Ovis ammon<\/td>
\n21,300 (KGZ)\n
\n29,121 (TJK)<\/td><\/tr>\t<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n\t\t\tDistribution and habitat\t<\/h2>\n\t
Argali are found in Tibet, the Himalayas, and other Central Asian mountain ranges in Afghanistan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. They occupy mountains, steppe valleys, and rocky outcrops at elevations from 300 to 5000 m above sea level, preferring undulating but rugged surface terrain with a lack of tall vegetation, using high mountain areas in summer and low ranges in winter. Overall, the range of the argali is highly fragmented with limited connected populations, some of which cross international borders. Argali sheep are found in the central Kazakh Low Hills (Melkosopochnik) and in the Tarbagatay and Saur in the northeastern part of Kazakhstan at the border with China. They are also present in southeastern and eastern Kyrgyzstan, and throughout most of the eastern third of Tajikistan, from the border with China in the south to the border with Kyrgyzstan in the west.<\/p>\n The argali is a main prey for carnivores such as snow leopards and wolves, hence their conservation is important for sustaining these populations. Ungulates help maintain ecosystem processes within the habitat. Cyclic grazing within their range has positive effects on grassland forage and ecosystem processes. This includes increasing grassland production through regenerative growth after grazing as well as raising nitrogen mineralisation and availability to plants, seed dispersal, and structuring vegetation cover. Beyond the project countries, argali are distributed across mountainous regions in Afghanistan, China, Mongolia, Russian Federation, Uzbekistan,\u202fIndia, Nepal,\u202fand Pakistan.<\/p>\n POACHING: One of the most significant threats\u00a0to argali\u00a0is\u00a0poaching, which causes direct mortality\u00a0and continues to drive population\u00a0declines. Argali are hunted\u00a0both\u00a0for meat and\u00a0for\u00a0their\u00a0large, highly\u00a0valuedhorns, making them a prime target\u00a0for illegal and trophy hunting.\u00a0\u00a0In addition to direct losses,\u00a0associated\u00a0human presence can displace argali\u00a0from otherwise\u00a0suitable habitats, forcing them into less\u00a0optimal areas.<\/p>\n PASTURE COMPETITION: Domestic livestock are serious competitors to argali\u00a0as they often rely on the same forage plants, leading to reduced food\u00a0availability and restricted access to key grazing areas.\u00a0While argali\u00a0can coexist\u00a0with livestock in areas with low disturbance, increasing\u00a0livestock numbers and intensive grazing practices\u00a0frequently\u00a0result in displacement, sometimes pushing\u00a0argali into\u00a0higher, less productive\u00a0elevations.\u00a0Over time, overgrazing degrades\u00a0vegetation and reduces the quality of mountain pastures, contributing to long-term habitat deterioration.\u00a0Additional\u00a0disturbances from herders, motorbike use, and herding dogs can further disrupt argali behaviour\u00a0and, in some cases, lead to mortality of lambs.<\/p>\n\t DISEASE: Domestic\u00a0livestock have also introduced\u00a0infectious diseases and parasites to the argali,\u00a0such as foot-and-mouth disease\u00a0(FMD),\u00a0peste\u00a0des petits ruminants (PPR), and sarcoptic mange.\u00a0As livestock numbers grow and environmental conditions change, the likelihood of disease spread between domestic and wild ungulates also rises.\u00a0Herders have noted that\u00a0warming\u00a0temperatures are causing\u00a0more\u00a0disease among livestock herds.<\/p>\n HABITAT FRAGMENTATION: Habitat fragmentation\u00a0is further isolating the\u00a0argali\u00a0population\u00a0as increased infrastructure development\u00a0in mountainous regions, combined with disturbance, livestock encroachment, and poaching, reduces connectivity between habitats. This\u00a0fragmentation can\u00a0decrease genetic diversity and increase the risk of local extinctions, particularly in small or already isolated populations.\u00a0In some regions,\u00a0additional\u00a0pressures\u00a0increase\u00a0these threats. For example, in the Pamirs of Tajikistan, the harvesting of slow-growing shrubs for fuel reduces the availability of winter forage and contributes to long-term habitat degradation, while also pushing livestock further into argali habitats.<\/p>\n CLIMATE CHANGE: Finally,\u00a0climate change\u00a0is expected to intensify many of these existing challenges. Warming temperatures and glacial retreat are likely to alter water availability, reduce snowpack, and affect vegetation dynamics in alpine ecosystems. As freshwater sources become less reliable and riparian habitats decline, the availability of key forage areas may decrease, further limiting suitable habitat for argali and increasing competition with livestock.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShow Refrences\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t Salas, EAL, Valdez, R, Michel, S, Boykin, KG. Habitat assessment of Marco Polo sheep (Ovis ammon polii) in Eastern Tajikistan: Modeling the effects of climate change. Ecol Evol. 2018; 8: 5124- 5138. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/ece3.4103<\/a><\/p>\n Fedosenko, AK, Blank, DA. Mammalian Species, Ovis ammon. American Society of Mammalogists. (2005). No. 773, pp. 1-15<\/p>\n Population status and migration trends of Marco Polo argali (Ovis ammon polii) in Pakistan (degruyter.com)<\/a><\/p>\n Reading, R., Michel, S. & Amgalanbaatar, S.\u00a02020.\u00a0Ovis ammon.\u00a0The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species\u00a02020: e.T15733A22146397.\u00a0https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.2305\/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T15733A22146397.en<\/a>.\u00a0Accessed on\u00a017 March 2023.<\/p>\n Ecological interactions shape the distribution of a cultural ecosystem service: Argali sheep (Ovis ammon) in the Gobi-Steppe of Mongolia – ScienceDirect<\/a><\/p>\n Habitat assessment of Marco Polo sheep (Ovis ammon polii) in Eastern Tajikistan: Modeling the effects of climate change – Salas – 2018 – Ecology and Evolution – Wiley Online Library<\/a><\/p>\n International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of the Argali<\/p>\n Ovis ammon | CMS<\/a><\/p>\n Salovarov, Viktor O., Daniyar N. Yesmukhanbetov and Zhaskaiyr M. Karagoishin. “DYNAMICS OF ARGALI POPULATION (OVIS AMMON LINNAEUS, 1758) IN KAZAKHSTAN.” Siberian Journal of Life Sciences and Agriculture (2023): n. pag.<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/15733\/22146397<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t![\"CAMCA_speciesranges_argali_draft_fullHD_v2_JW\"](\"https:\/\/camcaproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/CAMCA_speciesranges_argali_draft_fullHD_v2_JW.avif\" "\\"CAMCA_speciesranges_argali_draft_fullHD_v2_JW\\"")
\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\t Importance\t<\/h2>\n\t
\n\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\tThreats\t<\/h2>\n\t