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The kulan is a hardy wild animal of the equine family. Description, photo and video. Kulan... Fast as the wind... Why is Kulan dying out

Kulan is one of the wild species donkeys Sometimes it is referred to as the Asian donkey. Member of the equine family, it is related to the African species of wild asses, as well as zebras and a wild variety of horses. To this day, many people believe that this species of animal has never been domesticated by humans.

Description of the kulan

There are a huge number of subspecies of kulan, about which researchers still have disagreements. The most common subspecies of these animals are:

  • Onager (Iranian kulan), lives in northern Iran;
  • Turkmen species, whose distribution range is Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan;
  • Mongolian kulan, living in Mongolia;
  • Indian subspecies most commonly found in Iran, Pakistan, northwestern region India;
  • Kiang, common in western China and Tibet.

The kiang has the largest dimensions of all subspecies, its body weight can reach about 400 kg.

Appearance of the kulan

It is a primitive type of horse, similar in characteristics to a donkey. The body length can reach two meters, and the height at the withers can be up to 150 cm. The body weight of this animal is about 200-300 kg. It has thin legs, narrow, elongated hooves, and a small tail (up to 40 cm), which ends in a tassel. The color of the animal is variable: from sandy to dark brown.

There is a grayish tint. Along the entire back along the midline there is a stripe represented by dark shades of flowers. The erect mane stretches from the ears to the withers, the tail and the tips of the ears are dark in color, when the lower part of the body, neck, head, as well as side surfaces The body of the kulan is light. They do not have the “bangs” characteristic of domestic horses.

This is interesting! Subspecies of kulans may differ from each other. Animals living in the foothills are smaller in size and have brighter colors. Their legs are short, their heads are small, and their ears are large. They are more similar to the usual donkeys. The kulans living on the plains, much larger, have long legs and more like horses, weeks like donkeys.

In summer, the hair is short, well adjacent to the skin, in winter period hair has more pronounced longness and curliness.

Character and lifestyle

It is a herd animal, herds can reach 10-20 animals. The leader of the herd is an adult female, the rest are young animals. The most experienced female leads the entire herd, while the male lives at some distance, inspecting the surrounding area and provides protection to the entire herd. Most often, the entire herd wanders from place to place on foot, but if there is a sudden danger, the kulan can reach speeds of up to 60-70 km/h.

At the same time, they are distinguished by their endurance - they can withstand this pace of running for about 5-10 minutes, which provides them with the opportunity to hide from ill-wishers. At the same time, they are also distinguished by good jumping ability. It is not a problem for the kulan to jump to a height of about one and a half meters, and to jump from an even higher height of 2.5 m. One leader is able to protect the herd for about 10 years in a row. But over time, he cannot claim this place and young and strong males take it. The previous male then becomes an outcast in this herd.

Usually kulans are gentle, active and agile animals, but there are times when they can look quite terrifying. An example of this would be the fights between males that take place in mating season. Males rear up, flatten their ears, bare their mouths, and their eyes become bloodshot. Male individuals cover their enemy with their legs, thereby attempting to throw them to the ground, while simultaneously gnawing their limbs with their teeth in order to damage them. In such a battle, you can get significant injuries, but it does not lead to bloodshed.

This is interesting! Kulans are peaceful towards almost all representatives of the animal world. They let the jackdaws pull the fur from their withers to build nests. They especially dislike dogs and sheep. They are most often attacked by kulans.

In case of approaching danger, the male gives an alarm signal, notifying the rest of the herd. Their cry is similar to the cry of an ordinary domestic donkey. Kulans have in their arsenal a keen hearing, a sensitive sense of smell, as well as acute vision, which allows them to notice the enemy on long distance. These animals do not prefer a recumbent lifestyle at all. Their rest in a horizontal position can last a maximum of 2 hours, and in winter time- no more than half an hour. The rest of the time the kulans spend on their feet.

How long do kulans live?

By the age of four, kulans reach their sexually mature period of life. Their total lifespan is about twenty years.

Range and habitats

The usual habitat of kulans is Central Asia. In the northern part they are located in the region of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, in the western part - near Iran, and in the east they can be found in Mongolia and China. They live only in desert and semi-desert zones, which are located both in the mountains and in the foothills near Asian river bodies.

This is interesting! Currently, the presence of a population of kulans in Afghanistan is described.

You will rarely see these animals in thickets of trees and other vegetation that obstruct their view. They try to avoid such places. Also avoid areas with loose or poorly secured sand surfaces. On the territory of Russia their habitat is South part Transbaikalia and Western Siberia.

Kulan diet

In terms of food, they are very unpretentious. They consume a variety of vegetation growing in the steppe, desert and semi-desert.. Even roots, dried berries and the tops of bushes serve as food for them. In winter, in search of food, they can break the snow cover and break the ice.

An important point for them is watering. It is the location of aquatic habitats that determines their location. But even in water they do not express any preferences - they can even drink bitter and salty water.

Reproduction and offspring

The season for procreation is from May to August. IN given time the male, who was usually located at a distance from the herd, approaches it, attracts the attention of females by tumbling on the ground in the dust, churning the soil with his feet, thereby demonstrating his readiness to serious relationship. Females who are ready to mate give him their response, which is expressed by biting the male at the withers. By this she expresses that she is ready for procreation.

Further, after communication between them, the animals undergo a mating process, which ends with the female becoming pregnant. The gestation period among kulans lasts a fairly long period of time. Pregnancy lasts about 12 months, after which delivery occurs and a foal is born. Immediately before the birth of the baby, the female leaves the herd and remains at a distance in order to protect her cub from other animals after birth.

Almost immediately after birth, the foal stands on its feet and is capable of independent movement. He lies down for 2-3 days in a secluded place, where he is invisible to other animals, and then joins the herd. Initially, the female feeds him milk, the foal quickly gains weight. The average weight gain is about 700 grams per day. If the cub is hungry, then he characteristically notifies the mother about this.

This is interesting! The foal, which was born just a week ago, is already capable of running at speeds of up to 40 km/h.

Blocking her path, shaking his head, kicking up dust with his feet, he does not allow her to take a single step. If the mother lies down, then the foal is able to independently find a way to get to the mother’s milk. The duration of feeding a baby is about 10 months. At this time, he gradually begins to master other plant foods, which he will eat throughout his life. Young animals do not welcome babies into their herd, so they try in every possible way to bite and offend them, but sensitive parents always stand up to protect their child, thereby saving their life.


3. Lifestyle and meaning for a person
4. Taming

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 an altitude of 300-600 meters above sea level. Avoids large areas of loose or weakly consolidated sand. In Northern China, it prefers dry foothill steppes and rocky deserts.

Subspecies

There is much disagreement about the distribution of kulans into subspecies. In older scientific works There are seven species of kulans, which today are mostly considered subspecies. Many zoologists consider the kiang to be a separate species, since it exhibits the greatest deviations from general characteristics. However, in general, all of the following subspecies are classified as the same species.

  • Onager, northern Iran
  • Turkmen kulan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan
  • Jigetai, Mongolia
  • Khur, southern Iran, Pakistan, northwestern India
  • Kiang, western China, Tibet
  • Anatolian Kulan, Türkiye†
  • 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. Kiangs have reddish-brown fur. Information about the kiangs is extremely scarce. Kiang loves to swim in water and can withstand living conditions at altitudes of up to 5.5 thousand meters above sea level. It was at this height that kiangs were found 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 Beijing. In 1957, two kiangs named Nemo and Neda were sold to the Riga Zoo. This couple lived until they were 27 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 Turkmen kulan are one and the same subspecies. But according to the results of the latest molecular genetic research 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 dzhigetai subspecies is 210 cm.

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

Kingdom: animals (Animalia).
Type: chordates (Chordata).
Class:mammals (Mammalia).
Squad: odd-toed ungulates (Perissodactyla).
Family: equidae (Equidae).
Genus:horses (Equus).
View:kulan (Equus hemionus).

Equus hemionus Pallas, 1775

Spreading: Described from the vicinity of the lake. Torey-Nur in East. Transbaikalia. The species range occupied in the past steppe zone East Europe, Western Siberia, as well as arid zones (steppes, semi-deserts and deserts) of Kazakhstan, Middle and Central Asia, Tibet, Western Asia, including the Arabian Peninsula, Asia Minor and north-west. India. Within Russia were the north-west. and sowing parts of the species' range. From the steppes of the East. Europe, including the Ciscaucasia, Kalmykia, and the area between the Volga and Ural rivers, the kulans disappeared in the early to mid-18th century. . At the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries. Kulans still lived in the south of the West. Siberia (Barabinsk steppes) and in the North. Kazakhstan, but later sowing. The border began to quickly retreat to the south and meetings of kulans in this part of Russia ceased to be celebrated. Most likely in the Western steppe. Kulans entered Siberia from Kazakhstan during seasonal migrations, mainly in the summer. To the South-East. Transbaikalia in past centuries regularly entered the steppes in the vicinity of the lake. Torey-Nur, as well as in the Solovyovsk region and along the river. Arguni to the north. from the lake Dalai-Nur. Regular races were celebrated in this area in the 18th century. and in the first half of the 19th century, later, with a decline in numbers and a shift of the range to the south in Mongolia and China, visits became rare. The last reliable meeting in the South-East steppes. Transbaikalia was noted in 1926. This year can be considered the year of the disappearance of the kulan from the fauna of Russia. Subspecies affiliation of the kulans who inhabited the East. Europe, not established; kulans of the south West. Siberia apparently belonged to the Kazakhstani subspecies - E. h. finschi. The Mongolian subspecies lived in Transbaikalia - E. h. hemionus. Thus, by the middle of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. The kulans practically disappeared from Russian territory. The main reason for the extinction is direct extermination, the development of steppes and semi-deserts with active displacement from pastures and watering places. The same reasons determine a further reduction in numbers and range for other territories outside Russia.

Habitat: Kulan is an ecologically flexible species characterized by a wide variety of habitats. Within a vast range they inhabit turfgrass steppes, semi-deserts, different types deserts, high mountain plateaus and small hills. They willingly stay not only on the plains, but also in areas with rugged terrain among hills and mountain rises with accessible watering places and suitable shelters (gorges, ravines) in areas with little snow in winters. In the past for the north. kulan populations were characterized by regular seasonal migrations (Kazakhstan, etc.); in other parts of the range (Mongolia, Turkmenistan) kulans lead sedentary image life, making short movements in search of pastures or watering places. Kulans are characterized by small group social organization. Typically, such groups are represented by a herd led by an adult stallion and 4-5 adult mares with several foals. In autumn and winter, herds unite into herds of up to 100 or more animals. Females first bear foals at 3-4 years of age, males participate in reproduction later, at 4-5 years of age. Mating is usually in May-June. Pregnancy is about 11.5 months. The female brings one foal, which she feeds until the next rut. Population growth averages about 20%, but varies depending on the living conditions of a particular year.

Number: There is very little accurate data on the number of kulans for past centuries within Russia and, as a rule, the authors limit themselves to indicating whether they are common or small in number. To the South-East. Transbaikalia, where kulans survived the longest; in the autumn-winter periods, kulans were common in the 18th century, but already in the first half of the 19th century. there were noticeably fewer of them: herds of 20-30 animals were very rare and only single young animals were found. The main limiting factors determining the state of populations are uncontrolled hunting using long-range rifled weapons, which began to be practiced during periods of intensive development of arid territories (steppes and semi-deserts), displacement of kulans by herds of domestic ungulates from pastures and blocking of natural watering places. High damage kulan populations also suffered during periods with heavy snow winters, which occur periodically in all parts of the arid zones of Eurasia. To date, the most stable populations of kulans have survived only in Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, where, thanks to increased protection with the organization of a network of protected areas (Badkhyz Reserve) and introduction work, the number of Turkmen kulans has reached more than 4 thousand heads. The relatively intact and largest habitat of the kulan (Mongolian subspecies) has been preserved in Mongolia, where the species’ habitat area is at least 100 thousand km2 at total number the population is about 20 thousand individuals, of which 2.5-3 thousand are within the Great Gobi Reserve (Trans-Altai and Dzungarian Gobi) and 16-17 thousand in the South Gobi and neighboring aimags of the South. Mongolia.

Security: Listed on the IUCN-96 Red List, Appendix 2 of CITES. Breeds successfully in captivity and in zoos former USSR in the 80s more than 120 kulans were kept, including about 80 in Askania-Nova in Ukraine. To restore the kulan in Russia, it is necessary to develop a comprehensive program for the return of this species to the fauna, identifying places of introduction and ensuring the introduction of kulans into the ecosystems of steppes and semi-deserts. Resolve the issue of the subspecies status of reacclimatizers (Mongolian or Turkmen subspecies). In Transbaikalia, conduct a survey to determine the feasibility of reintroduction into the Daursky Nature Reserve. In the European part of Russia, the optimal place for reintroduction could be Kalmykia - the region of the Chernye Zemli nature reserve with a protective zone, where large areas of the territory are taken out of economic use and free from livestock.

Characteristic

They were first described in 1775.

It has been known in the geological record since the early Pleistocene of Central Asia. In the late Pleistocene it was part of mammoth fauna and was found in vast territories of Northern Asia from the Caucasus to Japan and Arctic Siberia (Begichev Island).

The body length of the kulan is 175-200 cm, the tail length is about 40 cm, the height at shoulder level (at the withers) is 125 cm, and the weight is 120-300 kg. With these indicators, the kulan is somewhat larger than an ordinary domestic donkey. Sexual dimorphism in size is weakly expressed. It differs from the domestic horse by a more massive head with long ears (from 17 to 25 cm) and thinner legs with narrow, elongated hooves. The hair in summer is short, tightly adjacent to the skin; in winter, the hair is longer and more tortuous. On the upper side of the neck a short, erect mane is developed, which stretches from the ears to the withers; There is no “bang” characteristic of a domestic horse. The tail is short, thin, with a tuft of long hair in the lower third.

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

Spreading

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

Currently lives in the Badkhyz Nature Reserve (about 700 animals) in the southeast of Turkmenistan (interfluve of the Tedzhen and Murgab rivers).

In 1953, it was brought to the island of Barsakelmes in the Aral Sea (120-140 heads). At the end of the 20th century, due to the deterioration of the ecological situation in the Aral Sea basin, part of the livestock was resettled to protected areas of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, and the rest left the borders former island, went into the steppe and presumably died. Small populations live on the Kaplankyr plateau and in the area of ​​the villages of Meana and Chaacha in Turkmenistan, in the territory of the Kapchagai National Park and the Andasai Nature Reserve. There are about 150 animals in the Askania-Nova Nature Reserve and on Biryuchiy Island in Ukraine.

Outside the former USSR, it is distributed in Iran, Afghanistan, Mongolia, and Northwestern China. In the Holocene it reached as far west as Romania.

Lifestyle and meaning for a person

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 an altitude of 300-600 meters above sea level. Avoids large areas of loose or weakly consolidated sand. In Northern China, it prefers dry foothill steppes and rocky deserts.

Subspecies

There is much disagreement about the distribution of kulans into subspecies. Older scientific works distinguish seven species of kulans, which today are mostly considered subspecies. Many zoologists consider the kiang to be a separate species, since it exhibits the greatest deviations from general characteristics. However, in general, all of the following subspecies are classified as the same species.

  • Turkmen kulan ( E.h. kulan), Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan
  • Jigetai ( 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), Türkiye
  • †Syrian kulan ( E.h. hemippus), Syria, Mesopotamia, Arabian Peninsula

Kiang ( Equus_kiang_holdereri)

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

The body length of the dzhigetai subspecies is 210 cm.

In the western part of its range, the kulan used to be found along with the wild donkey. Today, both species are extirpated from the wild in these regions. 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 tolerate the absence of water for long.

Taming

Modern DNA research proves that all current domestic donkeys are descendants of the African donkey. The family tree compiled based on the results of genetic research clearly divides donkeys into African and Asian branches. Kulans belong to the second of them. The question of whether the kulan can be domesticated and whether this has already been possible in the past is hotly debated. Some consider the animals depicted on ancient bas-reliefs from Mesopotamia (Ur) to be neither horses nor donkeys, and conclude that we are talking about kulans, which the ancient Sumerians and Akkadians were able to tame and harness in front of carts. In any case, all attempts to tame the kulans made in modern times were unsuccessful. It is considered more likely that the African donkey was domesticated in Mesopotamia (which, despite its name, was also found in Western Asia). During excavations at the Tel Brak site in Mesopotamia, bones of hybrids of domestic donkey and kulan, which were used as draft animals in 4-3 thousand BC, were discovered. e., 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" also comes from Mongolian language derived from the word “hulan”, which means “invincible, fast, nimble.”

Notes

Literature

  • Baryshnikov G. F., Tikhonov A. N. Mammals of the fauna of Russia and adjacent territories. Ungulates. Odd-toed and even-toed (pig, musk deer, deer). - St. Petersburg: “Science”, 2009. - pp. 20-27. - ISBN 978-5-02-026347-5, 978-5-02-026337-6
  • Livanova T.K. Horses. - M.: AST Publishing House LLC, 2001. - 256 p. - ISBN 5-17-005955-8

Links

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  • Possibly extinct species of Russia
  • Horses
  • Animals described in 1775
  • Mammals of Asia

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Synonyms

    See what “Kulan” is in other dictionaries: - (tat.). Wild ass, a type of Mongolian jiggetai, mainly in Persia and India, among the Kirghiz. Dictionary foreign words 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 hinny. These hybrids (almost always males) are sterile. About kulans Khalkhas Mongolian, twice... ... Animals of Russia. Directory

    - (onager) an animal of the horse family. Length 2.0 2.4 m. Lives in deserts and semi-deserts of the Front, Middle. and Center. Asia, including in the south of Turkmenistan (Badkhyz Nature Reserve); brought to the island Barsakelmes and the foothills of Kopetdag. They breed in captivity. Everywhere... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary Explanatory Dictionary of Ozhegov

    • Thuvia, Maid of Mars, Edgar Burroughs. Thuvia, Maid of Mars is the fourth novel in the Barsoomian series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The main characters are Carthoris - the son of John Carter and Thuvia, princess of Ptarsa, first mentioned in the novel... audiobook


The wild ass (Equus hemionus) is an ungulate from the equine family. Outwardly, it resembles a donkey or, however, this freedom-loving animal, unlike its similar relatives, has never been tamed by humans. However, scientists were able to prove, thanks to DNA testing, that the kulans are the distant ancestors of all modern donkeys living on African continent. IN old times they could also be found in Northern Asia, the Caucasus and Japan. Fossil remains have been found as far away as Arctic Siberia. The kulan was first described by scientists in 1775.

Description of the kulan

The kulan is more reminiscent in color, as it has beige-colored fur, which is lighter on the face and in the belly area. The dark mane stretches along the entire spine and has a fairly short and stiff pile. The coat is shorter and straighter in summer, becoming longer and curly in winter. The tail is thin and short, with a peculiar tassel at the end.

The total length of the kulan reaches 170-200 cm, the height from the beginning of the hooves to the end of the body is 125 cm, the weight of a mature individual ranges from 120 to 300 kg. The kulan is larger than a regular donkey, but smaller than a horse. Another one of him distinctive feature are tall, oblong-shaped ears and a massive head. At the same time, the animal’s legs are quite narrow, and its hooves are elongated.

Lifestyle and nutrition

Kulans are herbivores, therefore, they feed on plant foods. They are not picky about food. Very sociable in their native habitat. They love the company of other kulans, but treat others with caution. Stallions jealously protect their mares and foals. Unfortunately, more than half of the kulan offspring die before they even reach puberty, that is, two years. The reasons are different - predators and lack of nutrition.

Often adult males team up to confront wolves, fighting off with their hooves. However, the main means of protecting kulans from predators is speed, which, like racehorses, can reach 70 km per hour. Unfortunately, their speed is less than the speed of a bullet, which often shortens the life of these beautiful animals. Despite the fact that kulans are a protected species, poachers often hunt them for their valuable skin and meat. Farmers simply shoot them to get rid of the extra mouths eating plants that their pets could get enough of.

Thus, the life expectancy of kulans in the wild is only 7 years. In captivity, this period doubles.

Reintroduction of kulans

Asian wild asses and Przewalski's horses originally inhabited steppe, semi-desert and desert regions, but Przewalski's horses became extinct in the wild and kulans disappeared in the early 20th century, except for a small population in Turkmenistan. Since then, these animals have been protected.

The Bukhara Breeding Center (Uzbekistan) was created in 1976 for the reintroduction and conservation of wild ungulate species. In 1977-1978, five kulans (two males and three females) from the Barsa-Kelmes island in the Aral Sea were released into the reserve. In 1989-1990, the group increased to 25-30 individuals. At the same time, eight Przewalski's horses were brought to the territory from the Moscow and St. Petersburg zoos.

In 1995-1998, an analysis of the behavior of both species was carried out, which showed that kulans are more adapted to semi-desert conditions ().

Thus, thanks to the coordinated actions of Uzbek breeders, today kulans can be found not only in the vast reserves of Uzbekistan, but also in the northern part of India, Mongolia, Iran and Turkmenistan.

Educational video about the kulan