Naemorhedus griseus

Chinese Goral, also known as Chinese Goral in English, has two subspecies and is a typical forest-dwelling mammal.

From the name, the Chinese goral seems to be an animal unique to my country, but in fact they are not only distributed in my country, but also in India, Thailand, Myanmar and other countries. They are mainly distributed in Northeast China, North China, Northwest China, South China, Southwest China and other places in my country. Steep cliffs in dense forests and bare rocky areas in the mountains are where Chinese gorals often appear. They have strong mobility and can walk on cliffs as if they were on flat ground. Studies have found that their hooves are wrapped with strong ligaments and soft pads, so as long as there is a slightly flat place, their hooves can be firmly "nailed" to the ground like nails, so it is not difficult for them to climb up cliffs.

Chinese gorals are very alert. Once they notice something unusual around them, they will run away immediately. When they are foraging, they will also send members to stand on high ground to be alert. Once there is danger approaching, they will send signals to alert other members.

The Chinese goral has very obvious characteristics. It has a crest on its head. Its tail is relatively short like the Himalayan goral, but the Chinese goral has tufts of hair, while the Himalayan goral does not have tufts of hair on its tail. This is a very important distinguishing feature between the two species.

The Chinese goral changes its diet with the change of seasons. In summer, they mostly collect more non-gramineae plants. In autumn, it is very similar, but they will still add some rhododendrons or fruits, etc. In winter, because the food is reduced, they will focus on collecting gramineous plants to eat. Basically, you can often see it on the steep slopes deep in the dense forest.

The gestation period of the Chinese goral is about 215 days. One baby is born per litter. Twins are extremely rare. The life span of wild Chinese gorals is 10-15 years. The longest life span record is 18 years old, and it died of illness in a zoo in India in 1982.

Chinese gorals were once widely distributed in China. In recent decades, due to human interference and hunting, the population has dropped sharply, and it is difficult to find its traces in East China and South China.

Listed in the "Red List of Endangered Species of the World Conservation Union" (IUCN) 2008 ver 3.1-Vulnerable (VU).

Listed in the "Washington Convention on Endangered Wildlife Species" (CITES)-Level I.

Listed in the "List of Nationally Protected Wildlife in China" - Level II.

Listed in the "Red List of Chinese Species" - Endangered (EN).

Listed in the "Red List of Chinese Vertebrates" - Vulnerable (VU)

Existing: distributed in China, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam.
Uncertain: Bangladesh, Laos.
In China, distributed in Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Beijing, Henan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Sichuan, Guizhou, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui.
Habitats are diverse, ranging from subtropical to northern temperate regions, and can be found in mountain coniferous forests, mountain coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests, and mountain evergreen broad-leaved forests, but not in tropical forests. Often found on steep cliffs in dense forests, and hidden beside cliffs, caves, or on paths between bamboo groves.

The head and body are 88 to 118 cm long, the shoulder height is 61 to 68 cm, the tail is 11.5 to 20 cm long, the ear is 11.7 to 15 cm long, the hind foot is 23.5 to 28.5 cm long, the total skull length is 18.4 to 22.5 cm, and the weight is 22 to 32 kg. The coat is dark brown, light yellow or gray, with a little black guard hair on the surface, with short dark mane and a thick dark back stripe. The limbs are light in color and contrast with the body color, and sometimes the forelimbs are red with black stripes. The edge of the light-colored spot on the throat is orange, the chin is dark, the abdomen is light gray, and the tail is not long but has tufts of hair.
The male Chinese goral is significantly larger than the female, with a gray-brown body. Both males and females have horns, and the male's horns are longer.
Generally, several or more than 10 gorals move together, and their range of activities does not exceed the upper limit of the forest line. They move in small groups