mountain sheep

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Argali
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Subfamily:	Caprinae
Genus:	Ovis
Species:	O. ammon
Binomial name
Ovis ammon (Linnaeus, 1758)

The argali, or the mountain sheep (species Ovis ammon) is a wild sheep that roams the highlands of Central Asia (Himalaya, Tibet, Altay). It is the biggest wild sheep, standing 106 to 135 cm (42 to 53 in) at the shoulder, measuring 177 to 200 cm (70 to 79 in) long and weighing 110 to 182 kg (240 to 400 lb), with a maximum known weight of 216 kg (480 lb).^[2] The Pamir argali (also called Marco Polo sheep, for they were first described by that traveller) may attain more than 180 cm (5.9 ft) 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 (6.2 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 their long legs, herds can travel quickly from place to place. Argalis tend to live at higher elevations during the summer.

Argalis are considered an endangered or threatened species 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.

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.^[3]

Subspecies

Currently nine subspecies of argali are recognized^[4]:

• Altai argali, (Ovis ammon ammon)
• Karaganda argali, (Ovis ammon collium)
• Gobi argali, (Ovis ammon darwini)
• Armenian Mouflon, (Ovis ammon gmelini)
• Tibetan argali, (Ovis ammon hodgsoni)
• North China argali, (Ovis ammon jubata)
• Tian Shan argali, (Ovis ammon karelini)
• Kara Tau argali, (Ovis ammon nigrimontana)
• Marco Polo argali, (Ovis ammon polii)
• Severtzov argali, (Ovis ammon severtzovi)

References

1. ^ http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/15733/0/full
2. ^ [1] (2011).
3. ^ Hiendleder S, Kaupe B, Wassmuth R, Janke A (May 2002). "Molecular analysis of wild and domestic sheep questions current nomenclature and provides evidence for domestication from two different subspecies". Proc. Biol. Sci. 269 (1494): 893–904. doi:10.1098/rspb.2002.1975. PMC 1690972. PMID 12028771. http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=12028771. 
4. ^ Alexander K. Fedosenko and David A. Blank: Mammalian Species, No. 773, Ovis ammon (Jul. 15, 2005), pp. 1-15. Published by: American Society of Mammalogists

Further reading

• Singh, N.J., Amgalanbaatar, S., Reading, R.P. (2011). "Grouping Patterns of Argali in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia". Mongolian Journal of Biological Sciences, 8: 7–13. 
• Singh, N.J., Yoccoz, N.G., Cote, S.D., Lecomte, N., Fox, J.L. (2010) (2010). "Scale and selection of habitat and resources: Tibetan argali in High altitude rangelands". Canadian Journal of Zoology, 88 (5): 436–447. doi:10.1139/Z10-015. http://rparticle.web-p.cisti.nrc.ca/rparticle/AbstractTemplateServlet?calyLang=eng&journal=cjz&volume=88&year=2010&issue=5&msno=z10-015. 
• Singh, N.J., Bonenfant, C., Yoccoz, N.G., Cote, S.D. (2010) (2010). "Sexual segregation in Eurasian wild sheep". Behavioral Ecology, 21 (2): 410–418. doi:10.1093/beheco/arp205. http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/content/21/2/410.short. 
• Singh, N.J., Yoccoz, N.G., Bhatnagar, Y.V., Fox, J.L. (2009) (2009). "Using habitat suitability models to sample rare species in high-altitude ecosystems: A case study with Tibetan argali". Biodiversity and Conservation, 18 (11): 2893–2908. doi:10.1007/s10531-009-9615-5. http://www.springerlink.com/content/u146v772364786h2/. 
• Singh, N.J. (2008). "Animal Habitat relationships in high altitude rangelands. PhD Thesis". University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway. http://www.ub.uit.no/munin/handle/10037/2574. 
• Namgail, T., Fox, J.L. & Bhatnagar, Y.V. (2007). "Habitat shift and time budget of the Tibetan argali: the influence of livestock grazing" (PDF). Ecological Research 22: 25–31. doi:10.1007/s11284-006-0015-y. http://www.reg.wur.nl/NR/rdonlyres/CF6DD450-51CA-46E7-950A-5655E5E00336/69531/NamgailetalHabitatShift.pdf. 
• Namgail, T. (2007). "Vigilance behaviour of the Tibetan argali Ovis ammon hodgsoni in the Indian Trans-Himalaya" (PDF). Acta Zoologica Sinica 53: 195–200. http://www.reg.wur.nl/NR/rdonlyres/CF6DD450-51CA-46E7-950A-5655E5E00336/69526/NamgailArgalivigilance.pdf. 
• 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" (PDF). Journal of Zoology (London) 262: 57–63. doi:10.1017/S0952836903004394. http://www.reg.wur.nl/NR/rdonlyres/CF6DD450-51CA-46E7-950A-5655E5E00336/69530/NamgailetalJZool.pdf. 
• Namgail, T. (2003). "Gya-Miru: last refuge of the Tibetan argali". Sanctuary Asia 23: 16–21. http://www.sanctuaryasia.com/sanctmagazine/archivedetail.php?id=628. 
• Namgail, T., Fox, J.L. & Bhatnagar, Y.V. (2003). Interactions between Argali and livestock in the Proposed Gya-Miru Wildlife Sanctuary.
• University of Michigan Museum of Zoology

External links

 Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Argali". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.