The taxonomic classification of Alpine ibex is still debated. This is because all forms belonging to the genus Capra, including the crossbreeds, are inter-fecund. They are therefore considered belonging to different species just for differences in the morphology and the behaviour due to the geographic isolation and to the different environmental conditions in which the different forms live (Gauthier et al., 1991).
Alpine ibex belong to the family Bovidae and to the subfamily Caprinae. The Caprinae are divided in three different tribes (Shackleton and Lovari, 1997): Rupicaprinae, Caprinae and Ovibovinae. The tribe Caprinae is represented by the following genera: Ammotragus, Pseudois, Hemitragus, Ovis and Capra. Following Shackleton and Lovari (1997) the genus Capra includes 9 species: Capra aegagrus (Erxleben 1977), Capra falconeri (Wagner 1839), Capra nubiana (Cuvier 1825), Capra pyrenaica (Schinz 1838), Capra sibirica (Pallas 1776), Capra walie (Ruppel 1835), Capra caucasica (Guldenstaed e Pallas 1783), Capra cylindricornis (Blyth 1841) and Capra ibex (Linneus 1758). Following Schaller (1977), only one species exists, Capra ibex, divided in 5 subspecies: C.i. nubiana, C.i. sibirica, C.i. walie, C.i. caucasica and C.i. ibex (the Alpine ibex).