Systematics of living beings in biologists sometimes become a subject of disputes. This also affected the classification of the representative of the detachment of whaling snowster. Some scientists see him with a separate type of ram of rams, others consider it a subspecies of crowding. Often a snowster is called a crowd. Another name is Chubuk.
Description and appearance
Nature awarded this mammal with a powerful body with a welldeveloped muscles. He has a short neck and pointed head. The ears are also quite short (not more than 10-11 cm) and mobile. Brown eyes are planted wide. The nose is raised, the upper lip is lifted so that sometimes teeth become visible. Big and unusual horns grow on the head from the middle of the forehead. The diameter of their base is 30 cm. The horns of gray or brown color are twisted back and scrolled forward and down. The navigation of the horns is directed forward, which does not bode for the enemies from meeting with the ram nothing good. The length of the horns reaches a meter. The female horn is shorter, less and slightly curved up.
The males are larger: the length of their bodies can reach 188 cm, and the mass is 150 kg. Females usually do not reach 180 cm in length, but weigh no more than 68 kg. Feet of snow sheep thick. Moreover, the rear ones are longer than the front. This is due to the way of life that involves movement along the mountain slopes. The hoofs of animals are also adapted to these conditions. Their sharp edges help to hold on to cracks and protrusions, and rough pads on the back of the hooves do not allow to slide along the smooth surface of the stones and ice.
The fur of snow sheep can be brown, reddish, gray and even white. The muzzle and belly are usually light: white or yellowish. By winter, the fur becomes thick due to the undercoat. In the spring after molting, it is more smooth and short.
Distribution and habitat
The range of this type of artnic group is limited by a small territory of Siberia. It is common in Yakutia, the Magadan region, the Krasnoyarsk and Kamchatka Territory, on the Chukotka and the island of Sakhalin. The crowd in mountainous areas live at an altitude of 300 m. In higher areas, they usually do not settle, since there the snow cover can reach 40 cm. And such a layer of snow does not allow the rams to move and get food conveniently.
Migrate rams at short distances, mainly vertically. In winter, they descend below and look for uneven and lowsnow places. In the summer, on the contrary, they try to move as high as possible to the mountains, leaving the valleys.
Food and lifestyle
Snowster herbivore. Its main diet is the highest grassy plants. Mushrooms and lichens also go to food. In spring and summer, crowding feed on cereal, legumes, buckwheat, sedgeal, complex plants. In the fall, ripened mushrooms and berries are added to this list. To maintain the normal level of minerals in the body, animals seek solonetzed soils. Of them they receive the necessary salts. In winter, animals feed on lichens, prickly twigs, produce dry grass from under the snow. In this harsh season, the roots of plants and even needles go to food.
Reproduction
Baranes usually live in groups of 3-4 males and 7-8 females. Reproductive age in females occurs much earlier: two years after birth. Males reach maturity by 4-5 years. In the marriage period, the male part of the herd fights for females, arranging short battles.
Pregnant individuals leave the relatives and settle in a cave and cleft rocks. This position protects well from predators. After 5 months, the cub is born. Multiple in snow sheep is a rare phenomenon.
Red Book and Number
One of the limiting factors of the number of chuboks is their natural enemies: Wolverine and wolves. Only these predators manage to track down and catch such difficult prey. In addition, they easily tolerate winter cold. Baranes usually manage to escape, hiding in cracks and caves. There they are waiting for snowstorms and drill.
The number of animals is affected by hunters. They track rams for meat and trophy in the form of a horned head. Hunting for stews is prohibited, but poaching is still present. The decline in the livestock is also affected by a person’s environmental environmental environment under the pastures of livestock.
In the Red Book MSOP, the snowster is present as a species that is under the least threat. However, some subspecies are at risk of disappearance (for example, Yakut and Putoran). The total number is about 100,000 goals. Among the measures taken to protect these animals, the most effective is their transportation to reserves. Attempts to cross snow rams with other types are also being made.
Interesting Facts
Snow lambs are unique and amazing animals. They adapted to life in very harsh conditions of the highlands, cold and shortage of the feed base.
The digestive system of stews was perfectly adapted to harsh conditions. They have powerful jaws. They help animals chew straw and prickly vegetation. The rams also have a very long intestines. This feature gives them the opportunity to eat a lot of food, storing it for the future.
The appearance of a snowster has more in common with mountain goats than rams of other species. This is explained by a specific way of life, which implies constant movements in mountainous areas. The modifications in the structure of their skeleton improved the balance and jumpinginess of animals.
Meeting with a snowster is a rare phenomenon, if only because it settles in places inaccessible for humans. It is necessary to track it down on purpose. Scientists do this and, unfortunately, poachers. And if the former conduct scientific activities in order to preserve the species, then the latter kill unique animals more often just because of a beautiful trophy. Hunting for a snowster is persecuted by law. The penalty for the destruction of individuals of this type is punishable in our country with a fine of 100,000 rubles.
