Bharal

Last updated

Bharal
Bharal - Shreeram M V - Kibber, Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India.jpg
Male bharal in Spiti Valley
Bharal Female from North Sikkim India 16.10.2019.jpg
Female bharal in North Sikkim
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Caprinae
Tribe: Caprini
Genus: Pseudois
Hodgson, 1846
Species:
P. nayaur
Binomial name
Pseudois nayaur
(Hodgson, 1833)
Distribution map of Blue sheep (Bharal).png
Distribution of blue sheep; dwarf blue sheep range in darker blue
Synonyms

Pseudois schaeferi Haltenorth, 1963Pseudois nayaur schaeferi

Contents

Species synonymy [2]
  • Ovis nayaur
    (Hodgson, 1833)
  • Ovis nahoor
    (Hodgson, 1835)
  • Ovis burrhel
    (Blyth, 1840)
  • Ovis nahura
    (J.E. Gray, 1840)
  • Ovis barhal
    (Hodgson, 1846)
  • Ovis burhel
    (J.E. Gray, 1833)

The bharal (Pseudois nayaur), also called the blue sheep, is a caprine native to the high Himalayas. It is the only member of the genus Pseudois. [3] It occurs in India, Bhutan, China (in Gansu, Ningxia, Sichuan, Tibet, and Inner Mongolia), Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. [1] The Helan Mountains of Ningxia have the highest concentration of bharal in the world, with 15 bharals per km2 and 30,000 in total.

Its native names include yanyang (岩羊) in Mandarin, bharal, barhal, bharar, and bharut in Hindi, na or sna in Tibetan and Ladakh, nabo in Spitian, naur in Nepali and na or gnao in Bhutan. [4] The bharal was also the focus of George Schaller and Peter Matthiessen's expedition to Nepal in 1973. Their personal experiences are well documented by Matthiessen in his book, The Snow Leopard. The bharal is a major prey of the snow leopard.

Description

These medium-sized caprids are 115 to 165 cm (45 to 65 in) long along the head-and-body, with a tail of 10 to 20 cm (3.9 to 7.9 in). They stand 69 to 91 cm (27 to 36 in) high at the shoulder. Body mass can range from 35 to 75 kg (77 to 165 lb). Males are slightly larger than females. Dense coat is slate grey in colour, sometimes with a bluish sheen. The underparts and backs of the legs are white, while the chest and fronts of the legs are black. Separating the grey back and white belly is a charcoal-colored stripe. The ears are small, and the bridge of the nose is dark. The horns are found in both sexes and are ridged on the upper surface. In males, they grow upwards, then turn sideways and curve backward, looking somewhat like an upside-down mustache. They may grow to a length of 80 cm (31 in). In females, the horns are much shorter and straighter, growing up to 20 cm (7.9 in) long. [5] [6]

Taxonomy and evolution

A study working from mitochondrial DNA suggested that the Bharal is more closely related to the goats (Capra sp.) than to the domestic sheep. [7]

The Bharal is split into three subspecies:

Dwarf blue sheep

The dwarf blue sheep, a unique variant of bharal formerly thought to be a distinct species or subspecies Bundesarchiv Bild 135-S-06-24-35, Tibetexpedition, Erlegter Blauschafwidder.jpg
The dwarf blue sheep, a unique variant of bharal formerly thought to be a distinct species or subspecies

The dwarf blue sheep or dwarf bharal (formerly described as Pseudois schaeferi), also known as rong-na in Tibetan, was an alleged species of Pseudois endemic to Sichuan-Tibet in China. It apparently inhabited 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. It was recorded as differing from the bharal primarily in size, with adult males weighing around 35 kg (77 lb) (half as much as the bharal), less sexual dimorphism occurring in the species, and females of the two species being very similar. Its coat was described as a steely grey with a silvery sheen, with darker general colouration than the bharal, and the horns of the male were smaller, thinner and more upright, with no inward curl. There were only 200 individuals estimated to be alive in 2000, which prompted the IUCN (classifying it as a subspecies of P. nayaur, as P. n. schaeferi) classified it as Endangered. [8] [9]

However, a 2012 genetic analysis of Chinese bharal found no indication that it was either a distinct species or subspecies, instead finding to be a morphologically distinct variant of P. n. szechuanensis. The American Society of Mammalogists also follows these results, considering P. schaeferi to be conspecific with P. nayaur. [3] [8]

Behaviour and ecology

Herd of bharal in Ladakh Fock of Bharal sheep grazing.jpg
Herd of bharal in Ladakh
Bharal in Lingti Valley, Himachal Pradesh Blue sheep Pseudois nayaur.JPG
Bharal in Lingti Valley, Himachal Pradesh
A kid blue sheep A kid blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur).JPG
A kid blue sheep
Blue sheep in Manaslu, Nepal Blue sheep in Manaslu.jpg
Blue sheep in Manaslu, Nepal

Bharal are active throughout the day, alternating between feeding and resting on the grassy mountain slopes. Due to their excellent camouflage and the absence of cover in their environment, bharal remain motionless when approached. Once they have been noticed, however, they scamper up to the precipitous cliffs, where they once again freeze, using camouflage to blend into the rock face. Population densities in Nepal were found to be 0.9–2.7 animals per km2, increasing to a maximum of 10 animals in the winter, as herds congregate in valleys. [5] Bharal are mainly grazers, but during times of scarcity of grass, they switch to browsers, eating forbs and shrubs. [10] A high degree of diet overlap between livestock (especially donkeys) and bharal, together with density-dependent forage limitation, results in resource competition and a decline in bharal density. [11] Where they overlap, they are the favored prey of snow leopards, Himalayan wolves, and leopards, with a few lambs falling prey to foxes or eagles. [5]

Rutting behaviour

The rutting of the bharal starts towards late November and continues until mid-January. During the rut, male bharal use multiple strategies for mating, namely tending, blocking, and coursing. [12] Their lambs are born in late June and July.[ citation needed ]

Threats

The bharal is categorised as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The population faces threats - poaching for meat and competition with livestock. Poaching, however, is uncommon due to the unsuitable conditions of its habitat. Similarly, livestock do not generally frequent the mountainous regions where bharal occur; even if they do coexist, no notable detrimental effect on the bharal has been observed. [1]

Relationship with humans

Many Buddhist monasteries protect the bharal found around them, but lately,[ when? ] issues of crop damage caused by bharal have started to arise in areas such as the Spiti Valley.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Himalayas</span> Mountain range in Asia, separating Indo-Gangetic plain from Tibetan Plateau

The Himalayas, or Himalaya is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than 100 peaks exceeding elevations of 7,200 m (23,600 ft) above sea level lie in the Himalayas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goa (antelope)</span> Species of antelope

The goa, also known as the Tibetan gazelle, is a species of antelope that inhabits the Tibetan plateau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ladakh</span> Region administered by India

Ladakh is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India and China since 1959. Ladakh is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region to the east, the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to the south, both the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan to the west, and the southwest corner of Xinjiang across the Karakoram Pass in the far north. It extends from the Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram range to the north to the main Great Himalayas to the south. The eastern end, consisting of the uninhabited Aksai Chin plains, is claimed by the Indian Government as part of Ladakh, but has been under Chinese control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urial</span> Species of mammal

The urial, also known as arkars, shapo, or shapu, is a wild sheep native to Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lahaul and Spiti district</span> A district in Himachal Pradesh, India

The Lahaul and Spiti district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh consists of the two formerly separate districts of Lahaul and Spiti. The present administrative center is Kyelang in Lahaul. Before the two districts were merged, Kardang was the capital of Lahaul, and Dhankar the capital of Spiti. The district was formed in 1960 and is the fourth least populous district in India. It is the least densely populated district of India, according to the Census of India 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argali</span> Species of sheep

The argali, also known as the mountain sheep, is a wild sheep native to the highlands of western East Asia, the Himalayas, Tibet, and the Altai Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemis National Park</span> National Park in Ladakh, India

Hemis National Park is a high-elevation national park in Hemis in Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is approx. 50 km from Leh, the capital of Ladakh. Globally famous for its snow leopards, it is believed to have the highest density of them in any protected area in the world. It is the only national park in India that is north of the Himalayas, the largest notified protected area in India and is the second largest contiguous protected area, after the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and surrounding protected areas. The park is home to a number of species of endangered mammals, including the snow leopard. Hemis National Park is India's protected area inside the Palearctic realm, outside the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary northeast of Hemis, and the proposed Tso Lhamo Cold Desert Conservation Area in North Sikkim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Himalayan marmot</span> Species of rodent

The Himalayan marmot is a marmot species that inhabits alpine grasslands throughout the Himalayas and on the Tibetan Plateau. It is IUCN Red Listed as Least Concern because of its wide range and possibly large population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Ladakh</span>

Ladakh is the home to endemic Himalayan wildlife, such as the bharal, yak, Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan wolf and the iconic snow leopard. Hemis National Park, Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, and Karakorum Wildlife Sanctuary are protected wildlife areas of Ladakh. The Mountain Institute, the Ladakh Ecological Development Group and the Snow Leopard Conservancy work on ecotourism in rural Ladakh. For such an elevated, arid area, Ladakh has great diversity of birds — 318 species have been recorded. Many of these birds reside at or seasonally breed in high-altitude wetlands, such as Tso Moriri, or near rivers and water sources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Changtang</span> North-West Tibet geographic highland

The Changtang is a part of the high altitude Tibetan Plateau in western and northern Tibet extending into the southern edges of Xinjiang as well as southeastern Ladakh, India, with vast highlands and giant lakes. From eastern Ladakh, the Changtang stretches approximately 1,600 kilometres (990 mi) east into Tibet as far as modern Qinghai. The Changtang is home to the Changpa, a nomadic Tibetan people. The two largest settlements within the Tibetan Changtang are Rutog Town the seat of Rutog County and Domar Township the seat of Shuanghu County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tso Moriri</span> Lake in Ladakh, India

Tso Moriri or Lake Moriri or "Mountain Lake", is a lake in the Changthang Plateau in Leh district of the union territory of Ladakh in India. It is located approximately 219 km from Leh City, capital of Ladakh. The lake and surrounding area are protected as the Tso Moriri Wetland Conservation Reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Himalayan wolf</span> Subspecies of mammal

The Himalayan wolf is a canine of debated taxonomy. It is distinguished by its genetic markers, with mitochondrial DNA indicating that it is genetically basal to the Holarctic grey wolf, genetically the same wolf as the Tibetan and Mongolian wolf, and has an association with the African wolf. No striking morphological differences are seen between the wolves from the Himalayas and those from Tibet. The Himalayan wolf lineage can be found living in Ladakh in the Himalayas, the Tibetan Plateau, and the mountains of Central Asia predominantly above 4,000 m (13,000 ft) in elevation because it has adapted to a low-oxygen environment, compared with other wolves that are found only at lower elevations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows</span>

The Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows is a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion of Nepal, India, and Tibet, which lies between the tree line and snow line in the western portion of the Himalaya Range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows</span> Ecoregion in the Eastern Himalayas

The Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows is a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion of Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal, which lies between the tree line and snow line in the eastern portion of the Himalaya Range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snow leopard</span> Species of large felid

The snow leopard is a species of large cat in the genus Panthera of the family Felidae. The species is native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because the global population is estimated to number fewer than 10,000 mature individuals and is expected to decline about 10% by 2040. It is mainly threatened by poaching and habitat destruction following infrastructural developments. It inhabits alpine and subalpine zones at elevations of 3,000–4,500 m (9,800–14,800 ft), ranging from eastern Afghanistan, the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau to southern Siberia, Mongolia and western China. In the northern part of its range, it also lives at lower elevations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transhimalaya</span> Mountain range in India and Tibet, parallel to the main Himalayan range

The Trans himalaya, or "Gangdise – Nyenchen Tanglha range", is a 1,600-kilometre-long (990 mi) mountain range in China, India and Nepal, extending in a west–east direction parallel to the main Himalayan range. Located north of Yarlung Tsangpo river on the southern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, the Transhimalaya is composed of the Gangdise range to the west and the Nyenchen Tanglha range to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kibber</span> High-altitude village in Himachal Pradesh, India

Kibber, also Kibber Khas and Khyipur, is a village high in the Spiti Valley in the Himalayas at 4,270 m (14,010 ft) in Himachal Pradesh in northern India. It contains a monastery and is a base for visiting the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary. It is located 19 km (12 mi) from Kaza and a bus service connects them in the summer months. Agriculture forms the backbone of the local economy and lush green fields are abundant. It is the base for visitors to the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, home to about 30 snow leopards. Treks to nearby peaks and to a high pass in the Zanskar range between Spiti and Ladakh start from Kibber.

Chang Tang National Nature Reserve lies in the northern Tibetan Plateau. It is the third-largest land nature reserve in the world, after the Northeast Greenland National Park and Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, with an area of over 334,000 km2 (129,000 sq mi), making it bigger than 183 countries. Administratively, it lies in Xainza County and Biru County of the Nagqu Prefecture. With the more recently established adjoining reserves listed below there is now a total of 496,000 km2 of connected Nature Reserves, which represents an area almost as large as Spain and bigger than 197 other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tibetan Plateau alpine shrublands and meadows</span> Type of regional vegetation

The Tibetan Plateau alpine shrublands and meadows ecoregion covers the middle transition zone between the northern and southern regions of the Tibetan Plateau. The region supports both cold alpine steppe and meadows across a broad expanse of the plateau. Wild deer, antelope, and sheep roam the grasslands, but the habitat is increasingly being used to graze domestic livestock.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Harris, R.B. (2014). "Pseudois nayaur". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2014: e.T61513537A64313015. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T61513537A64313015.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. Wang, X.M.; Hoffmann, R.S. (1987). "Pseudois nayaur and Pseudois schaeferi". Mammalian Species (278): 1–6. doi: 10.2307/3503993 . JSTOR   3503993.
  3. 1 2 "Pseudois nayaur (Hodgson, 1833)". ASM Mammal Diversity Database. American Society of Mammalogists . Retrieved 2021-08-28.
  4. Lydekker, R. (1900). The great and small game of India, Burma and Tibet, p 93,
  5. 1 2 3 Bharal, Himalayan blue sheep Archived 2015-04-06 at the Wayback Machine . Ultimateungulate.com. Retrieved on 2012-08-23.
  6. Smith, A. T., Xie, Y. (eds.) (2008) A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton Oxfordshire ISBN   0691099847.
  7. Bover, Pere; Llamas, Bastien; Mitchell, Kieren J.; Thomson, Vicki A.; Alcover, Josep Antoni; Lalueza-Fox, Carles; Cooper, Alan; Pons, Joan (2019). "Unraveling the phylogenetic relationships of the extinct bovid Myotragus balearicus Bate 1909 from the Balearic Islands". Quaternary Science Reviews. 215: 185–195. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.05.005. ISSN   0277-3791.
  8. 1 2 Tan, Shuai; Zou, Dandan; Tang, Lei; Wang, Gaochao; Peng, Quekun; Zeng, Bo; Zhang, Chen; Zou, Fangdong (2012-06-01). "Molecular evidence for the subspecific differentiation of blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) and polyphyletic origin of dwarf blue sheep (Pseudois schaeferi)". Genetica. 140 (4): 159–167. doi:10.1007/s10709-012-9667-4. ISSN   1573-6857. PMID   22821360. S2CID   17673293.
  9. Huffman, B. & Harris, R. (2014). "Pseudois nayaur ssp. schaeferi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2014: e.T18535A64313668. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T18535A64313668.en . Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  10. Suryawanshi, K.; Bhatnagar, Y.V.; Mishra, C. (2010). "Why Should a Grazer Browse? Livestock impact on winter resource use by bharal Pseudois nayaur". Oecologia. 162 (2): 453–462. Bibcode:2010Oecol.162..453S. doi:10.1007/s00442-009-1467-x. PMID   19784849. S2CID   1486413.
  11. Mishra, C.; Van Wieren, S. E.; Ketner, Pieter; Heitkonig, Ignas M. A.; Prins, Herbert H. T. (2004). "Competition between domestic livestock and wild bharal Pseudois nayaur in the Indian Trans-Himalaya". Journal of Applied Ecology. 41 (2): 344–354. Bibcode:2004JApEc..41..344M. doi: 10.1111/j.0021-8901.2004.00885.x .
  12. Lovari, Sandro; Som Ale (2001). "Are there multiple mating strategies in the blue sheep?". Behavioural Processes. 53 (1–2): 131–135. doi:10.1016/S0376-6357(00)00134-0. PMID   11255000. S2CID   7587862.

Further reading