Let's Talk About Ibex Trivia Quiz

Answer: Goats

Ibex have been around for thousands of years at least, however, when bone remnants are found from that many years ago, it is impossible to distinguish ibex from goats due to their close relationship. Ibex are simply wild goats, but not actual goats themselves.

They are also distinct from the feral goats and the markhor, though also closely related. There is some evidence that suggests that ibex themselves were domesticated by some cultures thousands of years ago, used for food as well as medical purposes.

Answer: Diurnal

Ibex live in some challenging terrain. Their physiology is flexible and their feet are nimble. This is a defence mechanism which allows them to evade less sure-footed predators and escape to safety. However, this also means that they need to see the ground that they are travelling on in order to not lose their feet. Thus, ibex are diurnal, i.e. active during the day.

Answer: Territorial defence and mating selection

Both male and female ibex grow horns. The horns of the male ibex can be very large, especially compared to the body size. The male horns grow constantly throughout the lifetime of the ibex, and they can be seen as a sign of status in a herd. They curve backwards and they have ridges at intervals on them. The Bezoar ibex has the largest horn proportional to its body size, where the length of the horn can reach 1.4 meters (55").

The male ibex use their horns to protect their herds against territorial invaders. As well, during mating season, the males will lock horns to gain status to have the advantage when picking a mate.

Answer: Habitat loss

Despite the fact that ibex live in rugged and undesirable terrain, habitat loss is the number one threat to ibex populations worldwide. Development of mountainous regions can be particularly devastating for ibex populations as they have no alternative habitats to move to. Poaching and hunting are also factors in the declining numbers of the ibex populations. Though some species of ibex are listed as being of least concern, there were some points in history where even those strong populations went through difficult times.

For example: the Alpine ibex is now listed as 'least concern', however, there was a period where the population was down to only 100 individuals.

Answer: Ethiopian ibex

The Ethiopian ibex is also known as the Walia ibex and was the symbol of the Aksumite Empire of the Horn of Africa. This empire consisted of parts of what is present-day Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, and Djibouti and, at the height of its influence, also parts of the southern Middle East.

The Walia ibex is on the endangered species list, classified as 'vulnerable' with a population of about 500 individuals in the first quarter of the twenty-first century.

Answer: Siberian ibex

Despite its name, the Siberian ibex has barely a presence in Siberia, and that is only because of the vastness of that region. The Siberian ibex is located in the mountainous regions of central Asia, its habitat stretching from southern Russia to northern India and all of the mountains in between.

It typically can be found at an altitude of 3-5.3 km above sea level and has a strong presence in the Himalayas, Hindu-Kush, Sayan, Pamir, and Alay mountains, amongst others. Of the true ibex, this species is the largest and longest.

Answer: Nubian ibex

The story of Jael (or Yael) and how she delivered the Children of Israel from the forces of the Canaanite King Jabin led by General Sisera can be found in the Book of Judges, chapters 4-5. Her name means "ibex", which also means 'one who will go up'. This could either be in reference to the fact that Jael listened to God and participated in the plan that was laid out for her, or for the fact that ibex are sure-footed animals that climb very easily.

The Nubian ibex is found all over the Middle East. In the early 20th century there were large herds of them, however, they were hunted to near-extinction levels around the years of WWI because of the import of rifles, primarily by the Bedouin.

Answer: It was cloned in a laboratory

The Portuguese ibex went extinct in the late 19th century due to illegal hunting, predation, and an unusual number of males. It was extensively documented before that, however, and the horns on this ibex were shorter than any other species, but also much thicker.

The Pyrenean ibex, locally known as the bucardo, went extinct in 2000. However, attempts to clone it using preserved DNA were finally successful in 2003 when a live female Pyrenean ibex was born, making it the very first taxon revived from the seemingly terminal 'extinct' category.

However, the clone had lung problems and died shortly after birth, restoring the 'extinct' label to the subspecies.

Answer: Alpine ibex

The Alpine ibex used to roam over large parts of central Europe, especially in the Alps. It was often found at elevations between 1.8 km to 3.3 km on the sides of mountains though avoidant of the forests. In the late 19th century, the Alpine ibex was hunted nearly to extinction, with several areas becoming extirpated of these animals.

However, the Duke of Savoy, Charles Felix, and his successor, Victor Emmanuel II, protected their populations of ibex in the Gran Paradiso National Park, declaring it a protected hunting estate and specifically banning the hunting of the ibex.

In the early 20th century, ibex were gradually reintroduced to areas of the Alps where populations took hold.

Answer: Horns

The bezoar ibex is the direct ancestor of the domesticated goat. It comes from the ranges of the Caucasus Mountains and the Zagros Mountains, but has been introduced in many places. In fact, in the 1970s, some bezoar ibex were released in the wild in New Mexico with some success.

The bezoar ibex also possesses the animal kingdom's largest horns, proportional to its body size. The ibex weighs 60 kg. on average (140 lbs) and its horns can grow to 1.4 m. (55"). Now that's a horny animal!