The markhor subspecies look similar but can be distinguished by their horns, like some have straighter horns or they flare out more.

Male markhors have a light brown to black coat while females have a redder color; both sexes have a thicker coat in the winter. Depending on gender, a markhor can stand up to 45 inches at the shoulder, 52-74 inches in length, and weigh between 70-240 pounds.

The corkscrew-shaped horns are the markhor’s most defining feature. All subspecies, even the straight-horned markhor, have them! Male markhors can have horns as long as 63 inches while the female’s reach about 10 inches. They use their horns to dig for food, remove bark from trees, or to fight during mating season.

Besides horn length and overall size, male markhors have more hair on their chin and chest than females.

Markhors are in the goat family with species such as ibexes and domestic goats. There are three subspecies that are found in Central Asia, the Himalayas, and Karakoram; they prefer mountainous regions with monsoon and scrub forests.

Like most goats, markhors are strictly herbivores; their diets include vegetation such as leaves, grass, fir, juniper, pine, and more. Markhors are active during the early morning or late afternoon and will devote 8-14 hours a day eating to accommodate their large size. Their dietary method shifts seasonally from a grazer in spring and summer to a browser in winter when food is harder to come by. Winter is when you’ll see markhors climbing trees or travelling large distances for food.

Mating season for markhors is in the winter. Males will fight for the females’ attention by locking horns with other males and twisting and turning their heads, the losing male falls. After mating, female markhors will give birth to 1-2 kids after about 5 months. The kids are weaned until they are 5-6 months old but are not considered mature until they are 18-30 months; female kids stay with the group and males go out on their own.

Their name comes from the Persian conjunction meaning snake eater, which either represents their coiled horns or the markhor’s ability to kill snakes.

The markhor is the national animal of Pakistan but is usually known as the screw-horned goat.

Horns have rings in them similar to trees that can tell a markhor’s age.

The cud that falls absently out of their mouth can treat bee stings in humans.