Kingdom: |
Animalia Chordata Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovidae Caprinae Caprini Pseudois |
Common name:
Scientific name:
Other names:
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Dwarf blue sheep
Pseudois schaeferi
Rong-na, Ai Yanyang, Zwergblauschaf
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Physical Characteristics
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Head and body length: 109-160 cm
- Shoulder height: 50-80 cm
- Tail length: 7-17 cm
- Adult weight: 17-40 kg (females); 28-39 , up to 65 kg (males)
- Shoulder height: 50-80 cm
The dwarf blue sheep is a steely-gray color, with the belly being whitish. The legs are darker than the body, but do not possess distinct markings. Both males and females have horns: in females, they are short and more-or-less straight, rising vertically from the forehead, in males the thick horns curve out to the sides, with the tips pointing upwards and outwards. The horns may grow to 41 cm in length in males.
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Similar species
- Very similar to, and sometimes listed as a subspecies of, the bharal (Pseudois nayaur). The bharal is considerably larger (male bharal may weigh twice what mature male dwarf blue sheep weigh) and has more distinct black markings on the face, legs, and sides. Females of the two species are very similar.
Reproduction and Development
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Gestation period: 160 days.
- Litter size: 1, rarely 2.
- Weaning: At 6 months.
- Sexual maturity: At 1.5 years.
- Life span: Unknown
- Litter size: 1, rarely 2.
The breeding season is though to occur between mid-November and mid-December. After a pregnancy that lasts almost six months, babies are usually born between late May and late June.
Ecology and Behavior
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Family group: Small herds of 2 to 15 animals (usually between 4 and
6) of varying sexes and ages.
- Diet: Mostly grasses, sometimes leaves and mosses.
- Main Predators: Wolf, dhole, leopard, large raptors.
- Diet: Mostly grasses, sometimes leaves and mosses.
Habitat and Distribution

Conservation Status
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IUCN Red List: Endangered (2008).
- CITES Listing: Not listed (2011).
- Threats: Hunting, habitat degradation through livestock grazing and farming.
- CITES Listing: Not listed (2011).
Only a few hundred dwarf blue sheep are thought to survive in the wild. Much of their range falls within a protected reserve, although the principal threats to their survival continue to occur within its borders.