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Ronda Ibex
The Ronda Ibex or Gredos ibex (Capra pyrenaica victoriae) is a subspecies of Iberian ibex native to Spain, in the Sierra de Gredos.
It was later introduced to other sites in Spain (Las Batuecas, La Pedriza, Riaño) and to northern Portugal (Peneda-Gerês National Park) as a replacement for the extinct Portuguese ibex.
Remnant populations survive in the Picos de Europa and other parts of the Cantabrian Mountains, along with some reintroductions.
The largest population are found in the mountains north of Riaño. It is also found in southern Galicia near the border with Portugal.
The Ronda ibex is characterised by its large and flexible hooves and short legs. These physical adaptations allow it to run and leap on bare, rocky, rough and steep slopes out of reach of potential predators. The horns of the Ronda ibex curve out and up and then back, inward, and, depending on subspecies, either up again or down. The annual horn growth is influenced principally by age but can also be contributed by environmental factors and the growth made in the previous year.
The Ronda ibex also shows sexual dimorphism, with the male being larger in size and weight and also having larger horns than the female. The bones of the female ibex ossify nearly two years before the bones of the male.