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Urial

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Mammals

                      iUrial

                             Conservation status

   Vulnerable (VU)
            Scientific classification

   Kingdom: Animalia
   Phylum:  Chordata
   Class:   Mammalia
   Order:   Artiodactyla
   Family:  Bovidae
   Genus:   Ovis
   Species: O. vignei

                                Binomial name

   Ovis vignei
   Blyth, 1841

   The Urial is a medium-sized wild sheep and as such is considered a
   member of the goat antelope subfamily. The Urial is also known as Shapo
   or Arkhar. Noticeable features are the reddish-brown long fur that will
   fade during the winter. Males are characterized by a black ruff
   stretching from the neck to the chest and significantly larger horns.

   Urial males have large horns, curling outwards from the top of the head
   turning in to end somewhere behind the head, females have shorter,
   compressed horns. The horns of the males may grow to be up 1 metre. The
   average shoulder height of an adult male Urial lies somewhere between
   80 and 90 centimeters.

   The Urial is found in the mountain areas of Russia, Pakistan , India
   and central Asia. The habitat consists of grassy slopes below the
   timberline. Urials rarely move to the rocky areas of the mountains. The
   Urial feed mainly on grass but are able to eat leaves of trees and
   bushes if needed.

   The mating season begins in September. During mating the rams (which
   live in their own herds when not mating) will select 4-5 ewes, who will
   give birth to one or two lambs after 5 months.

   The conservation status of the Urial is threatened as their habitat is
   perfectly suitable for human development; the Urial population has been
   recovering the last few years though.

   The scientific classification of the Urial is disputed , but the Urial
   can be said to fit into the taxonomic classifications of Ovis vignei,
   Ovis orientalis and/or Ovis ammon. Subspecies of O. vignei include:
     * Ovis vignei cycloceros (Afghan or Baluchistan Urial) (Blanford
       Urial(= blanfordi)
     * Ovis vignei punjabiensis (Punjab Urial)
     * Ovis vignei vignei (Ladakh or Shapu Urial)

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urial"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
