The chamois is an artiodactylid of the Bovidae family, Caprinae subfamily. Two species of chamois are described: The Southern Chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) and the Northern Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra).

In Greece, all chamois belong to the Northern Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra). More specifically, the chamois is represented by the subspecies Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica.The subfamily Caprinae is one of the nine subfamilies of the Bovidae family, and its members are found exclusively in the Northern Hemisphere, with the exception of certain populations that have arisen from deliberate releases by humans in other parts of the world over the last 100 years.

While most species exhibit pronounced sexual dimorphism, the chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) and the Rupicaprini group generally do not. Also, regarding their social behavior, males and females usually have separate lives, except the breeding season, and they exhibit a complex repertoire of social behavior patterns.