Арғал қойы: сипаттамасы, таралуы және қорғалуы

Species of sheep
the Village Development Committee in Nepal
Speciesbox
| name = Argali
| image = Karkaraly National Park 11. jpg
| image caption = A flock of wild Argali
| status = NT
| status system = IUCN3.1
| status ref =
| status2 = CITES A2
| status2 system = CITES
| status2 ref = It is the largest species of wild sheep. Argali stand high at the shoulder and measure long from the head to the base of the tail. The female, or ewe is the smaller sex by a considerable margin, sometimes weighing less than half as much as the male, or ram. The ewes can weigh from and the rams typically from , with a maximum reported mass of The Pamir argali (also called Marco Polo sheep, for they were first described by that traveler), O. a. polii, is the largest race on average, regularly measuring more than long without the tail, and is less sexually dimorphic in body mass than most other subspecies. The argali has relatively the shortest tail of any wild goat antelope or sheep, with reported tail lengths of
The general coloration varies between each animal, from a light yellow to a reddish brown to a dark grey brown. Argali or nyan from the Himalayas are usually relatively dark, whereas those from Russian ranges are often relatively pale. In summertime, the coat is often lightly spotted with a salt and pepper pattern. The back is darker than the sides, which gradually lighten in color. The face, tail and the buttocks are yellowish white. The male has a whitish neck ruff and a dorsal crest and is usually slightly darker in color than the female. Males have two large corkscrew shaped horns, some measuring in total length and weighing up to Males use their horns for competing with one another. Females also carry horns, but they are much smaller, usually measuring less than in total length.

Argali range from central Kazakhstan in the west to the Shanxi Province in China in the east and from the Altai Mountains in the north to the Himalayas to the south. They are a species of mountainous areas, living from elevations of In protected areas, the species generally prefers gently sloping areas with soft broken terrain, although ewes with lambs often take up residence in more precipitous areas, characterized by canyons and jagged rocks. In areas where they are extensively hunted (such as Kazakhstan), they are more likely to be found in forested areas. In parts of China and Russia where they compete for resources with numerous domestic stock, argali more regularly take up residence in precipitous, jagged areas. Argali may search for regions in the mountains where snow cover is not heavy during the winter, following winds that blow snow off the earth. Rams are generally found at higher elevations more regularly than females and stay at higher elevations longer during the winter. Where not locally extirpated, snow leopards and leopards are also predators of argali of any age. Eurasian lynx and wolverines may seldom kill argali to at least the size of winter weakened ewes. Red foxes and domestic dogs (largely those kept by sheep herders) will prey on lambs. Cinereous vultures, lammergeiers and golden eagles have been observed circling herds of ewes with lambs in a possibly predatory manner and remains of argali lambs have been observed in golden eagle nests. Smaller predators, such as raptorial birds and smaller mammalian carnivores, are attacked by mother ewes, but in the presence of larger predators, the ewes quickly run away with the lambs following them. In Pakistan administered Kashmir, it is listed as an endangered species. However, findings in the mitochondrial genome relationship and the development of interspecies nuclear transfer embryos between Argali and sheep could help in conserving the species in the long run .