Feeding strategy of the Spanish ibex Capra pyrenaica Schinz, 1838 was compared in two altitudinal zones of the Sierra Nevada, the high zone between 2700 and 3300 m a.s.l. and the mid-altitude zone between 2000 and 2700 m a.s.l. The study was carried out in July, and primarily focused on diet selection. Food availability, diet composition, species selection indices, and the effect of plant availability and chemical composition on diet selection in each zone were analysed. In the high zone, the availability of herbaceous resources was much greater than that of woody species, while in the mid-altitude zone, both resource types were almost equally abundant. Resource availability in both zones had a 36% index of similarity. Herbaceous plants were the predominant dietary component in both zones, and diet similarity was 51%. The greater similarity found between the two diet compositions than between the two resource availabilities revealed preferences for common species in both zones. The Spanish ibex selected food items with moderate levels in diet composition, a degree of quality (high protein content and digestibility) and moderate availability. In the high zone, the ibex selected its diet according to the protein content, while in the mid-altitude zone the food choice was mainly influenced by availability. Spatial heterogeneity probably influenced the difference detected in terms of the feeding strategy used in each area.
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