The rare snow leopard is probably the best known of all Mongolian wild animals. It is estimated that only a few hundred remain in the wild. Przewalski horses, which were brought back from extinction through European breeding methods, are native to Mongolia.
Wolves are common, although they are rarely spied in summer. Mongolian wild animals also include the rare Gobi brown bear, Saiga antelope and wild sheep known as argali and moufflon. Wild donkeys and camels as well as black-tail gazelles and lynxes are also found in Mongolia. Small mammals such as marmots are common targets for amateur hunters. Badgers, foxes and rabbits also abound in Mongolia.
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Yaks are as common as cows in Mongolia. They are well-adapted to the arid and cold conditions of this country and provide milk, hide and transportation for the population.
The two-humped camel of Mongolia is used for transportation and its nutritious milk is a staple. Horses, too, are used for riding and fermented mare's milk is a Mongolian's preferred choice of beverage.
Goats, sheep & reindeer provide milk and meat as well as wool for cashmere sweaters.
Mongolia has 59 species of birds, which include the bald eagle, vultures, falcons, pelicans, corbels, magpies and larks. Sea birds and gulls congregate around the glacial lakes.
Grasshoppers abound on the steppes during summer and are food for the trout, salmon, pike and pole that swim in the rivers and lakes.
The steppes make up more than half of Mongolia. These large grasslands are blanketed not just with grasses but also with colorful wildflowers such as edelweiss and gentians.
Parts of Mongolia are densely forested with stands of pines and birch. Black currants and blueberries grow thickly on the hills that are adjacent to forested areas.
One of the world's greatest deserts---the Gobi desert---covers a large area of Mongolia. Little vegetation grows there, with the exception of thorny bushes and tough grasses.