Ovis nigrimontana 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 nigrimontana

description: 197.
Karatau Argali
Ovis nigrimontana
French: Mouflon du Kara Tau / German: Karatau-Wildschaf / Spanish: Argali de Kara Tau
Taxonomy. Ouvis nigrimontana Severtzov, 1873,
Karatau Province of Syr Darya, on east bank of Syr Darya River.
Usually classified as a subspecies of O. ammon. DNA sequence data reveal that the Karatau Argali is the most primitive argali and although closely related to Severtzov’s Argali (O. severtzout), both should be considered separate, evolutionarily significant units. Monotypic.
Distribution. S Kazakhstan (NW half of Karatau range, W Tianshan Mts).
Descriptive notes. The only measurements, those of a three-year-old ram, are headbody 150 cm,tail 10 cm; weight 70 kg. Horn length 71-5 cm, basal circumference 28 cm. The Karatau Argali is the second-smallest argali; only Severtzov’s Argali is smaller. General body color is dark brown, with a paler neck. It has a creamy white, short neck ruff that blends gradually with the body hair. The white belly is set off by a dark flank stripe. The fronts of the forelegs are white, but the fronts of the hindlegs have dark stripes. The distinct white rump patch does not extend beyond the base ofthe tail.
Habitat. Karatau Argali mostly inhabit the northern slope of the north-western Karatau Range, which is dissected by deep ravines, among cliffs and scree. They seldom use plateau areas because these are occupied by livestock. They often dwell in deep valleys overgrown by trees and tall shrubs. Their resting sites are in high grass and brush, which is atypical of argali. Seasonal migrations are uncommon, but in particularly snowy winters they move to areas with less snow, or even descend to the plain.
Food and Feeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but other argali feed on grasses, sedges, and some herbs and lichens.
Breeding. Rut takes place in October, some 5-10 days earlier than in Tianshan Argali (O. karelini) inhabiting the south-eastern Karatau Range. Lambs are probably born in April. In the late 1970s, out of 139 argali, there were 45 males (32:4%), 49 females (35:3%) and 45 lambs (32:4%), with a ratio of 92 lambs:100 ewes, indicating high productivity.
Activity patterns. There is no specific information available for this species, but likely diurnal or crespucular,like other argali.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Karatau Argali are generally sedentary. Population density in autumn is low, having decreased from 3-5 ind/km? in the 1970s to 0-05 ind/km? by the late 1990s. Consequently, group size is small (2-11 animals), with an average of 3-4.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix I (as O. ammon nigrimontana). Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List (under O. ammon). Major threats to the Karatau Argali are illegal hunting and overgrazing by domestic livestock. In the 1970s, numbers totaled 150-250, based on optimistic estimates. In the early 1990s, numbers probably rose to about 300, but the latest census in 2001 revealed 100 animals at most. The Karatau Argali is the most endangered argali and is on the verge of extinction. Hybridization with migrating Tianshan Argali in south-eastern Karatau Mountains is a possibility. Establishment of protected areas that exclude livestock and strict enforcement of game laws are crucial to the survival of the Karatau Argali.
Bibliography. Antipin (1947), Baidavletov (2003), Baskin & Danell (2003), Bunch et al. (2000), Fedosenko (2000), Fedosenko & Blank (2005), Geist (1991a), Grachev (1982, 1986), Groves & Grubb (2011), Grubb (2005), Heptner et al. (1988), Kapitanova et al. (2004), Sopin (1982), Valdez (1982), Weinberg et al. (1997), Wu Chunhua et al. (2003).
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 page 689, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6512484