Przewalski's Horse - Equus ferus przewalskii

Although Wild Horses (of which Przewalski's Horse Equus ferus przewalskii is the only living representative) can hybridize with domestic horses to produce fertile offspring (Ryder et al. 1978, Trommerhausen-Smith et al. 1979), the existence of 2n = 66 chromosomes in Przewalski's Horse identifies it as being more different from its domestic relatives (2n = 64) than are any two breeds of domestic horse (Ryder 1994). Mitochondrial DNA research has shown that the Przewalski's Horse is not ancestral to modern domestic horses (Vila et al 2001). Przewalski's Horses also show a number of other consistent differences in their appearance: the mane is short and erect in most horses that are in good body condition, forelocks are close to nonexistent; the upper part of the tail has short guard hairs, unlike domestic horses, that have long, falling manes and long guard hairs all over the tail; a dark dorsal stripe runs from the mane down the back and dorsal side of the tail to the tail tuft; several dark stripes can be present on the carpus and, generally, the tarsus (Groves 1994). Przewalski's Horses, contrary to domestic horses, shed their tail and mane hair once per year.

Other studies of the genetic differences between Przewalski's and domestic horses have indicated very little genetic distinction between them. Only four alleles at four separate serological marker loci have been identified as specific to Przewalski's Horse (Bowling and Ryder 1987), the vast majority of blood protein variants are present in both Przewalski's and domestic horses and even the fastest evolving DNA region known in mammals (the mitochondrial DNA control region), does not show significant differences between the two types of horse (Ishida et al. 1995, Oakenfull and Ryder 1998). Thus it is clear that Przewalski's and domestic horses are very closely related and have in the past interbred, but the fixed chromosomal number difference between them indicates that they are distinct populations (Oakenfull et al. 2000).

Przewalski's Horse is stockily built in comparison to domesticated horses, with shorter legs. Typical height is about 13 hands (132 cm), length is about 210 cm with a 90 cm tail. They weigh around 300 kilograms. 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.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Przewalski horses in the snow

Habitat

Przewalski's Horse formerly inhabited steppe and semi-desert habitats, as most of this range became degraded or was occupied by livestock, the species became restricted to semi-desert habitats with limited water resources.

Lowland steppe vegetation was preferentially selected by horses at Hustai National Park and seasonal movements are affected by the availability of the most nutritious vegetation.

Behaviour

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.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Predation on foals by wolves may account for a significant number of mortalities and constitutes a threat to the population growth and continued survival of this taxon.

• Albania
• Azerbaijan
• Mongolia

• Mongolian Semi desert
• Mongolia

Map: Equus ferus przewalskii - Przewalski's Horse: historical situation
Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Map: Equus ferus przewalskii - Przewalski's Horse: current situation
Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Current distribution of Przewalski's horse
Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Likely to have once roamed the Eurasian steppes but in recent history restricted to SW Mongolia and adjacent Gansu, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia (China).

Last confirmed sighting in the wild: 1969. Last survey for wild horses in Mongolia (prior to re-introduction projects):1980-1982.

Almost certainly extinct in the wild until recently reintroduced into Mongolia.

Since 1992 several reintroduction programs have been conducted or are planned for a.o. Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan (www.waza.org).

Currently the only free-ranging populations are those associated with the reintroduction programs in Mongolia (www.takhi.org).

Threats to the reintroduced population largely come from domestic horses through risks of hybridisation, disease transmission and social disturbance. Cooperation and engagement of the local population is essential to the success of the reintroductions.

• International Takhi-Group (ITG)
  ITG –together with locals and the Mongolian environmental ministry– trains rangers to protect the habitat of the wild horses.

• Mustangs
• About colours and manes

• Legal aspects of (Re-)introduction of large herbivores

• Large herbivores on the move
• Status report 2007 of the large herbivores of the palaeartic

With regard to the captive population the primary management objective is to maintain a population that is large enough to prevent the species from going extinct and to produce animals for release programs.

A 2008 workshop discussing the future of the Przewalski's horse in Mongolia recommended that a standard necropsy protocol should be followed across reintroduction sites, and all sites should gather faecal samples for DNA analysis to detect parentage and introgression of hybrids.

In 2007 three stallions from Hustai were transported to Takhyn Tal and for 2009 a transport of 4 stallions from Jimsar, China to Takhyn Tal, Mongolia is being organized. Future reintroduction and release projects need to be planned and evaluated.

The populations need to be closely monitored and research should focus on the ecology of the species in the wild, especially with regard to social behaviour, social organisation, habitat requirements and conflicts with local people.