Wild ram: characteristics and types of artiodactyl with curled horns
Mountain ram is a representative of the cloven-hoofed detachment and the bovine family, native to Central and South Asia. Some of the species of this animal are listed in the Red Book. This article provides a more detailed classification of sheep subgenus, as well as their description.
Characteristic, external description
These mammals grow up to 1.4–1.8 m in length; in addition, the tail is about 7–15 cm. Height at the withers is from 65 to 125 cm, live weight is from 20 to 200 kg. Sexual dimorphism of mountain sheep is well expressed: males are larger, with long curled horns.
The body of the animal is covered with hair, it can be of any shade - from white to dark brown. In males, a peculiar mane grows around the neck. Horns, as a rule, grow in both sexes, only in females they are soft and shortened, and in males they reach 1 m in length.
Habitat
Wild sheep live mainly in Asia, namely in the central region, in the west and northeast. They can also be found in North America. Basically, the animal prefers mountainous areas and rocks. Wild mountain rams are classified based on their morphological features, according to the shape of the horns, and also according to the number of chromosomes. More information about the types of these animals - later in the article.
Mouflon
Mouflon is the closest relative of the domestic sheep, which is attributed to the order of artiodactyls. There are two types of this subgenus, a detailed description of which is given below.
Did you know? Representatives of the sheep genus have a different number of chromosomes in DNA: from 52 (snow sheep) to 58 (urial).
Varieties
European
The only representative of the genus living in Europe. Covered with short, well-fitting coat that extends over the chest. The lower part of the body is white, the upper one changes color: in summer, the top is reddish-brown, in winter - chestnut. This mouflon grows to 1.25 m in length, 10 cm per tail. The height at the withers is 70 cm.
The horns are powerful, in a section - triangular in shape, covered with peculiar folds, the number of which is 30–40 pieces. The length of the horns reaches 65 cm. Females are characterized by lighter hair, and also lack horns.
Asian
The height at the withers of this mouflon subspecies is 84–92 cm, body length up to 150 cm. The male weighs 53–79 kg, and the female 35–45 kg. The first have powerful horns that twist in no more than one revolution. The girth at the base is about 25 cm. Females also have horns, they are small and flat.
Urial
This species lives on mountain slopes, reaching 6 thousand meters above sea level. Animals are found mainly in Central Asia. All representatives of the genus are covered with brown hair, which in the summer is slightly lighter. Under the base of the tail is a white spot. In males, the chest is usually black. Important! Uriel hunting is prohibited by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, because this species is considered a vulnerable species. The urial is folded tightly, has a sinewy body and long limbs, weighs from 36 to 87 kg. The length of the body reaches 110–145 cm, and the height at the withers - 88–100 cm. The horns of these animals are different, depending on the subgenus.
Ladaksky
The horns are convex on the sides, transverse folds are weakly expressed. In length they reach 90 cm, in girth - about 26 cm.
Punjabi
The representative of this subgenus has a more reddish coat. Their horns are twisted back and down, on average they grow up to 70 cm in length, the girth at the base is up to 23 cm.
Bukhara
The horns of the rams are bent almost in the same plane, grow to a length of 70 cm, have a circumference of 24 cm.
Ustyurt
An animal with a red-yellow color, weighs up to 80 kg. Their horns are covered with clear furrows, bend back and down, form a complete circle. The average length reaches 92 cm, with a circumference at the base of about 27 cm.
Turkmen
The Turkmen Urial has no special differences from the Ustyurt described above. Often they are regarded as one subgenus of a mountain sheep.
Argar
The largest representative of the genus, weighing 65 to 180 kg, with a body length of 120 to 200 cm and a height at the withers of 90–120 cm. Both females and males have horns, however, the latter have significantly more and can occupy up to 13% of the total weight of the animal. They are twisted in a spiral shape, the ends are directed up and out, reaching a length of 190 cm. The coat can be from light sand to dark brown in color. The lower part of the trunk, muzzle and tail are always lighter. Dark longitudinal stripes stand out on the sides. You might be interested to read why the hind legs of the rams failed.
Kazakhstani
The weight of Kazakhstan argali is about 200 kg for males and 60–100 kg for females. The length of the body, respectively, is 150–200 cm and 110–160 cm.
Altai argali
The largest representative of the genus, which is endowed with the most powerful horns. In an adult male, their weight reaches up to 35 kg. The animals themselves grow to 70–125 cm at the withers, with a body length of 1.2 to 2 m. The tail accounts for 13–14 cm. Altai sheep weigh about 70 to 180 kg. They differ from other species by the light tip of the muzzle.
Ram darwin
A large animal, its height at the withers is 105–115 cm, and its weight is about 135 kg. They have large horns twisted back and down. The hair on the back is painted in yellow-brown tones, the chest is dark brown, under the tail there is a fuzzy light yellow spot. The lower part of the body is covered with gray-white hair. Pay attention to information on how to castrate sheep.
Kyzylkum
The horns of this species are smaller than those of relatives. On average, their length reaches 77 cm, and the girth at the base is 26 cm. They are twisted back and down, the ends are always directed outward. The surface of the horns is furrowed. This species of wild sheep lives in the Kyzylkum desert, in Kazakhstan, where its name comes from.
Tien Shan
Known since 1873, is found in the mountains of the Tien Shan, in the Chu-Ili mountains, in some areas of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China. The average length of the horns reaches 130 cm, and their circumference is 39 cm.
Karatau
The population lives in the Nuratau mountains and on the Aktau ridge, in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, respectively. Males weigh about 70 kg, their horns grow up to 70 cm in length. The body is covered with gray-brown hair. The species is listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan.
Video: Karatau argali
Pamir
Also known as the ram Marco Polo, since it was first described by this traveler scientist. It lives in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. On the back and sides, the coat has a reddish tint. The horns are quite long, 140-150 cm, twisted in the form of a screw.
North Chinese
It lives in the Tibetan Plateau, as well as in China. It features a gray-sand color and beautifully curved sickle-shaped horns up to 105 cm long.
Tibetan
Lives in Tibet, as well as in the Himalayas in India and Nepal. The body of a Tibetan ram is covered with gray-brown hair. Its horns are located parallel to the head, twisted in a spiral, grow up to 140 cm in a dyne.
Snow ram
The animal is densely folded, has a short and thick neck, a small head. It has short and massive limbs. Males are larger than females, their body length is from 140 to 188 cm, height at the withers is 76–100 cm, and live weight is from 56 to 150 kg. Both sexes have horns; they grow up to 110 cm in length. The coat is quite thick, the back and sides are painted brown, the stomach and chest are much lighter - yellow-white. Snow sheep lives in mountainous regions with a height of 300 m above sea level.
Thin Sheep
Also known as the Dallus ram, this species is regarded as a subspecies of the rhino. Animals can be completely white or gray with black spots at the tail. The horns are painted yellow brown. They are curved, grow to a length of 1.1 m and weigh up to 14 kg. The mass of males is 55–140 kg, and females are 39–50 kg. The body length indicator is 1.6–1.8 m and 1.3–1.6 m, respectively. This species inhabits mountain meadows in groups of 6–25 individuals.
Lifestyle, duration
Sheep live about 10-12 years. The gestation period is 5 months. These are daytime herbivores. Females and young individuals form herds. At the same time, males lead a lonely lifestyle, or form small groups with a strict hierarchy, which is based on the size of the horns or established in battle. Did you know? Lamb horns are widely used in Chinese traditional medicine - infusions are prepared from them that heal from a number of diseases
Behavior features
Wild rams lead a settled lifestyle, form herds, where they show a tolerant and friendly disposition. In cases of danger, they give alarms: for adults it is a snort, for young animals it is bleating. After that, the herd is sent to a safe place, inaccessible to predators.
These animals climb mountains well, can jump to a height of 2 m and a length of up to 5 m. The peak of sheep’s activity falls in the first half of the day. They graze mainly in the morning and evening.
Natural enemies in the wild
In the wild, mountain sheep can be attacked by such predators:
- wolves;
- snow leopards;
- cougar;
- eagles;
- golden eagles.
Diet
These mammals feed on plant foods, preferring cereals. Lichens, branches of bushes and trees can eat, namely:
- oak;
- pistachio maple;
- hornbeam;
- caravan.
Mountain sheep regularly go to watering places, lick salt in the sun. To winter cold accumulate a layer of subcutaneous fat.
Breeding and offspring
The breeding season of these animals takes place once a year, mainly in November, although it can last from October to December, depending on the species. During this period, males enter the herds of females and arrange fights with “competitors”. During these fights, rams run into horns and run opposite each other. In addition, males stick out their tongues and chat or in front of females. You may be interested in information about what is the average weight of a ram. The development of the fetus takes place within 155-170 days. The birth of offspring falls on the period from March to June. Often, one female leads one, in rare cases, two lambs. For lambing, the female leaves the herd for a week and returns already with the cub. Milk feeding is carried out up to six months of age, and by autumn, young growth passes to self-feeding.
Wild ram hunting
Previously, people hunted rams for food and skins, but now the horns of animals are considered the main prey. Their price on the black market can reach 10 thousand dollars.
So, the article gives a brief description of the representatives of the rams, which are the closest ancestors of the common domestic sheep. It must be remembered that most of these animals are threatened with extinction and are listed in the Red Book.
