Chamois
Chamois, a goatlike animal. It is found in the Pyrenees, Alps, and Caucasus Mountains and in Asia Minor. The chamois is about as large as a goat, but is somewhat lighter and more graceful in build. It is generally brown, and has a pale yellowish head and a black tail. Its two black horns, four or five inches (10 to 13 cm) long, have straight shafts and are curved backward until the tip points directly downward. The chamois lives above the timberline in summer, descending into the upper forests for the winter.
The chamois is a timid, remarkably agile, sure-footed animal, with a keen sense of smell. It is not hunted for its meat, but rather for its hide, from which a soft, pliable leather called chamois is made. This is used for polishing, for straining mercury, and for garments. Much leather sold as chamois is really sheepskin.
The chamois is Rupicapra rupicapra of the family Bovidae.