Description

The argali is the largest wild sheep on Earth, native to the high plateaus and rugged ranges of Central Asia — from the Pamirs and Altai to Mongolia and Tibet. Rams are crowned with immense, corkscrew horns that can span over 190 cm in curve length, while ewes bear shorter, lighter versions.

Adapted to cold, arid steppe and alpine terrain, Ovis ammon relies on keen vision and swift climbing ability rather than dense cover. Its coat shifts seasonally from reddish-brown to pale grayish-tan, blending perfectly with rock and snow. Argali feed primarily on alpine grasses, sedges, and forbs, sometimes descending to lower slopes in winter.

Genetically and morphologically, the argali represents the ancestral stock from which domestic sheep (Ovis aries) were derived — making it a living link between wild highlands and human herding history.