Chinese goral
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| Chinese Goral[1] | |
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| Chinese goral with kid | |
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| Species: | N. griseus
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| Binomial name | |
| Naemorhedus griseus Milne-Edwards, 1871
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The Chinese goral is one of the 4 species of goral of the genus Naemorhedus. These 4 species include the Himalayan Goral, the Long Tailed Goral, the Red Goral and the Chinese Goral. Their Latin name Naemorhedus Griseus means little grizzled grove goat .Gorals may have evolved from the serow or both could share a common ancestor. Gorals or closely related genera appeared in the Pliocene around 7 to 2 million years ago, earlier than other Caprinae, during the following Pleistocene goat antelopes migrated from central Asia and evolved into their present forms. Studies indicate gorals appeared after the islands of Taiwan and Japan separated from the Asian continent so as a result serows but not gorals are present today in Japan and Taiwan. Gorals are halfway between pure antelope and halfway between pure goat and sheep. They have a stockier build and larger broader hooves compared to those of antelope. Female gorals have 4 teats while sheep and goat only have 2 that are functional. Their horns are short, sharp and pointing backward with small irregular ridges. Gorals have short wooly undercoats and long coarse erect guard hairs. Coloration varies by their range from light gray to dark brown or foxy red with a white throat, a black stripe on the foreleg and a dark stripe along the middle of the back. Their long stocky legs are well adapted to their cliff home as they are quite adept at climbing and jumping. Preorbital glands are missing which further distingushes them from sheep and goat as sheep and goat species carry preorbital glands, to compensate for this, gorals do have suborbital glands which the position is marked by an almost completly naked patch of skin. All Caprinae are threanted by overhunting for sport and meat, the most common hunting method is using hunting dogs which further excite the goral and the overexcitment can cause damage to the heart and lungs. Also the mountain enviorment in which is very fragile and has become fragmented.
References
- ^ Grubb, P. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-8221-4. OCLC 62265494.
- ^ Template:IUCN2008
- Chinese Goral on Mammal Species of the World
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