Urial

Arkale (Ovis orientalis Arkal )

As Urial or steppe sheep ( Ovis orientalis vignei group) are several sub-species of wild sheep summarized, which are located in the western Central Asia.

Distribution and habitat

You can find the Urial from northeastern Iran and western Kazakhstan to Balochistan and Ladakh. East of the distribution area of the larger Argali lives in the southwest and the area borders to that of the wild sheep. In a transition region in north Iran urial and mouflon cross under natural conditions. In Ladakh, where touching the distribution areas of Aragli and urial, argali some live in the immediate vicinity of Ladakh Urials. Here the Argalis prefer however higher areas. Many Urials live in fairly dry regions and some penetrate even up in desert areas before. They are almost always to be found in mountainous terrain, but where they avoid very steep cliffs.

Appearance

Urials not reach the magnitude of 80 to 90 cm Argalis shoulder height and 35 to 90 kg body weight. Even the horns of goats can not reach the dimensions of the eastern neighbors. For the Urials wear a distinctive, stately neck mane, which is black or white depending on the subspecies. The basic color is light brown with white underside. Some subspecies wear a white saddle patch.

Stock

By trophy hunting and competition with domestic livestock of the Urial is threatened throughout its existence. In their open habitats, the animals are often not too difficult to kill, even though they are generally considered shy. All subspecies of Urial declines in stock and today exist worldwide probably no more than 40,000 Urials.

Way of life

Normally, the old goats live apart from the herds of females. In the rutting season, which begins in late autumn or early winter, the flocks break up into small groups of 3-4 females that are defended by a strong Bock.

Subspecies

Grubb (2005 ) distinguishes three types of Urials:

• Ladakh urial (Ovis orientalis vignei Blyth, 1841): Ladakh only incoherent in northern Pakistan and India, area of ​​distribution; old bucks are in summer, copper red white with white saddle patch and black neck mane, bottom; endangered, about 2100 animals. The subspecies occurs, for example, in the northern Indian Hemis National Park
• Circle horn sheep or Afghan urial (Ovis orientalis cycloceros Hutton, 1842): Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, eastern Iran, Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, Kashmir, Punjab and Balochistan; risk. Reserves where this subspecies is protected, include the Kirthar National Park and the Hingol National Park in Pakistan.
• Arkal or Trans Caspian Urial (Ovis orientalis Arkal Eversmann, 1850): Ustyurt Plateau (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, northern Iran) and western Kazakhstan; endangered, less than 11,000 animals, of which 1500 live in the Golestan National Park in northern Iran.

In southern Turkmenistan near the border with Afghanistan and Iran go Arkal and circular horn sheep seamlessly into each other. However, the former seem to be more in the west and the latter more in the East, for example, in Badkhyz Nature Reserve to occur.

The IUCN distinguishes the following additional sub- types:

• Punjab urial (Ovis orientalis punjabiensis Lydekker, 1913): Punjab in Norpakistan between the rivers Indus and Jhelum
• Bukhara urial (Ovis orientalis bochariensis Nasonov, 1914): Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, north of the rivers Amu Darya and Panj; in the 1990s probably still about 1,200 animals, inventory descending