Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Saiga (Saiga tatarica) Facts for Kids


Did you know?
    The saiga is recognizable by an extremely unusual, over-sized, and flexible, nose structure. The nose is supposed to warm up the air in winter and filters out dust in summer.
  • Saiga are nomadic creatures that frequently cross borders of provinces and countries during their several-hundred-mile migrations to winter grazing areas.
  • Social structure. Saiga form herds of 30-40 animals.
  • Lifespan. 6 to 10 years.
  • Breeding. Gestation period is 140-150 days, with litter size 1-2. (A female saiga will begin breeding and give birth to her first calf by the time she’s a year old).
  • Diet. Grasses, steppe lichens, herbs and shrubs.
  • The saiga can migrate over distances of up to 1,000 kilometres between summer and winter.
  • Saiga herds once numbered in their millions, but the global population has declined rapidly to just thousands. (Poaching and habia loss)