Southeastern Spanish ibex

The southeastern Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica hispanica), or the Spanish ibex, is an ibex that is endemic to Spain and is the only wild caprine native to Spain.^[1] It is a subspecies of the Iberian ibex.

Southeastern Iberian ibex
Southeastern Iberian ibex from Sierra Nevada
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Subfamily:	Caprinae
Tribe:	Caprini
Genus:	Capra
Species:	C. pyrenaica
Subspecies:	C. p. hispanica
Trinomial name
Capra pyrenaica hispanica Schimper, 1848

The Spanish ibex inhabits the Sierra Nevada, Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park, Sierra de Cazorla, Sierra de Grazalema, Montes de Málaga, in Andalucia.^[2] It also occurs in the Sierra Morena. Outside Andalucia, it can be found in the Montes de Toledo and in the mountains all along the Spanish Mediterranean, with populations as far north as southern Catalonia.

This ibex has been observed to consume two native species of columbine, Aquilegia paui and Aquilegia vulgaris, despite the toxicity of members of the genus to some mammals. The efforts to conserve the Spanish ibex were evaluated as possibly endangering the conservation of A. paui, a narrow endemic.^[3][4][5]

Gallery

Southeastern Spanish ibex from Mont Caro (Tortosa)