tahr

tahr
/tahr/, n.
any of several Old World wild goats of the genus Hemitragus, as H. jemlahicus (Himalayan tahr), introduced into New Zealand, having a long mane and short, stout, recurving horns: most are endangered or threatened in their native regions.
Also, thar.
[1832; < Nepali thar]

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mammal
 any of three wary and surefooted wild goatlike mammals of the family Bovidae (bovid) (order Artiodactyla (artiodactyl)), native to Asia. Tahrs live in herds and frequent steep, often wooded mountainsides. They range in shoulder height from 60 to 106 cm (24 to 42 inches), depending on the species. Both sexes have short, flattened horns that curve backward.

      The Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus), found from Kashmir to Sikkim, is reddish brown to dark brown. The male has a full mane covering the neck and forequarters, and an adult male can weigh up to 120–140 kg (260–310 pounds), while females weigh about 60 kg (130 pounds). The Nilgiri tahr, or Nilgiri ibex (H. hylocrius), of southern India is dark brown with a grizzled saddle-shaped patch on its back; its body size is comparable to that of the Himalayan species. The Arabian tahr (H. jayakari) is the smallest of the three species; an adult male weighs about 40 kg (90 pounds), while females are 17–20 kg (37–44 pounds). It is gray brown (females and subadult males) or blonde (fully adult males), with a brittle, relatively short coat. It is found in small, scattered populations throughout a 600-km (400-mile) crescent of northern Oman and a very small area of the United Arab Emirates. The rut is in autumn and early winter for all three species.

      The Nilgiri and Arabian tahr are in danger of extinction because of overhunting and competition with livestock. In the early 20th century, Himalayan tahrs were introduced for hunting purposes to New Zealand, where their numbers have grown to tens of thousands and they have become pests to indigenous vegetation. They have also been introduced to Table Mountain (Mountain, Table) in South Africa and to Argentina.

Sandro Lovari
 

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Tahr — Tahr, n. (Zo[ o]l.) Same as {Thar}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Tahr — Tahr, Thar, der; s, s [aus dem Nepali]: indische Halbziege …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Tahr — Thar der; s, s <aus gleichbed. nepales. thār> in den Gebirgen Süd u. Südwestasiens lebende Halbziege …   Das große Fremdwörterbuch

  • tahr — [tär] n. a short horned, wild goat (genus Hemitragus) of Arabia, India, and the Himalayas …   English World dictionary

  • Tahr — Tahre Himalaya Tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus) Systematik Ordnung: Paarhufer (Artiodactyla) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Tahr — Taxobox name = Tahr status = VU trend = unknown status system = iucn2.3 image width = 250px regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Mammalia ordo = Artiodactyla familia = Bovidae subfamilia = Caprinae In part subdivision ranks = Genus… …   Wikipedia

  • Tahr — Nom vernaculaire ou nom normalisé ambigu : Le terme «  Tahr  » s applique en français à plusieurs taxons distincts. Tahr …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Tahr — taras statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Hemitragus jemlahicus angl. Himalayan tahr; tahr vok. Tahr rus. тар pranc. tahr ryšiai: platesnis terminas – tarai …   Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

  • tahr — taras statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Hemitragus jemlahicus angl. Himalayan tahr; tahr vok. Tahr rus. тар pranc. tahr ryšiai: platesnis terminas – tarai …   Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

  • tahr — Thar Thar, n. (Zo[ o]l.) A goatlike animal ({Capra Jemlaica}) native of the Himalayas. It has small, flattened horns, curved directly backward. The hair of the neck, shoulders, and chest of the male is very long, reaching to the knees. Called… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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