Pseudois nayaur (Hodgson, 1833)

Common Name and Taxonomy

Pseudois nayaur, also known as bharal, are medium-sized caprids.

Body Length and Tail Length

Their head-and-body length ranges from 115 to 165 cm (45 to 65 in), with a tail length of 10 to 20 cm (3.9 to 7.9 in).

Shoulder Height and Body Mass

They measure 69 to 91 cm (27 to 36 in) tall at the shoulder, and their body mass ranges from 35 to 75 kg (77 to 165 lb).

Sexual Size Dimorphism

Males are slightly larger than females.

Coat Color and Sheen

They have a dense coat that is slate grey, sometimes with a bluish sheen.

Limb and Torso Markings

Their underparts and the backs of their legs are white, while their chest and the fronts of their legs are black.

Dorsoventral Stripe

A charcoal-colored stripe separates the grey back from the white belly.

Facial and Ear Features

Their ears are small, and the bridge of the nose is dark.

Horn Surface Characteristics

Both sexes grow horns, which have ridged upper surfaces.

Male Horn Morphology

In males, horns first grow upward, then turn sideways and curve backward, giving them an appearance somewhat like an upside-down mustache; they can reach a length of 80 cm (31 in).

Female Horn Morphology

In females, horns are much shorter and straighter, growing up to 20 cm (7.9 in) long.

Daily Activity Pattern

Bharal are active throughout the day, alternating between feeding and resting on grassy mountain slopes.

Anti-predator Camouflage Behavior

Because they have excellent camouflage and their environment has no protective cover, bharal stay completely motionless when approached.

Escape Behavior

If they are noticed, they quickly run up steep precipitous cliffs and freeze there again, using their camouflage to blend into the rock face.

Nepal Population Density

Population densities recorded in Nepal are 0.9 to 2.7 individuals per square kilometer.

Winter Population Density

Densities reach a maximum of 10 animals per square kilometer in winter, when herds gather together in valleys.

Feeding Habits

Bharal are mainly grazers, but when grass is scarce, they switch to browsing and eat forbs and shrubs.

Livestock Diet Overlap

There is a high degree of diet overlap between bharal and livestock, especially donkeys.

Resource Competition Impact

Combined with density-dependent forage limitation, this overlap causes resource competition and a resulting decline in bharal population density.

Primary Predators

Where their ranges overlap, bharal are the preferred prey of snow leopards, Himalayan wolves, and leopards.

Lamb Predators

A small number of bharal lambs are preyed on by foxes or eagles.