the withers-height of the chamois amounts approximately 75 cm, its weight 50-60 kg. Chamois are something built over behind. The torso appears powerfully through it. On the forehead, both sexes carry steeply emergent at the top back-turned horns, the so-called "Krickeln" or "crutches." The summer-fur is smooth and short. It has a sallow-brown color. An eel-line of the neck up to the tail and the legs are black. A dark strip of the ear adorns the light face through the eye as far as to the mouth-corner. In the long, dense winter-fur, chamois appear black until on the white stomach and the light face. The back-hair is extended to a comb. These hair is jewelry and trophy as "Gamsbart" at some hunter-hat.
The claw-soles of the chamois are soft and adaptable while the prominent Tragrand forms an especially hard edge. The ankles and the anus-claws are movable so that the chamois can look in many different ways for hold for herself with the mountaineering on the underground.
The edge-teeth are rather thick. Only with 4 years, the chamois exchanged all milk-edge-teeth. The denture therefore is well-suited for the old-age-regulation.
Bezoare more frequently are found in the Labmagen of the chamois that that is solid balls out of resin, hair and wood-chips.
Behind the ears, chamois have one pair scent-glands, the "Brunftfeigen", that swells with the buck in the combination-time.
Spread Chamois live in Europe's high mountain regions with exception of the north as well as in Asia's southwest, but also in European low mountain regions, they were naturalized successfully, so in the Black forest, on the Swabian Alb, in the Elbsandsteingebirge and in the Vogesen. Also in New Zealand, they were introduced.
Habitat Chamois live in high mountain regions above the timberline between the knee-wood-region and the snowfields in the summer. In the winter, they retreat into the deeper situations of the needle-forest-belt. After its stay, one distinguishes between "ridge-chamois" and "forest-chamois." Originally, chamois were forest-inhabitants to much stronger extent as in the present.
Way of life Chamois live in herds from goats and young. Leader is an adult female. The bucks form own herds outside the Brunftzeit or are loners. Chamois are active during the day and remain within wide borders in a precinct. According to wind and snow-circumstances, they visit different hillsides. So they are to be either found in the forest or at sunny hillsides in deep snow where open places make the Äsung accessible. In summery heat, chamois rest on snowfields in order to chill themselves and, to escape about tiresome insects.
The Gams drives all kinds of games. The "chamois-dance", that individual animals execute with circles and vaultings, belongs to it. Another is the "toboggan": A chamois settles on that occasion on its rear-clubs and slides such a snow-hillside down.
Individual animals visit overlooks and warn when drawing near of a danger of stamping with the front-legs and a loud whistle.
The good Klettervermögen of the chamois becomes especially clear at the escape hillside-upward. Over glacier-surfaces, they move with big caution and avoid the dangerous columns. With avalanche-danger, they avoid into the forests.
Enemies Big carnivores like bear, lynx and wolf as well as gripping-birds like the stone-eagle were earlier dangerous the chamois. Since these were wiped out largely, the natural enemies of the chamois are missing. The continuances become more susceptible to illnesses through it, and epidemic-like occurring parasite-attack, like Gamsräude and lung-worm-epidemic, sometimes occurs.
Food Chamois äsen young-instincts of needle-groves, foliage and buds. Furthermore, they feed grass and herbs.
Reproduction The Brunft of the Gams lasts from October to December. The bucks then join the herds, form a harem and defend it against rivals. With the secretion of the Brunftfeigen, they mark the territory occupied by them at branches and stalks. If bucks follow a female, they, d, "Bl-vein." h., they let a grunt-tone heard. Two rivals impress threatening by showing each other the broadside, the back high-curves, and the comb raises. If Gemsböcke fight together, the thoughtlessly started Krickel, with which they tear deep wounds for itself, causes injuries easily. Chases occur during a duel until the fight breaks out again.
The Tragzeit lasts 160-190 days. Usually the Gams places 1 young, it more rarely is 2. The kids often were born in the flip-flop-undergrowth. The mother expels its last year's kid if it comes shortly before tossing. The boys are successors. If it are some weeks old, the dam with the kid joins the herd again. In the 3. or 4. Chamois become year of life sexually mature, as an exception also already one year earlier.
Scientific name: