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Przewalski's Wild Horse
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Mammals |
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Africa |
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Equidae |
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200 to 350 K.G |
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Steppes, plains |
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Grass, leaves |
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11 to 12 months |
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1 |
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Wolves, coyotes |
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Endangered |
This
small “prehistoric horse” is the ancestor of today’s horse.
The Przewalski’s Wild Horse has a thick neck, a large head with long straight
ears. The short legs and its stout body combines elegance and sturdiness. The
sandy colour on its back becomes pale white on the belly. Despite its stout body
it is adapted to run fast, reaching a speed of up to 64 km/h. It is also a great
traveller since it can walk tens of kilometres in one day in order to find food
and water. This small horse of 1.4 m at the withers can weigh from 200 to 350 kg
(440 to 770 lbs). Its sense of hearing is well developed. Originally, it was
found in Mongolia and Eastern China, in the great steppes and lower plains. Some
individuals were found on high plateaus at an elevation of up to 2,460 metres
(8,000 feet). This herbivore feeds on grass, leaves, shrubs, fruit, roots and
occasionally even bark. It is a polygamous animal. A heard includes a dominant
reproductive stallion, a few mares and their young. The gestation period lasts
between 11 and 12 months and a female will give birth to only one young at a
time. Wolves and coyotes are the main predators. This wild horse can live
between 25 and 30 years. The Przewalski’s Wild Horse was in direct competition
with domestic horses thus the wild horse was hunted and their populations
decreased rapidly. The Przewalski’s Wild Horse is seriously threatened of
extinction as it had completely disappeared from nature. Protection and
reproduction programs made possible reintroduction of this species in some parts
of Mongolia.