Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae

Saiga

Saiga tatarica

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

Its striking large, flexible nose, rather like a short trunk, warms and moistens the cold, dry air of the steppe. As many as 97% of mature males may die each winter after the exhausting rut.

Weight

26 kg – 63 kg

Size

1 m – 1.4 m

Lifespan

7 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

Moderate

Estimated population

It recovered from fewer than 50,000 animals in the early 2000s to more than a million in Kazakhstan during the 2020s.

DesertGrasslandHerbivore Diurnal In herds Near Threatened Desert Grassland Mammal

12countries 2parks86same family

Fun facts

Its short trunk-like nose warms and filters the steppe air.
As many as 97% of mature males may die each winter after the rut.
It recovered from Critically Endangered status between 2002 and 2021.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Arid steppe and open semi-desert of Central Asia, mainly Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia
Birth weight: 3.5 kg
Size at birth: Able to stand soon after birth, though it stays hidden for the first few days
Sexual maturity: Female: 7-8 months | Male: 20 months-2 years
Gestation / incubation: 140-152 days (~5 months)
Litter / clutch size: 1 to 2 young per litter (non-identical twins most often, in up to two thirds of births)
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of 10.5 years in captivity

Sources consulted: AnAge; EBSCO Research Starters; Animal Spot; Animals Time; A-Z Animals; Blue Planet Biomes; Animalia.bio; Website of Everything; Animal Diversity Web; PMC