Alpine Fauna

Between the upper reaches of the tree line and the lower level of summer snow, 3 species of alpine mammals can often be seen by keen-eyed observers who know where to look:

Chamois can be seen throughout the Alps. They favour rocky areas & alpine pastures and belong to the antelope family. Females and young males live in herds of up to 15 whilst the adult males lead a solitary existence only coming together to engage in combat with other males during the mating season in Nov-Dec. Both sexes have horns and their hooves have developed an elastic base and thin edge to aid their movement over rough rocky ground.

Marmots are in fact members of the squirrel family and are found in upland pastures all over the world. They are short, squat animals with a big head and large bushy tail. They are vegetarians and live in large colonies in underground burrows. Whilst feeding above ground, these groups are protected by ‘sentries’ within their number who keep watch for predators and emit a shrill whistle to warn of danger. This danger is most likely to come from birds of prey, such as the Golden Eagle. Marmots hibernate during the winter months when they can lose up to a third of their body weight.

The Ibex is a mountain goat generally seen well above the tree line. They are extremely agile on steep rocky ground and can be seen up to 3500 metres above sea level. Both sexes have distinctive curved knotty horns that grow to almost a meter long on the males and about half of that length on the smaller females. Like the Chamois, the males and females live in separate groups with the males fighting for supremacy of their group during their mating season in Dec/Jan. Ibex horns were once thought to have aphrodisiac properties and the European species was almost hunted to extinction. Thankfully, numbers have recovered markedly since protection measures were introduced in the early 20th Century.