Details
Pantholops hodgsonii
Chiru is a mammal associated with grasslands and mountains. It is herbivorous and herd-forming. Decline or fragmentation makes continued monitoring important.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Its range is represented here by the Palearctic, where it uses grasslands and mountains. Mobile species may shift habitat use with season, breeding sites, or food availability.
Typical length 120-140 cm, weight 25 kg-40 kg. It has a hoofed ungulate body plan, with proportions shaped by its habitat and mode of movement.
It is mostly active by day and herd-forming. Spacing, group size, and visibility can change with season, feeding conditions, and breeding activity.
It is herbivorous. Food choice and foraging style are tied to life in grasslands and mountains, so movements often follow available food resources.
As a mammal, it gives birth to live young, and the mother nurses them in cover or within the social group.
Recorded scientifically as Pantholops hodgsonii. Decline or fragmentation makes continued monitoring important. In this guide, size, habitat, and activity pattern are useful first clues for recognition.
