Dwarf blue sheep
Pseudois schaeferi Haltenorth, 1963
Status not recordedmammals
The dwarf blue sheep (Pseudois schaeferi) is a species in the family Bovidae, order Artiodactyla. Recorded adults weigh 29.3 kg to 49.5 kg and live up to 20.9 years.
Quick facts about the dwarf blue sheep
- Weight
- 29.3 kg – 49.5 kgsrc for Weight
- Length
- Not recorded
- Lifespan
- 20.9 yearssrc for Lifespan
- Diet
- Herbivoresrc for Diet
- Longest recorded lifespan
- 24 years
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- Not recorded
- Gestation
- 160 dayssrc for Gestation
- Young per litter or clutch
- 1.5src for Young per litter or clutch
- Age at maturity
- 18.6 monthssrc for Age at maturity
- Active
- Day and night (cathemeral)src for Active
- Lifestyle
- Terrestrialsrc for Lifestyle
- Conservation status
- Not recorded
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Where does the dwarf blue sheep live?
Not recorded
What is the dwarf blue sheep?
The bharal (Pseudois nayaur), also called the blue sheep, is a caprine native to the high Himalayas. It inhabits the Himalayan alpine meadows and rocky slopes across Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan, typically at altitudes of 2,200–5,500 m (7,200–18,000 ft).
The bharal is the only member of its genus Pseudois and is genetically closer to goats (Capra) than sheep (Ovis). Two main subspecies are recognized: the Himalayan blue sheep (P. n. nayaur) and the Chinese blue sheep (P. n. szechuanensis), with recent studies suggesting the Helanshan blue sheep may be a distinct subspecies. The dwarf blue sheep was once considered a separate species but is now classified as a variant of the Chinese blue sheep.
The bharal is a medium-sized caprine, measuring 115–165 cm (45–65 in) in length, and weighing 35–75 kg (77–165 lb). It has a slate-grey fur with white underparts. Both sexes have horns, with the males having larger curved horns measuring up to 80 cm (31 in). The Helanshan variant is smaller in size, with less pronounced sexual dimorphism and straighter horns.
The bharal is mainly a grazer, feeding on grasses, but also browses shrubs when food is scarce. It relies on camouflage and shelter under the cliffs to evade predators. Rutting occurs from late November to mid-January, with males usually engaging in various maneuvers to mate. Though it is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, it face threats from poaching and competition with livestock, but these impacts are limited due to their often isolated and rugged habitats.
From the Wikipedia article “Bharal” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bharal&oldid=1365801056), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the dwarf blue sheep endangered?
No conservation assessment is recorded for this species in our sources. That is not the same as being safe: it has not been matched to an assessment.
How is the dwarf blue sheep classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classMammalia
- orderArtiodactyla
- familyBovidae
- genusPseudois
- SpeciesPseudois schaeferi Haltenorth, 1963
Synonyms Pseudois nayaur schaeferi
Other names and names in other languages (1)
- Dwarf bharalEnglish
Relatives of the dwarf blue sheep
Other species in the same genus Pseudois.
Bharal
Pseudois nayaur
CompareDwarf blue sheep vs Bharal
Common questions
Answered only where our data holds the answer.
How big is the dwarf blue sheep?
An adult dwarf blue sheep weighs 29.3 kg – 49.5 kg, according to values recorded on Wikidata.
How long does the dwarf blue sheep live?
The dwarf blue sheep has a recorded lifespan of 20.9 years.
How long is the dwarf blue sheep pregnant?
The recorded gestation period is 160 days.
What kind of animal is the dwarf blue sheep?
The dwarf blue sheep (Pseudois schaeferi) belongs to the family Bovidae in the order Artiodactyla.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles · CC0 1.0 · E096-269
Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1 - Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals · CC0 1.0 · 1.0
Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1 - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Dwarf blue sheep (Pseudois schaeferi). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/dwarf-blue-sheep
“Dwarf blue sheep (Pseudois schaeferi).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/dwarf-blue-sheep.
@misc{dwarf_blue_sheep_2026,
title = {Dwarf blue sheep (Pseudois schaeferi)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/dwarf-blue-sheep},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}