Argali: Difference between revisions
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{{Taxobox |
{{Taxobox |
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| name = Argali |
| name = Argali |
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| status = |
| status = NT |
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| image=Argali.jpg |
| image=Argali.jpg |
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| status_system = |
| status_system = iucn3.1 |
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| status_ref = [http://www.iucnredlist.org |
| status_ref = [http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/15733] |
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| regnum = [[Animal]]ia |
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia |
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| phylum = [[Chordata]] |
| phylum = [[Chordata]] |
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[[fr:Ovis ammon]] |
[[fr:Ovis ammon]] |
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[[it:Ovis ammon]] |
[[it:Ovis ammon]] |
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[[ja:アルガリ]] |
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[[ka:არხარი]] |
[[ka:არხარი]] |
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[[kk:Арқар]] |
[[kk:Арқар]] |
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Revision as of 13:46, 11 February 2009
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2009) |
| Argali | |
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| Scientific classification | |
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| Species: | O. ammon
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| Binomial name | |
| Ovis ammon (Linnaeus, 1758)
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The argali, or the mountain sheep (species Ovis ammon) is the globally endangered wild sheep, which roams the highlands of Central Asia (Himalaya, Tibet, Altay). It is also the biggest wild sheep, standing as high as 120 cm and weighing as much as 140 kg. The Pamir argali (also called Marco Polo sheep, for they were first described by that traveller) may attain more than 6 feet in length.
The general colouration varies between each animal, from a lightish yellow to a dark grey-brown. The face is lighter. Males have a whitish neck ruff and a dorsal crest. Males have two large corkscrew horns, some measuring 190 cm/ 6.3 ft in length. Males use their horns for competing with one another. Females also carry horns, but much smaller.
Argalis live in herds between 2 and 100 animals, segregated by sex, except during breeding season. Migrating herds, especially males, have been reported. With long legs, herds can travel quickly from place to place. Argalis tend to live at higher elevations during the summer.
Argalis are considered endangered or threatened throughout their entire range, due to habitat loss from overgrazing of domestic sheep and hunting. They are hunted for both their meat and their horns, used in traditional Chinese medicine. Legal hunting of trophies has also added to the mortality.
Some sources classify mouflon as Ovis ammon musimon. However, DNA testing has not supported this. Several subspecies of argali have been genetically tested for mtDNA and one study found that the subspecies Ovis ammon ammon, O. ammon darwini and the urial subspecies, O. vignei bochariensis grouped closely while the subspecies Ovis ammon collium and O. ammon nigrimontana grouped with the urial subspecies O. vignei arkal.[1]
Subspecies
- Altai argali, (Ovis ammon ammon)
- Kuruktag argali, (Ovis ammon adametzi)
- Anatolian argali, (Ovis ammon anatolica)
- Gobi argali, (Ovis ammon darwini)
- Gansu argali, (Ovis ammon dalailamae)
- Karaganda argali, (Ovis ammon collium)
- Hangay argali, (Ovis ammon hangaii)
- Tibetan argali, (Ovis ammon hodgsoni)
- Hume argali, (Ovis ammon humei)
- North China argali, (Ovis ammon jubata)
- Tian Shan argali, (Ovis ammon karelini)
- Littledale argali, (Ovis ammon littledalei)
- Kara Tau argali, (Ovis ammon nigrimontana)
- Marco Polo argali, (Ovis ammon polii)
- Sair argali, (Ovis ammon sairensis)
- Severtzov argali, (Ovis ammon severtzovi)
References
- ^ Hiendleder S, Kaupe B, Wassmuth R, Janke A. (2002). "Molecular analysis of wild and domestic sheep questions current nomenclature and provides evidence for domestication from two different subspecies". Proceedings. Biological sciences, The Royal Society of London.
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Further reading
- Namgail, T., Fox, J.L. & Bhatnagar, Y.V. (2007). Habitat shift and time budget of the Tibetan argali: the influence of livestock grazing. Ecological Research, 22: 25-31. [2]
- Namgail, T. (2007). Vigilance behaviour of the Tibetan argali Ovis ammon hodgsoni in the Indian Trans-Himalaya. Acta Zoologica Sinica, 53: 195-200. [3]
- Namgail, T., Fox, J.L. & Bhatnagar, Y.V. (2004). Habitat segregation between sympatric Tibetan argali Ovis ammon hodgsoni and blue sheep Pseudois nayaur in the Indian Trans-Himalaya. Journal of Zoology (London), 262: 57-63. [4]
- Namgail, T. (2003). Gya-Miru: last refuge of the Tibetan argali. Sanctuary Asia. 23: 16-21. [5]
- Namgail, T., Fox, J.L. & Bhatnagar, Y.V. (2003). Interactions between Argali and livestock in the Proposed Gya-Miru Wildlife Sanctuary.[6]
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
