Ángel Cabrera (1914), on studying the body shape and skull morphology, considered this taxa so similar to the Pyrenean chamois as to be of the same species.

Lovari, (1987), using morphology, genetic and ethology data proposed to separate the southwestern European animals (of the Cantabrian Mountains and Pyrenees, Rupicapra pyrenaica parva, R.p.

The horns have a transversal segmentation pattern due to seasonal growth (winter-summer).

The head, throat and cheeks are a light cinnamon colour with a dark mask design that crosses the big eyes (Figure 1).

Subalpine, preference for the ecotone between forest and alpine meadow, with nearby cliffs as refuge-escape areas.

It maintained the occupation of the southern range at least until the Bronze Age 5000 yr BC.

[6] Excessive game hunting, together with the proliferation of long distance rifles, drove the population size to minimum numbers, this happened between 1943 and 1966.

The population started to increase with the creation of protected areas (National Game Reserves) and establishing gamekeepers for the first time.

Fifteen years after the outbreak (1993-2008) the disease had spread about 40 km east, an average of 2.6 km/yr.

These programs have extended the distribution range in the east and west, where very low densities of chamois made the natural recolonization of these areas difficult.