Przewalski's Horse (Equus ferus przewalskii, Mongolian:
Òàõü, Takhi; Chinese: Yehmah), or Dzungarian
Horse, is a rare and endangered subspecies of wild horse (Equus ferus)
native to the steppes of central Asia. At one time extinct in the wild,
it has been reintroduced to its native habitat in Mongolia at the Hustai
National Park, Takhin Tal Nature Reserve and Khomiin Tal. The taxonomic
position is still debated, and some taxonomists treat Przewalski's Horse
as a species, Equus przewalskii.
Przewalski's Horse is stockily built in comparison to
domesticated horses, with shorter legs. Typical height is about 13 hands
(1.32 m), length is about 2.1 m with a 90 cm tail. They weigh around 300
kilograms (660 lb). The coat is similar to dun coloration in domestic
horses. It varies from dark brown around the mane (which stands erect)
to pale brown on the flanks and yellowish-white on the belly. The legs
of Przewalski's Horse are often faintly striped.
In the wild, Przewalski's Horses live in social groups
consisting of a dominant stallion, a dominant lead mare, other mares,
and their offspring. The patterns of their daily lives exhibit horse behavior
similar to that of feral horse herds: Each group has a well-defined home
range; within the range, the herd travels between three and six miles
a day, spending time grazing, drinking, using salt licks and dozing. At
night, the herd clusters and sleeps for about four hours. Ranges of different
herds may overlap without conflict, as the stallions are more protective
of their mares than their territory.
Stallions practice a form of scent marking and will establish
piles of dung at intervals along routes they normally travel to warn other
males of their presence. In addition, when a female in the herd urinates,
the stallion will frequently urinate in the same place, to signal her
membership in the herd to other males. The stallions can frequently be
seen sniffing dung piles to confirm scent markings.
