Caucasian Tur

Tur are a closely related group of goats, endemic to the Caucasus Mountains. Tur is a gradual transition form from the western ibex type to the eastern bharal type. Several varieties of tur are described, the main ones being: dinniki (the extreme northwest of the Caucasus), severtzovi (the western Caucasus, west of Mount Elbrus), caucasica (the central Caucasus, from Mount Elbrus east to Mount Dykhtau) and cylindricornis (the eastern Caucasus). The varieties severtzovi and caucasica are intermediate between dinniki and cylindricornis, with severtzovi closer to dinniki and caucasica closer to cylindricornis. Zoologists at different times gave them different statuses from one to three species, and the subspecies dinniki was at one time considered a subspecies of true ibex.
 

According to the currently accepted classification, there are two types: western (Capra caucasica), including the dinniki and severtzovi varieties, and eastern (Capra cylindricornis).
 

At the moment, we distinguish three types by horn shape:

–    western type, Kuban tur (dinniki), horns are close to ibex horns;
–    eastern type, Dagestan tur (cylindriconis), horns are similar to bharal horns;
–    Mid-Caucasian tur (severtzovi and caucasica), which has an intermediate horn shape