Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: dwarf rock sheep
- Scientific name: Bharal (Hypophthalmichthys pygmy sheep)
- Classification: Hoof Order
- Classification and genus: Mammalia, Order Artiodactyla, Family Bovidae
Vital signs data
- Body length: 109~160 cm
- Weight: 28~65 kg
- life:
Significant features
Its body is brownish-gray with a silvery sheen, and is generally darker than that of the Himalayan blue sheep.
Distribution and Habitat
Limited to a narrow area: the upper reaches of the Yangtze River along the Jinsha River valley, within Batang and Baiyu counties in Sichuan, and a small area on the opposite bank of the Lancang River in Ma'erkang County, and eastern Tibet. It may also be distributed in southwestern Sichuan (Derong County) and Yunnan (Deqin County). Endemic to China.
Appearance
The head and body length is 109–160 cm, shoulder height is 50–80 cm, tail length is 7–12 cm, total skull length is 208–247 cm, and weight is 28–65 kg (male) and 17–40 kg (female). Similar to the Himalayan blue sheep, it was previously considered a subspecies of the Himalayan blue sheep, but is generally smaller, with a light brown coat that shimmers with a silvery sheen, and slender, less curled horns.
Detailed introduction
The pygmy ibex inhabits steep, rocky slopes at altitudes of 2700–3200 meters, occasionally venturing into coniferous forests and open woodlands. The blue sheep, on the other hand, may inhabit higher altitudes within the same area. Their diet consists of grasses, low shrubs, lycophytes, and lichens, and they graze and rest alternately on grassy slopes throughout the day. They used to form herds of 10–36 individuals, but now, due to overhunting, they are typically fewer than 15. Males sometimes form solitary male groups, and sometimes mix with ewes and lambs. The gestation period is approximately 160 days, with farrowing occurring in May or June, typically resulting in one lamb per birth (twins are rare). Lambs are weaned within 6 months and reach maturity at 1.5 years of age; males may take up to 7 years to reach their maximum size.
Conservation Status : The population has declined sharply as a result of hunting. Group size has decreased from 10-36 individuals to 3-8 individuals in 1990. It is protected by local ethnic minorities in the religious areas of Baiyu, Sichuan. (China RL-CR B1ab (i, ii, iii, v), China Key List—II, IUCN RL-EN A2d, B1+2e ver2.3 (1994)).
