# Ibex (*Capra ibex*)

> An ibex is a wild mountain goat with long, backward-curving ridged horns, built for life on steep cliffs. The Alpine ibex of Europe can climb near-vertical rock faces and dam walls. Males carry the largest horns, and ibex typically live 14 to 16 years in the wild.

- **Category:** Mammal
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Least Concern
- **Range:** Steep, rocky mountain slopes of the European Alps, with related ibex species across Asia and North Africa.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/ibex/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Artiodactyla
- **Family:** Bovidae
- **Genus:** Capra

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Capra ibex |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Habitat | Steep rocky mountain slopes |
| Lifespan | 14–16 years in the wild |
| Weight | 35–100 kg (77–220 lb) |
| Top speed | Around 50 km/h (31 mph) |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |

## Master of steep terrain

Ibex are extraordinary climbers, using split, rubbery-edged hooves to grip tiny ledges on near-vertical rock. They are famous for scaling steep dam walls in the Alps to lick mineral salts from the stone, balancing in places few other large animals could reach.

## Horns and contests

Both sexes have horns, but males grow huge, knobbly, backward-sweeping ones that can exceed a meter in length. During the rut, males rear up and clash horns in dramatic head-to-head fights to win mates, and the rings on their horns can be used to estimate age.

## Diet and daily life

Ibex are grazers and browsers that feed on grasses, herbs, and shrubs, moving to lower slopes in winter and high meadows in summer. They are most active in the cool of morning and evening, resting on cliffs during the heat of the day.

## Comeback story

The Alpine ibex was hunted almost to extinction in the 1800s, surviving in a single protected population in Italy. Careful reintroduction across the Alps has since restored tens of thousands, making it one of conservation's notable recoveries.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is an ibex?

An ibex is a species of wild mountain goat with long, ridged, curving horns, adapted to live on steep rocky slopes in mountain ranges such as the Alps.

### How do ibex climb so well?

Ibex have cloven hooves with hard outer edges and soft, grippy pads that let them balance on tiny ledges and scale almost vertical rock and dam walls.

### How big are ibex horns?

Male ibex grow large, knobbly horns that can be over 1 m (3 ft) long, while females have shorter, slimmer horns.

### Are ibex endangered?

The Alpine ibex is now Least Concern after a major recovery from near-extinction, though some other ibex species remain more threatened.

### What do ibex eat?

Ibex are herbivores that feed on grasses, alpine herbs, and shrubs, moving up and down the mountains with the seasons.

## Sources

- [IUCN Red List — Capra ibex.](https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Capra%20ibex&searchType=species)
- [Animal Diversity Web — Capra ibex. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Capra_ibex/)
- [Wikipedia — Ibex.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_ibex)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/ibex/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.