Habitat And Climatic Conditions Affect The Onset Of Sexual Maturity In Female Chamois

Females' age at their first oestrous cycle is thought to have an important role in the development of populations of chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra L.). It is crucial to know whether the age at onset of sexual maturity of females differs in habitats with different climatic conditions. We analysed the reproductive organs of 139 female chamois (age 1-20 years) that had been hunted in different habitats in the East Alpine region. We used the presence of a Corpus luteum to indicate sexual maturity of young female chamois and the presence of a Corpus albicans of appropriate size in the ovary as an indication of gestation. We found a significantly higher median body weight in one-year-old eviscerated female chamois living in the milder southern habitats than in females of the same age from the harsher northern habitats. While 32 % of the one-year-old females in the southern habitats were sexually mature, only 8 % of females in the northern habitats were sexually mature at this age. There is thus an impact of habitat and climatic conditions on development of body weight and on age at the onset of sexual maturity of female chamois.