Dwarf Blue Sheep
Encyclopedia
The dwarf blue sheep or dwarf bharal Pseudois schaeferi is an endangered species of caprid
found in China Proper
and Tibet
. It inhabits low, arid, grassy slopes of the upper Yangtze gorge in Batang County of the Sichuan Province, and a small part of the Tibet Autonomous Region
, where it is known by the local name rong-na.
Originally given subspecific
status to the bharal
(Pseudois nauyar), morphological
research conducted in the 1970s led it to be considered a distinct species. However, recent molecular analysis has shown the difference between the two species is slight, and suggests it should be treated as a subspecies of the bharal.
The dwarf blue sheep differs from the bharal primarily in size, with adult males weighing around 35kg, half as much as the bharal. Less sexual dimorphism
occurs in this species, and females of the two species are very similar. Its coat is a steely grey with a silvery sheen, with darker general colouration than the bharal, and the horns of the male are smaller, thinner and more upright, with no inward curl.
In 2000, there were estimated 200 individuals of dwarf blue sheep alive. The species is hunted, and in their limited range cannot escape from humans and livestock
. Although a reserve of 142.4 square km was set up around Zhubalong in 1995, human activities continue.
It lives mostly on rocky slopes generally at very high altitudes, such as between 8500 and 9500 feet above sea level. The dwarf blue lives in dry areas, valleys in the mountains
The dwarf blue lives mostly on grasses but also other plants such as club moss.
It performs alternative activities through the day, going from sleep to graze and back to sleep over the course of the day.
Usually very steep grassy slopes, and dwells in groups of sheep. Usually they live in groups of about six, however in the past when they were more plentiful they lived in family groups of 10-30 individuals.
The Dwarf blue sheep reaches maturity about 1-2 years old, although the males don’t normally mate until they reach peak size, about 7 years old.
Goat antelope
A goat-antelope or caprid is any of the species of mostly medium-sized bovids that make up the subfamily Caprinae , part of the Bovidae family of ruminants...
found in China Proper
China proper
China proper or Eighteen Provinces was a term used by Western writers on the Qing Dynasty to express a distinction between the core and frontier regions of China. There is no fixed extent for China proper, as many administrative, cultural, and linguistic shifts have occurred in Chinese history...
and Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. It inhabits low, arid, grassy slopes of the upper Yangtze gorge in Batang County of the Sichuan Province, and a small part of the Tibet Autonomous Region
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
, where it is known by the local name rong-na.
Originally given subspecific
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
status to the bharal
Bharal
The bharal or Himalayan blue sheep or naur, Pseudois nayaur, is a caprid found in the high Himalayas of Nepal, Tibet, China, India, Pakistan, and Bhutan...
(Pseudois nauyar), morphological
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
research conducted in the 1970s led it to be considered a distinct species. However, recent molecular analysis has shown the difference between the two species is slight, and suggests it should be treated as a subspecies of the bharal.
The dwarf blue sheep differs from the bharal primarily in size, with adult males weighing around 35kg, half as much as the bharal. Less sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
occurs in this species, and females of the two species are very similar. Its coat is a steely grey with a silvery sheen, with darker general colouration than the bharal, and the horns of the male are smaller, thinner and more upright, with no inward curl.
In 2000, there were estimated 200 individuals of dwarf blue sheep alive. The species is hunted, and in their limited range cannot escape from humans and livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
. Although a reserve of 142.4 square km was set up around Zhubalong in 1995, human activities continue.
It lives mostly on rocky slopes generally at very high altitudes, such as between 8500 and 9500 feet above sea level. The dwarf blue lives in dry areas, valleys in the mountains
The dwarf blue lives mostly on grasses but also other plants such as club moss.
It performs alternative activities through the day, going from sleep to graze and back to sleep over the course of the day.
Usually very steep grassy slopes, and dwells in groups of sheep. Usually they live in groups of about six, however in the past when they were more plentiful they lived in family groups of 10-30 individuals.
The Dwarf blue sheep reaches maturity about 1-2 years old, although the males don’t normally mate until they reach peak size, about 7 years old.