The bighorn sheep is a big cloven-hoofed mammal rather thickset and heavy built, with low and strong limbs, thick and short neck, small head and scut. The bighorn sheep typically weigh up to 70-120 kg, they are 165-175 cm long and 90-100 cm tall. The biggest males’ horns can weigh up to 14 kg. Females horns are good developed, but weaker than males. The bighorn sheep inhabit Lake Baikal, Siberia, east of the Lena River, the middle and northern parts of the Far East, Kamchatka and Putorana Plateau (Norilsk’s mountains) on the right bank of the lower Yenisei.
The biggest wild ram is an argali. The Argalis stand 120-200 cm long and 90-120 cm tall and weigh 65-180 kg. Depending on the size and color of the body there are several sub-types. The largest are the argali of Pamir mountain or Marco Polo’s ram. Both males and females have long horns, but males may be up to 13% of body weight. The Argalis live in mountainous areas of the Central Asia and southern Siberia. Listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.
The Caucasian tur can be found in the Caucasus Mountains at an altitude of 2500-4500 meters above sea. In summer, these representatives of wild goats graze in the meadows, in the winter part of animals is in the Highlands, the others go down to the forest. Body length is 120-180 cm long and 78-112 cm tall. The fur is reddish-gray or brownish-red. The horns of adult males from the Western and Central Caucasus are crescent, their ends are bent downwards and inwards.
The progenitor of domestic goat is a wild goat which body length reaches 120-160 cm long, scut is about 15-20 cm long. The goat shoulders are 70-100 cm, their weight is 25-95 kg. The females have slightly curved horns, rather slender, 20-30 cm long, the males’ horns are longer, up to 130 cm. The wild goats’ habitat covers parts of West Asia and stretches from Anatolia via the Caucasus to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The wild goats are found in the mountains, in the desert and wooded areas.
Design: A. Moscovets
Denomination: 15 rub.
Size of stamps: 37х37 мм.
Form of issue: sheet of 16 (4х4) stamps.
Circulation: 200 thousand copies (50 thousand sheets).
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