What the sources say
Alpine ChamoisRupicapra rupicapra
Every figure, record and mechanism on the Alpine Chamois profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 30 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.
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Source
01
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan
Rupicapra rupicapra (chamois). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.
- The page saysbelongs to the same family as goats, sheep, cattle and antelopes
- The source says
Family Bovidae antelopes, cattle, gazelles, goats, sheep, and relatives
Note: ADW's classification block; family Bovidae - The page saysA chamois stands 70 to 80 cm at the shoulder, weigh 25 to 50 kg, and measure 110 to 135 cm long
- The source says
Weight: 25 to 50 kg; Shoulder Height: 70 to 80 cm; Length 110 to135 cm.
Note: ADW's Range mass field gives 30 to 50 kg; the physical description's wider 25 to 50 kg is used - The page saysIt lives in the mountains of south and central Europe, Turkey and the Caucasus, in alpine and subalpine meadows above the treeline. It spends winter in forests and on steep slopes where snow does not pile up
- The source says
The range of Rupricapra rupicapra , or chamois, includes the Pyrenees, the mountains of south and central Europe, Turkey, and the Caucasus in Asia. ... R. rupricapra lives in alpine and sub alpine meadows above the timberline. It winters in forested areas and steep slopes where snow does not accumulate.
Note: Pyrenees left out: Commons and the image 1 caption file the Pyrenean animal as Rupicapra pyrenaica - The page saysPeople also introduced it to New Zealand's South Island
- The source says
It has been introduced on the South Island of New Zealand.
- The page saysIts hooves are excellent for gripping slippery rock. When alarmed, a chamois flees to the hardest places to reach, often making huge leaps
- The source says
The hooves of the chamois are excellent for gripping slippery rock. ... When alarmed, these animals flee to the most innaccessible places, often making prodigous leaps.
Note: source spells 'innaccessible'/'prodigous'; 'the hardest places to reach' paraphrases 'the most innaccessible places' - The page saysFemales and young males are gregarious, meaning they live in groups
- The source says
Females and young males are gregarious
Note: definition of gregarious added - The page saysAdult males are mostly solitary except in the breeding season, and they join the herds in late summer
- The source says
Males are generally solitary except during the breeding season. They join herds during the late summer.
- The page saysIn its native mountains, the rut, or mating season, runs from October through December, and a single kid is usually born the next May or June
- The source says
There is usually only one kid born to a female ... Breeding occurs from October through December, with young born in May and June.
Note: 'native mountains' scopes ADW's months, which the New Zealand page shows do not hold there; 'a single kid' paraphrases 'only one kid' - The page saysBreeding males turn aggressive, driving younger males away from the herds of mothers and young and sometimes killing them
- The source says
adult males are solitary and aggressive in the rutting season. These breeding males drive younger males away from the maternal herds, occasionally killing them.
Note: 'maternal herds' paraphrased as herds of mothers and young - The page saysA newborn kid can follow its mother almost straight after birth, and within its first few days it is rapidly getting better at leaping
- The source says
The precocial kids are able to follow their mother almost immediately after they are born and they rapidly improve their leaping ability within the first few days of life.
- The page saysIts known predators include Eurasian lynx, gray wolves and humans
- The source says
Known Predators Eurasian lynx ( Lynx lynx ) gray wolves ( Canis lupus ) humans ( Homo sapiens )
Note: ADW's Known Predators list - The page saysA chamois signals danger with a whistle and by stamping its feet
- The source says
Chamois announce danger with a whistling sound and foot stamping.
- The page saysIn summer it eats mostly herbs and flowers, and in winter it eats lichens, mosses and young pine shoots
- The source says
During the summer months the diet consists chiefly of herbs and flowers, but in winter the chamois eats lichens, mosses, and young pine shoots.
- The page saysIts chestnut coat is lighter in spring and summer. In winter it grows long guard hairs, the outer layer of a coat, over dark brown underfur
- The source says
Chamois are a chestnut color but are lighter in the spring and summer. In the winter these animals grow long guard hairs over their dark brown under fur.
Note: definition of guard hairs added - The page saysIt signals danger with a whistle and by stamping its feet, then flees to the hardest places to reach, often making huge leaps. Its hooves are excellent for gripping slippery rock
- The source says
The hooves of the chamois are excellent for gripping slippery rock. ... Chamois announce danger with a whistling sound and foot stamping. When alarmed, these animals flee to the most innaccessible places, often making prodigous leaps.
Note: faq 1; 'the hardest places to reach' paraphrases 'the most innaccessible places' - The page saysMountain relative of goats and antelopes, with hooves that grip slippery rock
- The source says
Family Bovidae antelopes, cattle, gazelles, goats, sheep, and relatives ... The hooves of the chamois are excellent for gripping slippery rock.
Note: tagline - The page saysMostly herbs and flowers in summer; lichens, mosses and young pine shoots in winter
- The source says
During the summer months the diet consists chiefly of herbs and flowers, but in winter the chamois eats lichens, mosses, and young pine shoots.
Note: stats.diet - The page saysHooves that are excellent for gripping slippery rock, and a habit of fleeing to the hardest places to reach, often with huge leaps.
- The source says
The hooves of the chamois are excellent for gripping slippery rock. ... flee to the most innaccessible places, often making prodigous leaps.
Note: stats.superpower; 'the hardest places to reach' paraphrases 'the most innaccessible places' - The page saysAlpine and subalpine meadows above the treeline in the mountains of south and central Europe, Turkey and the Caucasus, wintering in forests and on steep slopes where snow does not pile up; introduced to New Zealand's South Island
- The source says
The range of Rupricapra rupicapra , or chamois, includes the Pyrenees, the mountains of south and central Europe, Turkey, and the Caucasus in Asia. It has been introduced on the South Island of New Zealand. ... R. rupricapra lives in alpine and sub alpine meadows above the timberline. It winters in forested areas and steep slopes where snow does not accumulate.
Note: stats.habitat
Source
02
AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15 2023
AnAge entry for Rupicapra rupicapra. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15, 2023.
- The page saysIts potential lifespan has been estimated at 22 years, but the oldest chamois on record in captivity lived 17.6 years
- The source says
Potential longevity has been estimated at 22 years [ 0434 ], which is possible. Record longevity in captivity, however, is 17.6 years [ 0671 ].
- The page saysIts potential lifespan has been estimated at 22 years, but the oldest chamois on record in captivity lived 17.6 years
- The source says
Potential longevity has been estimated at 22 years [ 0434 ], which is possible. Record longevity in captivity, however, is 17.6 years [ 0671 ].
Note: faq 3 restates the body's lifespan claim
Source
03
New Zealand Department of Conservation
Chamois. New Zealand Department of Conservation.
- The page saysMales there stand 65 to 90 cm at the shoulder and weigh 25 to 45 kg, while females stand 60 to 80 cm and weigh 19 to 35 kg
- The source says
Males are 650-900 mm (shoulder height) and weigh 25-45 kg. Females are smaller at 600-800 mm shoulder height and weighing 19-35 kg.
Note: mm converted to cm; the page describes New Zealand's chamois - The page saysBoth males and females grow slender black horns that rise straight up, then curve backward into sharp hooks at the tips. A male's horns are usually stouter, with more strongly developed hooks
- The source says
Both male and females have horns which are black and slender. They arise straight up before curving backwards to form sharp hooks at the ends. Male horns are usually stouter and their hooks more strongly developed than females.
- The page saysIn New Zealand the rut comes in May and June
- The source says
The rut (May-June)
- The page saysBoth sexes grow slender black horns that rise straight up, then curve backward into sharp hooks at the tips. A male's horns are usually stouter, with more strongly developed hooks than a female's
- The source says
Both male and females have horns which are black and slender. They arise straight up before curving backwards to form sharp hooks at the ends. Male horns are usually stouter and their hooks more strongly developed than females.
Note: faq 2 - The page sayshook-tipped horns on females as well as males
- The source says
Both male and females have horns which are black and slender. They arise straight up before curving backwards to form sharp hooks at the ends.
Note: tagline
Source
04
Mason et al. 2014
Mason et al. (2014). Predicting potential responses to future climate in an alpine ungulate: interspecific interactions exceed climate effects. Global Change Biology.
- The page saysA 2014 study compared two things that move chamois uphill: hot weather and domestic sheep. Chamois did climb higher when it was hotter, but only a little compared with their response to sheep
- The source says
we investigate the relative influences of ambient temperature and an interaction with domestic sheep (Ovis aries) on the altitude use and activity budgets of a mountain ungulate, the Alpine chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra). Chamois moved upslope when it was hotter but this effect was modest compared to that of the presence of sheep
Note: 2014 is the paper's publication year (Global Change Biology); 'only a little compared with' paraphrases 'modest compared to' - The page saysWith sheep around, they moved 89 to 103 meters upslope, into a band of altitude they did not otherwise use
- The source says
to which they reacted by moving 89-103 m upslope, into an entirely novel altitudinal range.
- The page saysAcross the European Alps, a shift that size would mean 46% less suitable feeding ground
- The source says
Across the European Alps, a range-shift of this magnitude corresponds to a 46% decrease in the availability of suitable foraging habitat.
Source
05
Anderwald et al. 2025
Anderwald et al. (2025). Rupicapra rupicapra. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T39255A215860127.
- The page saysLeast Concern
- The source says
IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).
Note: GBIF's copy of the Red List category for the assessment DOI (assessed 2023, published 2025); covers stats.conservationStatus
How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.