Editing Himalayan tahr (section)

== Behaviour and ecology ==
{{Further|topic=what defines a fundamental niche|Ecological niche#Hutchinsonian niche}}
The Himalayan tahr is adapted to life in a cool climate with rocky terrain, which allows them to be found in mountainous areas. In the Himalayas, they are mainly found on slopes ranging from 2,500 to 5,000 m. Himalayan tahr can eat a wide variety of plants. They most often inhabit locations where vegetation is exposed for browsing and grazing. During the winter (when snow covers vegetation at higher elevations), they are found on lower-altitude slopes.<ref name="arkive">Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus). Arkive. 
http://www.arkive.org/himalayan-tahr/hemitragus-jemlahicus/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120714031346/http://www.arkive.org/himalayan-tahr/hemitragus-jemlahicus/ |date=14 July 2012 }}</ref>

=== Diet ===
The Himalayan tahr is a [[herbivore]] spending most of the time grazing on grasses and browsing on leaves and some fruits.<ref name=iucn/> Its short legs allow it to balance while reaching for the leaves of shrubs and small trees.<ref name="ult" /> The tahr consumes more woody plants than herb species<ref name="watson">{{cite thesis |last=Watson |first=M. B. |year=2007 |title=Aspects of the feeding ecology of Himalayan tahr (''Hemitragus jemlacicus''), some comparisons with chamois (''Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra'') and implications for tahr management in New Zealand |institution=Lincoln University |hdl=10182/2904}}</ref> with as much as 75% of its diet consisting of natural grasses.<ref name="clauss">{{cite journal |title=Observations on the Macroscopic Digestive Anatomy of the Himalayan Tahr (''Hemitragus jemlahicus'') |year=2005 |last1=Clauss |first1=M. |last2=Hummel |first2=J. |last3=Vercammen |first3=F. |last4=Streich |first4=W. J. |journal=Anatomia, Histologia, Embryologia |volume=34 |issue=4 |pages=276–278 |pmid=15996131 |s2cid=20245477 |doi=10.1111/j.1439-0264.2005.00611.x}}</ref>

=== Predation ===
Tahr are preyed upon by [[snow leopard]]s.<ref name="thesis" />

=== Reproduction ===
Tahrs are [[Polygyny in animals|polygynous]], and males are subject to stiff competition for access to females. Young reproductive males roam and mate opportunistically (when larger males are not present), while more mature males (more than four years old) will engage in [[Agonistic behaviour#Threats|ritualistic behavior]]  and fighting to secure mates. During mating season, reproductive males lose much of their fat reserves, while females and nonreproductive males do not, indicating a substantial [[Behavioral ecology#Familial conflict|cost]] to these behaviors.<ref name="forsyth">{{cite journal | last1 = Forsyth | first1 = David M. | last2 = Duncan | first2 = Richard P. | last3 = Tustin | first3 = Ken G. | last4 = Gaillard | first4 = Jean-Michel | year = 2005 | title = A Substantial Energetic Cost to Male Reproduction in a Sexually Dimorphic Ungulate | journal = Ecology | volume = 86 | issue = 8| pages = 2154–2163 | doi = 10.1890/03-0738 | bibcode = 2005Ecol...86.2154F }}</ref> Factors that contribute to which males dominate include size, weight, and testosterone levels. Coat color can have an effect; Himalayan tahrs with lighter coats are more likely to gain access to [[Estrus#Estrus|estrous]] females <ref name="lovari">{{cite journal | last1 = Lovari | first1 = S. | last2 = Pellizzi | first2 = B. | last3 = Boesi | first3 = R. | last4 = Fusani | first4 = L. | year = 2009 | title = Mating Dominance Amongst Male Himalayan Tahr: Blonds Do Better | journal = Behavioural Processes | volume = 81 | issue = 1| pages = 20–25 | doi = 10.1016/j.beproc.2008.12.008 | pmid = 19133319 | s2cid = 11525762 }}</ref>
Himalayan tahrs have [[Precocial|precocious young]] which can stand soon after birth.<ref name="theodor" /> Females have a [[gestation period]] of 180–242 days, usually with a [[Litter (animal)|litter]] size of only one kid.<ref name="forsyth" /><ref name=iucn/> This indicates [[Sexual selection#Modern Interpretation|sexual selection]] can be extremely important to the fitness of males.

=== Intraspecific competition ===
{{Main | Intraspecific_competition | l1=Intraspecific competition}}
During the [[Rut (mammalian reproduction)|rut]], male Himalayan tahrs often compete with other males for access to females. Factors that contribute to reproductive success include large body size, large horn size, and high aggression. Coat color is a factor that determines rank among Himalayan tahrs, and males with light coats mate more often.<ref name="lovari" /> In addition, the horns of the male are often used in the ritual process to court female tahrs (either for display purposes or, less often, for direct combat), although these horns can also serve as a defense mechanisms against potential predators.<ref name="lovari" />

=== Interspecific competition ===
{{Main | Interspecific_competition | l1=Interspecific competition}}
Other ungulate herbivores with overlapping natural [[Range (biology)|ranges]] include [[bharal]], [[argali]], and [[Himalayan goral|goral]]. Removal experiments (in which one of the hypothesized competitors is removed, and the effect on the other species is observed) have not been conducted to determine empirically that competition is actually occurring, but the animals do share food resources.<ref name="thesis">Ale, Som B. "Ecology of the Snow Leopard and the Himalayan Tahr in Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park, Nepal." University of Illinois, 2007. http://www.carnivoreconservation.org/files/thesis/ale_2007_phd.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514041445/http://www.carnivoreconservation.org/files/thesis/ale_2007_phd.pdf |date=14 May 2013 }}.</ref> [[Competition (biology)|Competition]] can occur when two or more species share a limited resource, such as particular food sources, in a given area. Since the Himalayan tahr and the other ungulates are eating the same foods, competition possibly is occurring among them.