Chiru vs

Pantholops hodgsonii compared with Nitzschia angularis

Key Differences

  • Chiru is Near Threatened while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Chiru
Kingdom Animalia (동물) Chromista (크로미스타)
Phylum Chordata (척삭동물) Ochrophyta (대롱편모조식물)
Class Mammalia (포유류) Bacillariophyceae (원시배선규조류)
Order Artiodactyla (소목) Bacillariales (Bacillariales)
Family Bovidae (Bovids) Bacillariaceae
Genus Pantholops Nitzschia
Species Pantholops hodgsonii Nitzschia angularis

Conservation Status

Chiru

NT — Near Threatened

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Chiru
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

Chiru

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Brazil, Norway, Sweden, and Taiwan.

Chiru

The Chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii), also known as the Tibetan Antelope, is a bovid endemic to the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent high-altitude grasslands of China, with small populations in India. Males bear long, slender, nearly vertical horns that can exceed 70 centimetres in length, while females are hornless. The species is highly adapted to life at elevations of 3,700–5,500 metres, possessing a dense, fine underfur known as shahtoosh — one of the finest animal fibres in the world — which provided insulation against extreme cold but also made chiru a prime target for illegal poaching. Massive hunting pressure during the late twentieth century for shahtoosh shawl production devastated populations, which fell to as few as 75,000 individuals. Following intensified conservation efforts, trade bans, and anti-poaching patrols in China, numbers have partially recovered, though the species remains Near Threatened. Chiru are highly migratory; females undertake remarkable annual migrations of up to 300 kilometres to reach calving grounds in the Chang Tang plateau. Males typically remain at lower elevations year-round. They graze on grasses, sedges, and forbs, and face ongoing threats from climate change affecting high-altitude pasture productivity and from infrastructure development fragmenting migration corridors.

Nitzschia angularis는 각진 끝부분과 세포벽의 용골 따라 위치한 뚜렷한 봉합선을 가진 세장형 우상형 담수 규조류이다. 강, 연못, 영양이 풍부한 호수를 포함한 부영양에서 중영양인 담수 환경에 서식한다. 이 광합성 규조류는 중간 정도로 영양이 풍부한 담수 조건과 관련된다.

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