Location
An extensive range along the Wakhan Corridor through the southern Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan along the northern shore of Lake Victoria on the Afghanistan border and eastward into China’s western Tibetan Plateau.
Description
A large argali weighing up to 300 pounds. The horn bases are more massive than a Marco Polo argali and form a tighter spiral with little or no flare, and usually less than full curl. The tips are typically broken or heavily broomed. The upper parts of the coat are grayish-brown, with the throat, chest, rump, under parts and inside of legs white. There is a dark streak down the front of the legs. The head is mostly white, with some brown markings on the face. The rams have a ruff of long white hairs on neck and throat, and a darker crest on the back of the neck.
Remarks
Here at GSCO we are not in the habit of naming new species, or adding new species to the Ovis World Slam list without a tremendous amount of research going into it. After gathering evidence, we have decided to add the Matisoni argali (Ovis ammon matisoni) (Ovis ammon polii x Ovis ammon hodgsoni) to the list. The Tibetan Plateau and the Pamir Mountains geographical areas meet at the exact location where this argali occurs. There is a natural corridor where the Tibetan argali from the east and the Marco Polo argali from the west meet during the rut and have produced a naturally occurring hybrid argali.
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