Distribution - Europe & West Asia
The Chamois of the Rupicapra sp., on a global level, are found in the major mountain ranges of Europe and Western Asia (Asia Minor and the Caucasus) and are divided into two species.
The Northern Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) and b) the Southern Chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica).
The Northern Chamois (R. rupicapra) has an extensive geographic distribution in mountainous areas, starting from the west in France and reaching the eastern limits of the genus’ range in the Caucasus. It includes a total of seven subspecies, one of which is the Balkan Chamois (R. rupicapra balcanica).
The Southern Chamois (R. pyrenaica) has a noticeably smaller geographic distribution compared to the previous one, and is limited to only three geographically isolated areas (the Pyrenees, Cantabrian Mountains, and Apennines), where an equal number of subspecies live. The Chamois of Greece belongs to the Northern Chamois (R. rupicapra) and specifically to the Balkan subspecies (R. rupicapra balcanica).