Ovis karelini Severtzov 1873
Creators: name: Don E. Wilson
name: Russell A. Mittermeier
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Artiodactyla
Bovidae
Ovis
Ovis karelini

description: 198.
Tianshan Argali
Ovis karelini
French: Mouflon du Tien Shan / German: Tienschan-Wildschaf / Spanish: Argali de Tianshan
Taxonomy. Ouis karelini Severtzov, 1873,
Alatau of Semirechye, between Ili River and Issyk-Kul Lake, Kyrgyzstan.
The Tianshan Argali is usually classified as a subspecies of O. ammon. It is most closely related and most similar anatomically to Marco Polo Argali (O. polii). Some specimens of Tianshan Argali are difficult to anatomically differentiate from Marco Polo Argali. Monotypic.
Distribution. NE Uzbekistan, N Kyrgyzstan, SE Kazakhstan, and NW China. Occurs in the W of Tianshan Mt System (except W Karatau), just E of the cities ofJambul and Shimkent in Kazakhstan and the city of Tashkent in Uzbekistan, and extends E through Tianshan Mts (excluding inner Tianshan) surrounding Issyk-Kul Lake and Jungarian Alatau, and in China at the edge of the distribution of the Gobi Argali (O. darwini) on the Chinese-Mongolian border.
Descriptive notes. Head—body 158-190 cm (males), tail mean 12 cm (males), shoulder height 103-112 cm (subadult males), ear 11-12 cm (males); weight 97-152 kg (males) and 47-66 kg (females). Horn length 114-165 cm (males) and 26-34 cm (females). Exceptionally long horns can have a double curl. Animals in central Tianshan and Jungarian Alatau are larger than those from semi-desert areas and western Tianshan. The muzzle and lowerlip are white; the top of the head,sides, and front of the face are dark gray. A prominent white ruff with hair longer than body hair surrounds the neck. The chest and brisket also are white. A distinct flank stripe separates the dark body hair from the paler belly hair of both males and females, but is more conspicuous in females. In general, body coloris similar in pelage coloration to the Marco Polo Argali, but darker, and the Marco Polo Argali lacks a dark flank stripe. Diploid chromosome numberis 56, as in all other argali.
Habitat. The Tianshan Argali occurs in diverse habitats, ranging from lowland semideserts in Kalkan Mountains to typical highland montane steppes, subalpine meadows, and other subalpine areas in western and central Tianshan. In Kalkan Mountains, females occur in more precipitous broken terrain in summer, and males occur on plateaus and rolling hills. Formerly, animals migrated seasonally from higher mountain habitats in summer to wintering sites in lowlands and foothills with lower snowfall accumulation, but because lowland areas have been deleteriously affected by livestock intrusions and human settlements, Tianshan Argali remain at higher elevations yearround. In Jungarian Alatau, about 30% of mortality was due to wild predators. Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) are the principal predators. In western Tianshan, argali remains occurred in 7-3% of wolf droppings; in the lower Kalkan Mountains, argali remains occurred in 35% of wolf droppings; in Jungarian Alatau in the 1960s, there were argali remains in 63% of wolf droppings. Snow Leopards (Panthera uncia) also prey on argali, especially if they are the most numerous ungulate.
Food and Feeding. Tianshan Argali are primarily grazers. In semi-desert Kalkan Mountains, stomach contents consisted of up to 90% grass (Festuca) in winter, 70% in summer, and 50% in autumn. The other 50% in summer consisted of Ephedra. In general, grasses and sedges dominate winter diets, but spring and summer diets have higher forb content.
Breeding. The gestation period is 155-165 days. Rut usually lasts one month, from mid-October to mid-November. Lambing occurs in late March and early April. Females usually give birth to one offspring, but up to 13% twin. Up to 34% of females did not conceive after a drought the previous summer. The ratio of lambs per female varies from 0-22 in the high-elevation Terskey Alatau to 0-75 in the semi-desert Kalkan Mountains. Lamb survival can be highly variable; in one instance, mortality during the first year oflife was 57%. During especially cold winters and drought, lamb mortality can exceed 90%. Males rarely live longer than ten years.
Activity patterns. Activity patterns of the Tianshan Argali are similar to other argali. In Kalkan Mountains, where winter is characterized by fierce winds, the animals usually avoid feeding during high winds.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Seasonal migrations of up to 70 km were characteristic in the past, when Tianshan Argali crossed broad valleys,rivers, and even railway tracks. Usually these migrations were to avoid deep snow at higher elevations, but severe drought and extreme high temperatures could also initiate movements, as in the semi-desert Kalkan Mountains. Seasonal movements also may be caused by anthropogenic factors, such as the presence of livestock and related human disturbance. Herds of Tianshan Argali are usually small. In the Aksu-Djabagly Nature Reserve, the two largest herds consisted of 37 animals in spring and 52 in summer. The annual average group size was 15-5 for female groups and 7-5 for males. Usual group size in Jungarian Alatau, Terskey Alatau, and Trans-Ili Alatau is 2-6 animals.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II (under O. ammon). Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List (under O. ammon). Populations of the Tianshan Argali have been declining and in many areas have been extirpated. However, there was an increase in numbers in the 1980s. Estimates of the status of populations vary. A conservative estimate is 2000 in the former USSR and 6000 in China. There may have been as many as 6000 in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in the early 1980s, and up to 8000 in China. A captive breeding population should be established as a source of animals for reestablishing extirpated populations. There is a critical need to monitor populations and strictly enforce wildlife laws in protected areas. A major challenge is the large number of domestic livestock throughout their range, which has displaced argali populations; multispecies grazing programs should be established to coordinate grazing of wild and domestic populations.
Bibliography. Antipin (1947), Baskin & Danell (2003), Ellerman & Morrison-Scott (1966), Fedosenko (2000), Fedosenko & Blank (2005), Fedosenko & Kapitonov (1983), Fedosenko & Sludskiy (1981), Fedosenko & Zhiriakov (1987), Geist (1991a), Groves & Grubb (2011), Grubb (2005), Harris & Reading (2008), Heptner & Sludskiy (1972), Heptner et al. (1988), Kapitanova et al. (2004), Klich & Magomedov (2010), Kovshar & Yanushko (1965), Magomedov et al. (2003), Sapozhnikov (1976), Sokolov (1939), Valdez (1982), Wang Sung et al. (1997), Weinberg et al. (1997).
description: Published as part of Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2011, Bovidae, pp. 444-779 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 2 Hoofed Mammals, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on pages 689-690, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6512484