Kiang - Distribution and Habitat

Distribution and Habitat

Kiangs are found on the Tibetan plateau, between the Himalayas in the south and the Kunlun Mountains in the north. This restricts them almost entirely to China, but small number are found across the borders in the Ladakh and Sikkim regions of India, and along the northern frontier of Nepal.

Three subspecies of kiang are currently recognised:

• Equus kiang kiang — Western Kiang (Tibet, Ladakh, southwestern Xinjiang)
• Equus kiang holdereri — Eastern Kiang (Qinghai, southeastern Xinjiang)
• Equus kiang polyodon — Southern Kiang (southern Tibet, Nepalese border)

The eastern kiang is the largest subspecies; the southern kiang is the smallest. The western kiang is slightly smaller than the eastern and also has a darker coat. However, there is no genetic information confirming the validity of the three subspecies, which may simply represent a cline, with gradual variation between the three forms.

Kiangs inhabit alpine meadows and steppe country between 2,700 and 5,300 metres (8,900 and 17,400 ft) elevation. They prefer relatively flat plateaus, wide valleys, and low hills, dominated by grasses, sedges, and smaller amounts of other low-lying vegetation. This open terrain, in addition to supplying them with suitable forage absent in the more arid regions of central Asia, may make it easier for them to detect, and flee from, predators.