Saiga

About this species

Diet

Herbaceous steppe and semidesert plants

Habitat

Semidesert, steppe, and grassland

Range

Mongolian subspecies confined to western Mongolia

The saiga is unmistakable for its enlarged, flexible nose, with closely set nostrils directed downward. Its summer coat is yellowish to reddish and becomes pale grey-brown in winter; the Mongolian form may look sandy. Underparts are white. Only males carry the wax-coloured, slightly translucent horns, marked by pronounced rings. Winter hair lengthens around the neck into a mane, and the species moults in spring and autumn. The Mongolian population represents the distinct subspecies Saiga tatarica mongolica. (Wikipedia, general species account)

The Mongolian subspecies is confined to western Mongolia, where the account specifically places it around the Sharga and Mankhan nature reserves and within the Great Lakes Basin desert-steppe. Saigas graze a range of plants in semidesert, steppe, and grassland and form large herds capable of long movements and river crossings, while generally avoiding steep terrain. Breeding begins in November; successful males gather groups of females, and females assemble to give birth in spring. (Wikipedia, general species account; Wikipedia, Mongolian saiga account)

Description: Wildlife of Mongolia guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)