The Chinese goral (''Naemorhedus griseus''), also known as the grey long-tailed goral or central Chinese goral, is a species of

goral The gorals are four species in the genus ''Naemorhedus''. They are small ungulates with a goat-like or antelope-like appearance. Until recently, this genus also contained the serow species (now in genus '' Capricornis''). Etymology The original ...

, a small goat-like

ungulate Ungulates ( ) are members of the diverse clade Ungulata which primarily consists of large mammals with hooves. These include odd-toed ungulates such as horses, rhinoceroses, and tapirs; and even-toed ungulates such as cattle, pigs, giraffes, ...

, native to mountainous regions of

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

, China,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

, and possibly Laos. In some parts of its range, it is overhunted. The

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of nat ...

has listed it as a "

vulnerable species A vulnerable species is a species which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being threatened with extinction unless the circumstances that are threatening its survival and reproduction improve. Vulnera ...

Description

The Chinese goral is intermediate between an antelope and a

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...

and grows to a shoulder height of and length of . It is stockily built with long, stout limbs and broad hooves. The horns are short and conical and the ears fairly long and pointed. The four teats are in contrast to sheep and goats which normally have two. The coat consists of a short, dense under layer and an upper layer of longer, semierect, coarse guard hairs. The colour is somewhat variable, ranging from pale grey to dark brown or reddish brown. A dark stripe runs along the back and the throat and underparts are pale.

Distribution and habitat

The Chinese goral is native to parts of southeastern Asia. Its range extends from northeastern India, Myanmar and northwestern Thailand, through northern Vietnam and possibly northern Laos, to most of China apart from the extreme north and west. It is a mountain species and is found in rugged, inaccessible areas, on steep slopes and plateaus, normally staying in rocky areas, but sometimes venturing into nearby evergreen-deciduous forest and mixed woodland.

Behaviour

Chinese gorals live in small groups of up to 12 individuals, though older males are usually solitary. They are wary and retiring, spending their time on high rocky slopes where they can evade such predators as the

wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...

and leopard. They move to lower ground in winter. They

browse Browsing is a kind of orienting strategy. It is supposed to identify something of relevance for the browsing organism. When used about human beings it is a metaphor taken from the animal kingdom. It is used, for example, about people browsing o ...

predominantly on twigs and leaves of bushes, but also consume grass, nuts, and acorns. Breeding takes place in late spring when one or two kids are born after a gestation period of about 215 days. The young can walk soon after birth and are weaned in the autumn, remaining with the mother throughout the winter.

Status

The chief threat faced by the Chinese goral is hunting. Animals are killed for their meat and fur and also for medicine. Part of their range is in protected areas where they should be safe, but elsewhere populations are declining. This is thought to be due to overhunting, and the

has assessed the Chinese goral as being a "

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1074195 Mammals of Myanmar Mammals of China Mammals of India Mammals of Thailand Mammals of Vietnam Caprids Mammals described in 1874 Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN