Walia Ibex Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a Walia ibex?
The Walia ibex is an ibex or a wild mountain goat.
What class of animal does a Walia ibex belong to?
The Walia ibex is from the class of mammals.
How many Walia ibexes are there in the world?
There has been no specific count or number of the global population of the Walia ibex has been estimated or recorded.
Where does a Walia ibex live?
Walia ibex is exclusive to the northern Ethiopian mountains. Some part of the population is known to inhabit Simien Mountains National Park.
What is a Walia ibex's habitat?
Walia ibex species inhabit cliffs that are high, rocky, and steep and are above the plateau types of habitat. Various types of habitats include scrub, subalpine grasslands, and mountain forests.
Who do Walia ibexes live with?
Males and females live in groups or herds that range from 5-20 animals.
How long does a Walia ibex live?
The Walia ibex lifespan is around 11-15 years. Ibexes, in general, live up to 20 years in the wild.
How do they reproduce?
The reproduction or mating system of the wild Walia ibex is polygynous, that is, males mate with more than one female. The breeding season of the Walia ibex takes place from March to May and during this season, males engage in fights with each other by using their horns with force for females. After mating, the male tends to leave. The period of gestation takes place for about 150-165 days and females give birth to a single young one and rarely birth is given to twins. These animals reach sexual maturity at the age of one year.
What is their conservation status?
The Walia ibex species fall under the Vulnerable category.
Walia Ibex Fun Facts
What do Walia ibexes look like?
The color of these ibexes ranges from chestnut brown to chocolate brown. They have a grayish-brown muzzle and lighter grey eyes in the legs and eyes. The belly and inside of the legs tend to be whitish and there is a black and white pattern that stretches towards the legs of these ibexes. These species have very big horns. The horns are curved backward. The horns are rigid. Females also have horns, but it has been observed that they are comparatively thinner and shorter than males. Males of this species have different black beards and the older males tend to have thicker and longer beards as compared to the young ones. The coloration of females is paler and females tend to be shorter too.
How cute are they?
The Ethiopian Walia ibex is not considered cute.
How do they communicate?
Not enough is known about the communication of the Walia ibex but like other mammals, these species make use of cues like chemical or tactile ones to communicate with others.
How big is a Walia ibex?
The Walia ibex length ranges from 55-67 in (140-170 cm) and the Walia ibex height ranges from 35-43 in (90-110 cm). It is larger than a blackbuck.
How fast can a Walia ibex run?
The speed of the movement of this species of ibex is not known.
How much does a Walia ibex weigh?
The weight of the Walia ibex species is around 220 lb (100 kg).
What are the male and female names of the species?
The female of this species is called doe or nanny and males are known as billy or buck.
What would you call a baby Walia ibex?
The baby of this species is referred to as billy.
What do they eat?
Walia ibex is a browser and grazer of vegetation and its diet consists of different types of vegetation like grasses, herbs, lichens, leaves, creepers, and shrubs. One of the known wild predators of this Abyssinian ibex is the hyena.
Are they dangerous?
Not enough is known about this species of ibex being dangerous or not.
Would they make a good pet?
Not much is known about this species kept as a pet.
Kidadl Advisory: All pets should only be bought from a reputable source. It is recommended that as a potential pet owner you carry out your own research prior to deciding on your pet of choice. Being a pet owner is very rewarding but it also involves commitment, time and money. Ensure that your pet choice complies with the legislation in your state and/or country. You must never take animals from the wild or disturb their habitat. Please check that the pet you are considering buying is not an endangered species, or listed on the CITES list, and has not been taken from the wild for the pet trade.
Did you know...
The Walia ibex is also referred to as the Abyssinian ibex.
The Walia ibex is often considered to be a subspecies of the Alpine ibex.
The only wild predator of the adult ibex is the hyena and the young ones are preyed upon by wild cat and fox species.
The older or the more mature males are solitary and live within a short distance from the herds and join the herds again during or around the breeding season for breeding purposes.
It has been observed that these ibexes travel around 0.9-1.2 mi (1.5-2 km) every day.
Walia ibex or Capra walie, is crepuscular, that is, being active during early mornings and late evenings. These ibexes get lethargic during the day and seek shade under dense bushes.
Are Walia ibexes Endangered?
Yes, this is a Vulnerable species and various community scouts are being hired to protect this species from going Extinct. While the exact reasons for these animals being Endangered are unknown, it is believed that human encroachment and habitat loss are some factors or reasons.
How did the Walia ibex get their name?
There is not much information available about how this species gets its name.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these argali facts and scimitar oryx facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable walia ibex coloring pages.
