transferred to a new genus Nilgiritragus because it is genetically more similar to members of the genus Ovis than to other tahrs.[4]
Description
The Nilgiri Tahrs are stocky goats with short, coarse fur and a bristly mane. Males are larger than the females, and have a darker color when mature. Both sexes have curved horns, which are larger in the males, reaching up to 40 cm for males and 30 cm for females. Adult males weigh 80–100 kg and stand about 100 cm tall at the shoulder. Adult males develop a light grey area or "saddle" on their backs and are hence called "saddlebacks".
Habitat
These tahrs inhabit the open montane grassland habitat of the South Western Ghats montane rain forests ecoregion. At elevations from 1200 to 2600 m (generally above 2000 m), the forests open into grasslands interspersed with pockets of stunted forests, known as sholas. These grassland habitats are surrounded by dense forests at the lower elevations. The Nilgiri Tahrs formerly ranged over these grasslands in large herds, but hunting and poaching in the nineteenth century reduced their population to as few as 100 animals by the early 20th century. Since that time their populations have increased somewhat, and presently number about 2000 individuals. Their range extends over 400 km from north to south, and Eravikulam National Park is home to the largest population. The other significant concentration is in the Nilgiri Hills, with smaller populations in the Anamalai Hills,Periyar National Park, Palni Hills and other pockets in the Western Ghats south of Eravikulam, almost to India's southern tip.
References
- ^ Alempath, M. & Rice, C. (2008). Nilgiritragus hylocrius. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2008. Retrieved on 5 April 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of endangered.
- ^ tnenvis.nic.in/PDF/biodiversity.pdf
- ^ Hamilton, General Douglas (1892). Hamilton, Edward. ed. Records of sport in southern India chiefly on the Annamullay, Nielgherry and Pulney mountains, also including notes on Singapore, Java and Labuan, from journals written between 1844 and 1870. London: R. H. Porter. pp. Illustrated, photo. Frontis of the author. Numerous illustrations, some full page. 284 pages. Quarto. (ref=page 113). OCLC 4008435. http://catalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&CMD=lccn%2220023293%22&v3=1&CNT=10.
- ^ Ropiquet, A. & Hassanin, A. 2005. Molecular evidence for the polyphyly of the genus Hemitragus (Mammalia, Bovidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 36(1):154-168
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Nilgiritragus hylocrius |
- ARKive - images and movies of the Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius)
- The Nilgiri Tahr Trust, Kerala, India
- Nilgiri Tahr Information Website
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