Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae

Blue Sheep

Pseudois nayaur

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It combines features of both sheep and goats, which caused taxonomic confusion for decades; today it is placed in a genus of its own, Pseudois, whose name means literally 'false sheep'. It is the snow leopard's main prey.

Weight

35 kg – 75 kg

Size

1.2 m – 1.7 m

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Herd

Lives in large groups as a strategy against predators.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

MountainHerbivore Diurnal In herds Mountain Mammal

8countries 11parks86same family

Fun facts

Its scientific name, Pseudois, means literally 'false sheep'.
It is the snow leopard's main prey across much of its range.
It lives on rocky slopes and high-altitude grassland between 3,000 and 5,500 metres.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Rocky slopes and high-altitude grassland of the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalaya, between 3,000 and 5,500 metres
Birth weight: Exact weight not found as a precise figure
Size at birth: Able to follow its mother soon after birth
Sexual maturity: Female: 2 years | Male: physiological maturity varies, set by the social hierarchy
Gestation / incubation: 160 days (~5.3 months)
Litter / clutch size: 1 young (twins rare)
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of 20.9 years in captivity