Meaning of Urial
If we look at the urial meaning, it is an animal that is also known as the arkars or shapo, Urial animal is the wild sheep subspecies. Only six to nine subspecies can be found all around the world and all the subspecies are different in size and color. The urial subspecies are found in central Asia from the north of Iran to the west of Kazakhstan and even a few species of Urial are also found in Ladakh and Balochistan. Six to nine subspecies can be distinguished by differences in the size and color of the male's winter neck-ruff, the color of its saddle patch, and the form of its horn. Males have huge horns, whereas females have relatively smaller horns. Their hair is normally brownish red, and males have white 'beards' below their mouths, whilst females are normally the same color all over except for their legs near the hooves.
As mentioned above the main characteristic feature of a urial is the presence of large horns that are curved backwards behind their heads and are taped off in a large spiral and it comes to finish pointing back towards the head which resembles a twisted letter C. When it comes to male urial, they do have very large horns compared to females and the horns can measure upto a meter. Another distinctive feature of the male urial is the presence of white ’beards’ on their faces below the mouth.
In this article we are going to discuss the urial animal, what is the urial meaning and also a few of the most frequently asked questions will also be answered.
Physical Description of the Urial
The urial males are very big and can weigh upto 90 kilograms and have a shoulder height which is upto 1 meter. They are brown in color overall, with a lighter coat in the summer than in the winter. They have a noticeable white rump patch that runs around the rear of the hindquarters and below the base of the tail. The saddle patch on Urial sheep is black and white. Males wear a black neck ruff that covers only the front of the neck and the brisket.
Male urials have massive horns whereas when it comes to the females the horns are much smaller. The form of the horn varies, but it usually has a supracervical arrangement. The longest horn was 990.6 mm in length, while the largest basal circumference was 304.8 mm.
Urial sheep resemble antelopes in appearance, with sinewy bodies and long legs.
An image given below shows the urial animal.
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Taxonomy of the Urial
In the year 1894, Ovis vignei was the scientific name given to the wild sheep in the Sulaiman Mountains by Edward Blyth.
The classification of the genus Ovis is debatable. O. aries (domestic sheep) and O. orientalis (mouflon) have been classified as members of the same species by several authorities. Others acknowledge that the two species are different, but that O. orientalis is the primordial species from which domestic sheep descended. Some people believe sheep populations on the islands of Corsica and Sardinia to be subspecies of O. orientalis, while others believe them to be a unique species. Populations of O. ammon and O. aries vignei coexist in north India, and some scientists believe they are the same species. Some people believe O. orientalis and O. aries vignei are the same species.
Furthermore, due to viable hybrids formed between C. hircus (domestic goats) and O. aries (goats), the genus Ovis has been regarded by some to be identical with the genus Capra (goats) (domestic sheep).
Distribution of the Urial Animals
The urial may be found in western Central Asia, from Iran's northeast to Kazakhstan's west, as well as Pakistan's Balochistan and India's Ladakh areas. It dwells below the tree line in hilly grassland terrain. It can also be found in agricultural fields and hilly locations that are partly forested.
Basically, the urial animals are widely distributed in the Asian areas. They may be found as far east as Iran, and some have been discovered in Oman, however that population is assumed to have been imported.
Habitat and Lifestyle of the Urial Animals
Urial sheep are predominantly diurnal and spend the majority of their time foraging. They wander about in a range but do not have territories. These sheep create herds of related individuals and are sociable. Females, lambs, and youngsters make up the majority of a herd. Older rams create distinct groups with entirely male members.
Herds have a social structure in which dominance is determined by the size of an animal. These interactions are visible, especially in ram herds, where dominance is mostly determined by horn size: the larger the horns, the higher the individual's ranking.
Dominant males keep sheep society in check by preventing younger rams from bothering females. The younger males are more violent and intimidate the sheep than the older males. Front kicks and head twists are common in aggressive situations between people of similar stature. When fighting, these sheep do not rise up on their back legs.
Reproduction
Ewes(female sheep) reach sexual maturity at 1.5 years of age and can give birth to their first child at the age of two. Estrous lasts for a day and a half. Copulation is quick, taking about 2-3 seconds. Gestation is a protracted process that lasts 150-160 days.
Urial sheep are polygynous, meaning that one male can mate with several females. November through December is the breeding season. After a 5-month gestation period, sheep give birth to one lamb. Older sheep may have two or three lambs. Before giving birth, females distance themselves from their herd.
Mothers and their lambs are separated from the herd for 3 to 7 days after giving birth. The lamb acquires strength at this period, and the mother and her baby learn to know one other by smell. They return to their herd after that. Lambs breastfeed for 5-6 months from their moms and may begin nibbling on greenery within a month of birth. Ewes reach sexual maturity at 1.5 years of age and can give birth to their first child at the age of two.
The Population Threat of the Urial Animals
The total number of the Urial sheep is unknown as of now. But according to many resources such as Wikipedia, we believe that there are only 145 Afghan urials found in the Surghar, Srakhowa District Musakhel (Pakistan). The number of urial sheep is decreasing every year and that is the reason it has been listed as vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List.
Agriculture's spread into their habitat, other human-induced changes to their environment and indiscriminate trophy hunting have all contributed to a major reduction in their numbers. Because urial sheep reside in a low, open territory where animals graze, they are considered particularly susceptible. This means that urial sheep must compete for food with domestic cattle.
These creatures have not been especially targeted by predators. They are quick climbers with antelope-like traits that may aid in avoiding predators. Large eagles, canids, and large felids, if present, are prone to prey on young sheep.
FAQs on Urial
Q1: List Out All the Important Facts about the Urial Animal?
Ans: Here are a few of the important facts about the urial animal that everyone should know.
The urial is considered to be the modern domestic sheep’s ancestor and is the oldest line of this species.
The urial is considered to have a good memory and for years they can remember more than fifty individual sheep and people.
Urial animals are both gregarious which is they prefer to be in a group and precocial which is they might be highly independent of birth.
The urial is also included in the Chinese zodiac among all the twelve animals. The funeral is believed to be very sincere, righteous, gentle, and compassionate.
The urial is known to be very emotional animals, this is indicated by the position of their ears.
Urial sheep can use grazing to change the vegetation composition of their environment.
Urial sheep can use grazing to change the vegetation composition of their environment.
Edward Blyth offered the scientific name Ovis vignei for wild sheep in the Sulaiman Mountains in 1841.
Urial sheep are herbivorous. They have been found to consume many plants, grasses, and shrubs.
Q2: Describe the Habitat and the Geographical Distribution of the Urial Animals?
Ans:
Habitat: Urial sheep may be found up to 6,000 meters above sea level in steep to undulating grassland terrain. Their environment is desert, ranging from mild to extreme. They are also sometimes seen in agricultural fields and somewhat forested regions.
Urial habitat regions are temperate and terrestrial grasslands. Desert, forests, and mountains are its terrestrial biomes.
Distribution: Urial sheep may be found all across Asia Minor. They may be found from southwestern Kazakhstan to the Kashmir area of India, passing via Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. They may be found as far east as Iran, and some have been discovered in Oman, however that population is assumed to have been imported.
Q3: Describe the Communication, Behavior Pattern of the Urial Sheep?
Ans:
Behaviour: These urial animals are mostly diurnal, meaning they spend the majority of their time foraging. They travel over a range but do not establish territories.
Urial sheep create herds of related individuals and are sociable. Females, lambs, and youngsters make up the majority of herds. Adult rams are divided into male-only groups. Herd separation decreases forage competition and lowers female pestering. Herds have a social system in which body size determines dominance. In ram herds, dominance is mostly determined by horn size—the greater the horns, the higher the dominance rank.
In urial sheep culture, dominant males operate as a stabilizing influence by preventing younger rams from bothering females. Young males are more violent and bully ewes than older males are. Head twists and front kicks are common in aggressive interactions between people of similar sizes. Before colliding, Urial sheep do not raise on their rear legs.
Communication and Perception of the Urial: Males are known to engage in aggressive physical interactions in order to establish and convey dominant relationships. Tactile communication appears to be a possibility. In this species, olfactory communication is also crucial since mothers and infants know each other based on fragrance. Based on the vocalizations of domestic sheep, who are presumably descended from a single ancestor, it appears that some form of auditory communication exists, though it is allegedly not common.
