Asian West Caucasian Tur

West Caucasian Tur

(Capra caucasica dinniki)

Current SCI all time record: Score 164 4/8 - Russia, Krasnaya Polyana - 8/97

Description: Closely related to the east Caucasian tur, the west Caucasian tur has one of the smallest natural ranges of any ungulate: 4,500 square kilometers.

The upper parts of the coat are rusty gray to rusty chestnut, becoming lighter on the flanks. The underparts are yellowish gray to dirty white. The lower legs are blackish brown. Males have a short beard on the chin. The long body is stout and is supported by relatively short legs. Both sexes have horns which, in cross-section, are in the form of rounded triangles. In males, they are scimitar-shaped and heavily ridged, averaging a length of 75 cm / 2.5 feet. Those of females are much smaller, slenderer, and have fewer and smaller ridges.

Other Common Names: Kuban Tur

Size:

Range: Northwestern Caucasus Mountains of Russia.

Natural History: There is a seasonal migration during the cycle of the year covering a vertical distance of 1,500-2,000 m / 5,000-6500 feet, upwards in May and downward in October. Adult males generally stay at higher altitudes than females. During the warmer months, tur feed at intervals throughout the late afternoon, night, and morning, spending the hottest hours resting in sheltered places. In winter, herds may remain in open pastures throughout the day, alternately grazing and resting. The average population density is 50-160 tur per 1,000 hectares.

Hunting Characteristics: