Kulan - a way of life and meaning for a person. Kulan ... Fast as the wind ... What group of animals do kulans belong to

A contemporary of the mammoth

Kulan ( jigetai, Equus hemionus) is a species from the horse family. It looks very much like a donkey, but has a lot common features with a horse, which is why the kulan is often called a half-donkey.

It is believed that the kulan has never been tamed, unlike the African donkey.

It was first described in 1775.

Kulan has been known since the early Pleistocene in Central Asia, and in the late Pleistocene was part of mammoth fauna and met in the vast territories of North Asia from the Caucasus to Japan and Arctic Siberia (Begichev Island).

The body length of the kulan is 175-200 cm, the length of the tail is about 40 cm, the height at shoulder level (at the withers) is 125 cm, and the weight is 120-300 kg. The kulan is somewhat larger than the usual domestic donkey.

It differs from a domestic horse in a more massive head with long ears (from 17 to 25 cm) and thinner legs with narrow, elongated hooves.

The hairline is short in summer, close to the skin, in winter the hair is longer and sinuous. On the upper side of the neck, a short, erect mane is developed, which stretches from the auricles to the withers, but there is no “bangs” characteristic of a domestic horse. The tail of the kulan is short and thin.

The general tone of the color of the body, neck and head is sandy yellow. various shades and saturation, sometimes reaching red-brown with a grayish tinge. Along the midline of the back and tail is a narrow dark stripe. The mane and tips of the ears are dark brown. Long hair at the end of the tail is black or black-brown. The lower body and neck, the end of the head, the inner parts of the limbs and the area near the tail are light, almost white.

Within the territory of former USSR in historical times lived in the steppes of Ukraine, North Caucasus, south Western Siberia and Transbaikalia, back in the 19th century it was distributed in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was found in the south of Turkmenistan and in eastern Kazakhstan, occasionally came from the territory of Mongolia to southeastern Transbaikalia.

Currently lives in the south-east of Turkmenistan in the Badkhyz reserve (about 700 heads) in the interfluve of the Tejen and Murgab rivers.

In 1953, it was brought to the island of Barsakelmes in the Aral Sea (120-140 animals).

But at the end of the 20th century, due to the deterioration of the ecological situation in the basin Aral Sea part of the livestock was resettled to the protected areas of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, and the rest left the borders former island, went into the steppe and presumably died.

Small populations live in Turkmenistan, on the Kaplankyr plateau and in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe villages of Meana and Chaacha.

In Kazakhstan, on the territory of the state national park Altyn-Emel and the Andasai reserve is inhabited by a population of kulans numbering 2690 individuals.

About 150 kulans lived in the Askania-Nova nature reserve and on Biryuchy Island in Ukraine.

Outside the former USSR, it is distributed in Iran, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Northwest China.

Kulan, dzhegitai is a characteristic inhabitant of dry flat deserts and semi-deserts; in Turkmenistan, it lives on semi-desert plains and gentle slopes of hills up to a height of 300-600 meters above sea level.

Avoids vast expanses of loose or weakly fixed sands. In northern China, it prefers dry foothill steppes and rocky deserts.

There are many disagreements about the distribution of kulans into subspecies. In older scientific papers seven species of kulans are distinguished, which today are mostly considered subspecies. Many zoologists consider the kiang separate view, since it has the largest deviations from general characteristics. However, in general, all of the following subspecies belong to the same species.

Onager ( E.h. onager), Northern Iran

Turkmenian kulan ( E.h. kulan), Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan

Hulan ( E.h. hemionus), Mongolia

Khur ( E.h. khur), Southern Iran, Pakistan, Northwestern India

Kiang ( E.h. kiang), Western China, Tibet

Anatolian kulan ( E.h. anatoliensis), Turkey, extinct

Syrian kulan ( E.h. hemippus), Syria, Mesopotamia, Arabian Peninsula, extinct

Kiang
Equus kiang holdereri

Kiang is the largest of the kulan subspecies, reaching 140 cm at the withers and weighing up to 400 kg. The coat of the Kiang is reddish-brown.

Information about kiangs is extremely scarce. Kiang loves to swim in the water and withstands living conditions at an altitude of up to 5.5 thousand meters above sea level. It was at this height that the kiangs were encountered on the southern slopes of the Himalayas and the high plains of Tibet.

For a long time, there were no kiangs in any zoo in the world, except for Beijing. In 1957, two kiangs named Nemo and Ned were sold to the Riga Zoo. This couple lived up to 27 years and left behind nine descendants.

By 1984, there were already 72 kiangs, direct descendants of Nemo and Neda. To save these animals from the degeneration associated with inbreeding, new kiangs were purchased in Beijing and Berlin.

Kiang ( Equus kiang), like the kulan, belongs to the horse family ( Equidae). Found in Tibet and surrounding regions. Kiang is a close relative of the kulan, but somewhat larger and somewhat more horse-like.

Kiangs reach a body length of about 210 cm, a height at the withers of about 142 cm and a weight of 250 to 400 kg. Their fur is on top summer time are painted in light red tones, while the winter long coat is rather brown. They have a prominent black stripe on their backs. The underside is white, some white patches of coat may extend all the way to the back. The legs, front of the neck and muzzle are also painted white. In addition to larger limbs, the difference from the kulan lies in the larger head, shorter ears, longer mane and wider hooves.

Kiangs inhabit the entire Tibetan mountain range, consisting of mountain ranges and plateaus north of the Himalayas. The most numerous populations live in the Tibet Autonomous Region, as well as in neighboring Chinese provinces Qinghai and Sichuan. Kiangs are also found in India (the states of Ladakh and Sikkim) and in Nepal. Their habitat is dry steppes at an altitude of up to 5000 m above sea level.

Kiangs live in groups of 5 to 400 individuals. The largest of them consist of females and foals, as well as juveniles of both sexes. The leader of the group is, as a rule, a mature female. Social bonds within the group are very strong, kiangs never leave each other and go together in search of food. Males live alone during the summer and stray into groups of bachelors by winter.

In search of food, kiangs travel long distances, overcoming rivers and other bodies of water, they are good swimmers.

Kiangs feed mainly on grasses and other low vegetation. During times of food abundance (July and August) they can gain up to 45 kg of extra weight.

Unlike other wild donkeys, kiangs are not endangered, although their populations have declined since Tibet came under Chinese rule in the 1950s.

There are about 65,000 kiangs in China, of which about 45,000 are in Tibet. About 2000 individuals live in India.

There are conflicting reports about the number of kiangs in Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan.

Sometimes kiangs are considered as a subspecies of kulan, however, DNA studies allow them to be distinguished as a separate species, and now there are three subspecies of kiangs.

Today, you can see the kiang only in a few zoos in the world: in Moscow, Riga, Beijing, Berlin and San Diego (USA).

Onager (Onager persian, Equus hemionus onager) - an artiodactyl animal of the genus of horses, a subspecies of the kulan, lives on rocky plateaus stretching from Iran and Syria to northwest India.

The word onager comes from Greek wordόνος, onos - donkey and αγρός, agros - field.

The height of the animal at the withers is 1.2 meters, and the length is 2 meters. The ears are noticeably shorter than those of the donkey. Usually they live in family herds of several females with colts and an adult male leader. Onagers feed on coarse grains.

The color is reddish in summer and yellowish in winter, the tassel on the tail is light brown, the end of the muzzle and the lower part of the body are white. Along the back - a wide black stripe; "dorsal cross" is weakly expressed; on the lower legs there are several black transverse stripes. Females are smaller than males and do not have stripes on their backs.

Onager is mentioned in the Bible, in which he symbolically depicted a repentant sinner, one who no longer bears the burden of sin.

Onager is also represented in literary works, in the fables "Onager, Donkey and Charioteer" and "Donkey, Onager and Lion" by the ancient Greek fabulist Aesop, the poem "Eight Gardens of Eden" by the Indo-Persian poet Amir Khosrov Dehlavi, novels French writers Honore de Balzac ("Shagreen Skin") and Jules Verne ("The Mysterious Island").

According to a number of zoologists, the onager and the Turkmenian kulan are one and the same subspecies. But according to the results of the latest molecular genetic research both populations are still different from each other.

And sometimes another subspecies is separated from the kulan-dzhigetai - the gobi kulan (E. h. luteus).

In the western part of its range, the kulan used to meet along with the wild donkey. Today, both species in these regions are wild nature exterminated. The living space of the kulan is arid semi-deserts, in which it feeds on sparsely growing grass. Kulans need drinking points nearby, as they cannot stand the absence of water for a long time.

Modern DNA research proves that all current domestic donkeys are descendants of the African donkey.

Compiled according to the results of genetic studies genealogical tree clearly separates donkeys into African and Asian branches. Kulans belong to the second of them.

The question of whether the kulan can be domesticated and whether it has already been possible in the past is hotly debated. Some consider the animals depicted on ancient bas-reliefs from Mesopotamia to Ur to be neither horses nor donkeys, and conclude that we are talking about kulans, which the ancient Sumerians and Akkadians managed to tame and harness in front of carts.

But all attempts to tame kulans, undertaken in modern times, were not successful. It is considered more likely that the African donkey was domesticated in Mesopotamia (which, despite its name, was also found in Western Asia).

During the excavations of the settlement of Tel-Brak in Mesopotamia, bones of hybrids of a domestic donkey and a kulan were found, which were used as draft animals in 4-3 thousand years BC, before the spread of the horse.

Today's kulans get used to people in captivity, but do not become tame.

In Mongolia, it is believed that kulans cannot be tamed. The name "kulan" is derived from the word "hulan", which means "invincible, fast, nimble."

wild donkey (Equus asinus) is a species of the horse family ( Equidae) a detachment of equids. Its domesticated form has played an important historical role in the development of human economy and culture.

somali donkey (Equus africanus somaliensis, Equus asinus somaliensis) is a subspecies of the wild donkey that lives on south coast Red Sea in Eritrea, Somalia and the Ethiopian region of Afar. The legs of the Somali donkey are covered with black horizontal stripes, which resembles a zebra.

About 150 Somali donkeys are kept in zoos around the world.

The zoo in Basel, Switzerland is one of the most successful breeding centers for this rare subspecies.

Since 1970, 35 Somali donkeys have been born here, which, however, have an admixture of the Nubian donkey ( Equus africanus africanus).

The most purebred Somali donkeys are kept in zoos in Italy.

Unlike the horse, the donkey has hooves adapted to rocky and uneven surfaces. They help to move more safely, but are not suitable for a quick jump. However, in some cases, a donkey can reach speeds of up to 70 km / h.

Donkeys come from countries with an arid climate and their hooves do not tolerate the humid European climate.

The coat color of donkeys can be gray, brown or black, occasionally white breeds are found. The belly is usually light, the same applies to the front of the muzzle and around the eyes. Donkeys have a stiff mane and a tail ending in a tassel. The ears are much longer than those of a horse. Depending on the breed, donkeys reach a height of 90 to 160 cm.

Except external differences donkeys from horses, there are other features, in particular, the horse has six lumbar vertebrae, the donkey has five. In addition, donkeys have 31 pairs of chromosomes, while horses have 32 pairs. The body temperature of donkeys is slightly lower, averaging 37°C, while that of horses is 38°C. Donkeys also have a longer gestation period.

As in the case of horses, one must distinguish between native wild and feral donkeys.

Once upon a time, various subspecies of wild donkeys lived in North Africa and Western Asia, however, as a result of domestication, they almost disappeared in the era of the ancient Romans.

In our time, wild donkeys have survived only in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan, a small population has managed to take root in a reserve in Israel.

In the 1980s, the total number of wild donkeys was estimated at 1,000 and has since declined further.

In Somalia, wild donkeys as a result civil war already probably completely exterminated, in Ethiopia and Sudan the same fate in all likelihood awaits them in the near future.

The only country with a relatively stable population of wild donkeys is Eritrea, where their number is about 400 individuals.

Unlike native wild donkeys, feral domestic donkeys exist in many regions of the world. Their range also includes those countries in which there are still wild donkeys, which, according to the fears of zoologists, can lead to the fact that both groups can mix and violate the "genetic purity" of the wild donkey.

About 1.5 million feral donkeys roam the steppes of Australia.

In the southwestern United States, there are about 6,000 feral donkeys called burros and under protection.

One of the few European populations of the feral donkey is found in Cyprus on the Karpas peninsula. They are dark brown or black and noticeably larger than other donkeys. They often have zebra-like stripes on their legs.

donkey ( Equus asinus asinus) or donkey, this is a domesticated subspecies of the wild donkey, which played an important historical role in the development of the economy and human culture.

The domestication of donkeys took place much earlier than this domestication of horses.

Donkeys were the first animals ancient man used to transport goods. Already around 4000 BC. e. domesticated Nubian donkeys were kept in the Nile Delta.

In Mesopotamia, wild donkeys were tamed a little later.

In ancient times, donkeys came to Europe. It is known that the Etruscans had donkeys of Asia Minor origin. Donkeys came to Greece around 1000 BC.

donkey

Currently, the most famous breeds of donkeys are:

French - Pyrenean, Cotentin, Poitou, Provencal,

Spanish - Catalan donkey,

Central Asian - Bukhara and Merv (Mary).

French donkeys often perform at agricultural shows.

Albino donkey or White donkey ( Asinello Bianco, Asino Albino) - a breed of donkeys, endemic to the island of Asinara, the Italian region of Sardinia.

The habitat of this rare sub-species of the African donkey is limited to the island of Asinara, which became a national park in 1997, with a total population of about 90 individuals, and the natural reserve of Porto Conte, Alghero.

By the way, the name "donkey" and "donkey" is the name of the same domestic donkey, only the word "donkey" comes from the Latin word asinus(asine), and "donkey" - from the Turkic (ısak, in Turkish)

By interspecific crossing of donkeys and horses, two sterile hybrid forms appear:

mule (a hybrid of a donkey and a mare);

hinny (a hybrid of a stallion and a donkey).

Mule ( mulus) is the result of crossing a donkey and a mare. Mules are easier to breed and usually larger than hinnies.

Male mules and hinnies are sterile, as are most females (although there are several cases of offspring from mating female mules with stallions and donkeys). This is due to different quantity Chromosomes: Horses have 64 chromosomes and donkeys have 62.

The main suit of the mule is determined by the suit of the mares. Mules are distinguished by a longer life expectancy than hinnies (they live up to 40 years), less susceptibility to diseases, undemanding to feed and care.

There are two types of mules according to their working capacity - pack and draft. The height at the withers of pack animals is 110-140 cm, draft animals up to 160 cm.

Pack mules weigh 300-400 kg, draft mules - 400-600 kg. Mules are actively bred in Asia, Africa, southern Europe, North and South America.

Loshak

With the exception of the head with short ears, outwardly the hinny differs little from the donkey, except that his voice sounds a little different. Loshakov is bred in the Mediterranean countries and in Asia.

However, since they are inferior to mules in performance and endurance, they are much less common than mules.

Male hinnies are always sterile, females - in most cases.

A.A. Kazdym

List of used literature

Baryshnikov G.F., Tikhonov A.N. Mammals of the fauna of Russia and adjacent territories. Ungulates. Odd-toed and artiodactyl (pork, musk deer, deer). St. Petersburg: "Science", 2009

Grzimek B. And horses again ... M .: Progress, 1990

Livanova T.K. Horses. M.: AST Publishing House LLC, 2001

Nowak M. Ronald Walker's Mammals of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1999

http://www.zooclub.ru/wild/nepar/3.shtml

http://www.floranimal.ru/pages/animal/k/190.html

http://www.zoodrug.ru/topic2037.html

http://www.ultimateungulate.com/Perissodactyla/Equus_kiang.html

http://ru.vlab.wikia.com/wiki/%D0%9A%D1%83%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD

http://www.animalsglobe.ru/kulan/

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A characteristic inhabitant of dry lowland deserts and semi-deserts, in Turkmenistan it lives on semi-desert plains and gentle slopes of hills up to a height of 300-600 meters above sea level. Avoids vast expanses of loose or weakly fixed sands. In northern China, it prefers dry foothill steppes and rocky deserts.

Subspecies

There are many disagreements about the distribution of kulans into subspecies. In older scientific works, seven species of kulan are distinguished, which today are mostly considered subspecies. Many zoologists consider kianga a separate species, as it has the greatest deviations from general characteristics. However, in general, all of the following subspecies belong to the same species.

• Onager, northern Iran
• Turkmenian kulan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan
• Jigetai, Mongolia
• Khur, southern Iran, Pakistan, northwestern India
• Kiang, western China, Tibet
• Anatolian kulan, Turkey †
• Syrian kulan, Syria, Mesopotamia, Arabian Peninsula †

Kiang is the largest of the kulan subspecies, reaching 140 cm at the withers and weighing up to 400 kg. The coat of the Kiang is reddish-brown. Information about kiangs is extremely scarce. Kiang loves to swim in the water and withstands living conditions at an altitude of up to 5.5 thousand meters above sea level. It was at this height that the kiangs were encountered on the southern slopes of the Himalayas and the high plains of Tibet. For a long time, there were no kiangs in any zoo in the world, except for Beijing. In 1957, two kiangs named Nemo and Ned were sold to the Riga Zoo. This couple lived up to 27 years and left behind nine descendants. By 1984, there were already 72 kiangs, direct descendants of Nemo and Neda. To save these animals from the degeneration associated with inbreeding, new kiangs were purchased in Beijing and Berlin. Today you can see kiang only in a few zoos in the world: in Moscow, Riga, Beijing, Berlin and San Diego.

According to a number of zoologists, the onager and the Turkmenian kulan are one and the same subspecies. But according to the results of the latest molecular genetic studies, both populations can be distinguished from each other. Another subspecies of the Gobi kulan is sometimes separated from the dzhigetai.

The body length of the subspecies jigetai is 210 cm.

In the western part of its range, the kulan used to meet along with the wild donkey. Today, both species in these regions are exterminated in the wild. The living space of the kulan is arid semi-deserts, in which it feeds on sparsely growing grass. Kulans need drinking points nearby, as they cannot stand the absence of water for a long time.

Kulan, also known as jigetai, is a species from the horse family. The species was first described in 1775. Outwardly, the kulan looks like a donkey and a horse at the same time, due to which the kulan is often called a half-donkey. It is believed that the kulan has never been tamed, unlike the African donkey.

The body length of the kulan is from 175 to 200 cm, the tail is 40 cm long, the height at the withers is 125 cm, the weight of adults is in the range from 120 to 300 kg. Thus, the kulan is slightly larger than an ordinary domestic donkey. The difference from a domestic horse is big head with long ears from 17 to 25 cm, thin legs with narrow, elongated hooves. The coat in the summer is short, close to the skin, in winter it becomes long and sinuous. On top of the neck is a short, erect mane, which begins near the ears and continues to the withers, there is no “bangs” like in a domestic horse. The tail is short, thin with a tuft long hair. The upper body, neck and head are painted in sandy-yellow color of different shades up to red-brown with gray. The trunk below, the inner parts of the legs and the area near the tail are practically white color. A narrow dark stripe runs along the midline of the back and tail. The mane and tips of the ears are dark brown. The tail is black or black-brown.

Kulans eat exclusively vegetable food th, but any, in the choice of plants, kulans are unpretentious. They willingly eat any greens, in its absence they switch to saxaul and hodgepodge.

They also drink any water, even very salt water or bitter, from dirty reservoirs. Indeed, in order to find a source of water with a kulan, sometimes you have to travel more than 30 km.

Previously, the animal lived in the steppes of Ukraine, in the north of the Caucasus, in the south of Western Siberia and Transbaikalia, in the 19th century the kulan was found in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. At the beginning of the 20th century, he lived in the south of Turkmenistan and in the east of Kazakhstan, in Mongolia and in the southeast of Transbaikalia.

Now about 700 individuals live in the Badkhyz Reserve in the southeast of Turkmenistan, from where the species was brought to the island of Barsakelmes in the Aral Sea in 1953. Due to the shortage fresh water in this region, part of the livestock settled to the east of the Betpak-Dala desert and the Ili River. In 2005, the population in Kaskakulan consisted of 179 kulans.

Small populations have also been recorded in Kazakhstan, in the Askania-Nova nature reserve and on Biryuchy Island (Ukraine). Kulans are also found in Iran, Afghanistan, Mongolia, and northwest China.

Kulans live mainly in dry lowland deserts and semi-deserts, on semi-desert plains and hillsides, at altitudes of 300-600 m above sea level. The animal avoids vast sandy spaces.

Common types of kulan

The height of the species at the withers is up to 1.2 m, the body length reaches 2 m. The ears are short. It is painted reddish in summer and yellowish in winter, the tassel on the tail is light brown, the end of the muzzle and body are white below. A wide black stripe runs along the center of the back, the “dorsal cross” is practically not expressed, black transverse stripes are located on the shins. Females are smaller than males and lack a "dorsal cross".

Found on rocky plateaus from Iran and Syria to northwestern India.

Distributed in Mongolia and northern China. Previously lived in the east of Kazakhstan and in the south of Siberia, was exterminated by hunters. The species belongs to animals in a vulnerable position.

Colored in yellowish color with shades of reddish-gray, yellowish-brown or pale chestnut. The mane is dark. A dark stripe runs down the center of the back.

The species used to be found from western India to southeastern Iran. It now lives only in the Gujarat region of India and is a vulnerable species.

The view is more like a horse. The body length reaches 210 cm, the height at the withers is approximately 142 cm, the weight is in the range from 250 to 400 kg. The upper coat is light red in summer and brown in winter. black stripe runs down the center of the back. The underside of the body is white, as are the legs, the front of the neck and the muzzle. It also differs from other species big size heads, short ears, long mane and wide hooves.

Kiang live in Tibet and in the Chinese provinces of Qinghai and Sichuan. They are found in India (the states of Ladakh and Sikkim) and in Nepal.

Sexual dimorphism in kulan is weakly expressed. It appears that the males are somewhat larger than the females.

Kulans live in families of 5-25 individuals. The leader of such a herd is an adult male. He usually grazes separately, not far from his garden, but at the same time carefully monitors the safety of animals. Under such supervision, a group of kulans quietly graze. When danger approaches, the leader emits a signal resembling the cry of a donkey and the herd runs away very quickly. The male usually leads the herd until the age of 10. Later, a stronger and younger male takes his place, and the old male is expelled from the herd.

In general, kulans are active, mobile and non-aggressive animals. But the fights of adult males that take place in mating season, look intimidating. They rear up, press their ears, while their eyes are bloodshot, their mouths are bared. They wrap their legs around the enemy, knock him down, gnaw with their teeth. Such skirmishes end in serious wounds and bloodshed, but, as a rule, do not reach a fatal outcome.

The mating season for kulans lasts from May to August. The leader during this period moves to graze closer to the herd and attracts the attention of females, tumbling in the dust and kicking dry soil with his feet. Females, ready to mate, bite his withers.

Pregnancy lasts about a year, after which one cub is born. The baby almost immediately gets on its feet and after 2-3 days joins the herd. Milk feeding continues for 10 months. Gradually, the foal switches to plant foods. Young kulans become sexually mature at the age of 4 years. Life expectancy in nature is about 20 years.

The main enemy of kulans is the wolf. Only this predator is able to compete with the kulan in speed and strength. The wolves exhaust the kulans with a long pursuit, and approaching, they beat off the weakest animal from the herd. Hyenas prey on small kulans.

In winter, kulans often die from lack of food. Previously, wild ass hunting was widely practiced, but now the decline in natural habitats is a threat to the reduced population of these animals.

• The word "kulan" comes from the Mongolian language and is translated as "invincible, fast, nimble."
• Kulans are very peaceful with most animals and birds. For example, they calmly pull out the hair of a kulan to build nests. But for some reason, kulans do not like dogs and sheep, and attack when they approach.
• Kulans do not like to lie down; such rest lasts no more than 2 hours in summer and up to half an hour in winter. Standing kulan is able to rest for 5-8 hours.
• Kulans are descendants of the Asian branch of African donkeys. The question of their domestication and use in the economy in antiquity is still controversial. In Mongolia, it is believed that this animal cannot be tamed. Kulans living in captivity nevertheless gradually get used to a person, but do not become tame.

Kulan kulan

(onager), an animal of the horse genus. Length 2.0-2.4 m. Inhabits the deserts and semi-deserts of Western, Central and Central Asia, including the south of Turkmenistan (Badkhyz Reserve); brought to the Barsakelmes and in the foothills of the Kopetdag. It breeds in captivity. Guarded everywhere. Syrian and Indian kulan - in the IUCN Red List.

Kulan (onager, Equus hemionus), equine mammal of the horse genus. Body length 2.0-2.4 m, height at the withers 110-137 cm, weight 120-127 kg. In appearance, the kulan is slender and light. The head is relatively heavy, the ears are longer than those of a horse. The tail is short, with a black-brown brush at the end, like donkeys and zebras. Coloring sandy-yellow color of various shades. The belly and inner parts of the legs are white. From the withers to the croup and along the tail there is a narrow black-brown stripe. The mane is low.
The kulan is distributed in Western, Middle and Central Asia. However, once large range decreased significantly. The number is restored only in reserves, including in the south of Turkmenistan (Badkhyz Reserve). The kulan was brought to the island of Barsakelmes and to the foothills of the Kopetdag. Habitat depends on territorial features. The animal can inhabit hilly plains or foothills, deserts and semi-deserts. Except in the spring when the pastures are covered with young juicy grass, kulans need a daily watering place and do not move further from water bodies than 10-15 km. In case of danger, they can reach speeds of 60-70 km / h, without slowing down for several kilometers. There are no strictly defined periods of grazing and rest.
To most animals, except for sheep, the kulan is peaceful, often grazing with goitered gazelle and herds of horses. Mutual communication is developed among these animals, it is worth alerting goitered gazelles, or alarmingly shouting to birds, as a kulan takes off. An angry kulan is very ferocious.
Kulans have well-developed eyesight, hearing and smell. It is impossible to approach the kulan unnoticed at a distance of 1-1.5 km. However, he can pass a motionless person at a distance of 1.5 m, and this is due to the peculiarities of his visual apparatus. The click of the camera can be heard by kulans at a distance of 60 m. They are silent animals. With a call, reminiscent of a donkey, but more deaf and hoarse, the male calls the herd.
The rut takes place from May to August. During the rut, the male begins to prance in front of the females, raising his head high. Often runs around the herd, jumps, screams, rides on his back, tears with his teeth and throws up tufts of grass.
Even before the start of the rut, adult males drive young kulans out of the herds. During this period, there are serious fights between males. Baring their mouths and flattening their ears, they rush at each other with bloodshot eyes, trying to grab the hock joint. If one succeeds, then he begins to twist the opponent around the axis and gnaw at his neck.
Pregnancy of females lasts 331-374 days, on average 345. Kulanyat will be born from April to August. The first hours they lie motionless, but already on the first day they begin to graze with their mother. The grown up kulanenok becomes very active. When he wants to eat, he walks around his mother, digs the ground near her belly with his foot, throws his legs around her neck. The male protects the cubs from possible attacks by young kulans. Animals breed in captivity. Kulans are protected everywhere, two subspecies - Syrian (Equus hemionus hemippus) and Indian kulan (Equus hemionus khur) are listed in the International Red Book.

encyclopedic Dictionary. 2009 .

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- (tat.). Wild ass, a kind of Mongolian jiggetai, mainly in Persia and India, among the Kirghiz. Dictionary foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. KULAN Asian donkey, with a black stripe on the back and a black ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

Kulan- Equus hemionus see also 7.1.1. Genus Horses Equus Kulan Equus hemionus (and the stride length, like that of an adult horse, is about 1 m (Appendix 1, and a horse with a donkey is a hinny. These hybrids (almost always males) are barren. About kulans Khalkha Mongol, twice ... ... Animals of Russia. Directory

- (onager) an animal of the genus horses. Length 2.0 2.4 m. Inhabits the deserts and semi-deserts of the Front, Cf. and Center. Asia, including in the south of Turkmenistan (Badkhyz Reserve); brought to about Barsakelmes and in the foothills of the Kopetdag. They breed in captivity. Everywhere… … Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

KULAN, in the south. the Kyrgyz steppe, onager, wild ass, Equus asinus; see also tarpane and jigetai. Dictionary Dahl. IN AND. Dal. 1863 1866 ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

Dzhigetai, donkey, onager Dictionary of Russian synonyms. kulan n., number of synonyms: 5 jigetai (4) f ... Synonym dictionary

Kulan- KULAN, an animal of the genus of horses. Body length 2 2.4 m, height at the withers about 125 cm. The mane is short, standing, on the tail there is a brush of long coarse hair. It lives in the deserts and semi-deserts of Western, Central and Central Asia, including in the south of Turkmenistan ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

KULAN, a, husband. Wild animal family. equine, related to the donkey. | adj. kulany, ya, ye. Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

- (Equus hemionus), a species of horse. Length body ok. 2 m, h. at the withers approx. 125 cm. The head of the K. is larger than that of the tarpan, the ears are longer, the legs are thinner, with narrow hooves. The mane is short, standing, on the lower third of the tail, long coarse hair forms a brush ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary

And it belongs to the horse family. There are several subspecies, and these subspecies differ from each other in appearance.

So, for example, animals that live in areas of the foothills of small sizes, but are more brightly colored, but the lowland kulans are higher, their appearance more like .

And yet, there are significant differences. All kulans have a mane that stands straight, and there is no bangs. Kulans have no bangs. The head of this animal is large, large, with long ears. The tail has a black tassel at the end. The coloration is sandy, the belly is lighter, almost white.

Kulan running through Asia, can plug any runner into the belt, because he has a speed of up to 65 km / h and can run so relatively for a long time. Even a baby who was born just a week ago runs at a speed of 40 km / h.

Kulan can run at a speed of about 65 km / h for a long time

I must say that 65 km is not the limit, kulans reach speeds of 70 km/h. The horse will not be able to catch up with the kulan if he himself does not want it. Endurance and ability to run high speed- one of bright features animal onager.

This is not difficult to explain, because running is the only way an animal has to escape from predators. The natural enemies of the kulan have to do with only old and sick individuals or even babies.

Although, the mother will fight for the baby, and it is worth noting that very often, successfully. The female attacks the enemy with blows of the front and hind legs, helping to injure the attackers with her teeth. Very often, the enemy simply cannot resist such protection.

Kulans prefer to graze in herds

The animal can not only run perfectly, but also knows how to jump well. It is not a problem for him to jump to a height of 1.5 m and jump from a height of 2.5 m. Kulan is physically well developed.

Well, nature protected him from adverse weather conditions. Its coat, as well as the network of blood vessels, allows it to withstand frost and extreme heat. Kulan can be found in Mongolia, Iran, Afghanistan and even in Northwest China. In Russia, it is distributed in the south of Transbaikalia and Western Siberia.

The nature and lifestyle of the kulan

Kulans live in herds of 5-25 heads. The leader of the herd is an adult, experienced female. It is considered, however, a male. He is a little away from the whole garden, grazes separately, but closely monitors the safety of all animals.

Pictured is a Turkmen kulan

Under his supervision, the whole herd quietly grazes, and if some kind of danger approaches, the leader immediately gives a signal that is very reminiscent of the cry of an ordinary donkey. And then the herd really needs the ability to run fast and jump well over obstacles.

So one leader can protect his herd for about ten years. With age, he can no longer claim the role of leader - stronger and younger males win this right from him, and the old male is expelled from the herd.

Active, mobile and seemingly harmless animals can look terrifying when, for example, males fight during the mating season. Adult strong males rear up, press their ears, their eyes are filled with blood, their mouths are grinning.

Males wrap their legs around the enemy, try to knock him down, gnaw with their teeth, trying to damage the hock joint. It comes to serious wounds and bloodshed, however, it does not come to death.

During the mating season, male kulans can fight ruthlessly.

Interesting and inexplicable fact- kulans are quite peaceful, almost to all animals and birds. they even allow their hair to be pulled out to build nests. But here, from something they are especially disliked by and. As they approach, kulans may attack them.

It is also unusual that these animals do not like to lie at all, lying rest can last no more than 2 hours. And in the winter, and at all, no more than 30 minutes. But standing kulan can rest from 5 to 8 hours.

Food

These animals feed only on plant foods. All sorts of plants are used as food, kulans are not capricious. With great pleasure they eat any greens, however, when green grass absent, it is replaced by saxaul, saltwort and such plants that other animals do not like very much.

Any water will do for them. Kulans can even drink very salty water or too bitter, which is available in infrequent reservoirs. Sometimes, in order to find at least some source of moisture, they have to travel more than 30 km. Therefore, animals know how to appreciate every drop.

Reproduction and lifespan

From May to August wild kulans the breeding season begins. At this time, the leader of the herd, who was not far from the herd, now begins to graze very close, and attracts the attention of females by beginning to somersault in the dust, kicking dry soil with his feet and showing in every possible way that he is ready for serious relationship. Females ready for mating answer him by biting his withers, showing that they are not at all against these very relationships.

After such communication, the couple mates. The female carries pregnancy for a long time - almost a year, after which a cub is born. Before his birth, the female moves away from the herd so that other females or young males cannot harm the cub.

In the photo, a male kulan attracts the attention of females, wallowing in the dust

The baby almost immediately gets on its feet after birth and is quite ready to follow the mother. True, first he needs to gain a little strength, and he lies down in a secluded place.

But after 2-3 days, he and his mother join the herd. The female feeds him with milk, and the cub quickly gains weight, up to 700 grams per day. When it comes to food, the baby becomes very demanding.

If the mother does not guess to feed him herself, then the cub blocks her way, shakes his head, angrily kicks his legs, preventing her from taking a step. If the female is lying, then the little kulan will find a way to raise her and drink milk.

In the photo, a female kulan with a cub

Baby needs milk for 10 months. True, at this time he is already beginning to get used to plant foods, but the dairy "kitchen" is not canceled.

Young kulans - 1-2 year olds do not quite welcome the little novice, they strive to bite him, but the parents sensitively guard the peace and health of the baby. Only by the age of 4 young kulans reach sexual maturity. And their entire life span is 20 years.