Mongolia

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Wild Bactrian Camel, Camelus ferus

Mongolia is a fabulous country to look for mammals in and my 2 weeks here in September 2016 was one of my best ever trips, with 45 species in 15 nights including Wild Camels, both Steppe and Marbled Polecats, Pallas’s Cat and many cool small mammals including Long-eared Jerboas and Long-tailed Dwarf Hamsters.  A full report is here.

Long-eared Jerboa, Euchoreutes naso

Gobi Altai Region

Pallid Ground Squirrel, Brandt’s Voles, Corsac Fox, Siberian Marmots.

Thick-tailed Pygmy Jerboa, Salpingotus crassicauda

 Mother Mountain

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Mother Mountain

Great Gerbils, Black-tailed Gazelle, Northern and Andrew’s Three-toed Jerboas, Midday Gerbil, Grey Dwarf HamsterTolai Hare, Feral (domestic) Bactrian Camel.

Gobi Strictly Protected Area and surroundings

Wild Bactrian Camel, Wild Ass, Argali, Long-eared Hedgehog, Lesser White-toothed Shrew, Alashanian Pipistrelle, Red Fox, Desert Hamsters, Grey Dwarf Hamsters, Northern Three-toed Jerboa, Koslov’s Pygmy Jerboa, Five-toed Pygmy Jerboa, Thick-tailed Pygmy Jerboa, Long-eared Jerboa, Siberian Jerboa.

Gobi Strictly Protected Area A

Severey and Zoolon Mountain

Black-tailed GazellesBalikun Jerboa, Siberian Jerboa, Koslov’s Pygmy Jerboa and Five-toed Pygmy Jerboa, Pallas’s Pika, Siberian Ibex, Alashan Ground Squirrels, Mongolian Gazelles, Wolf.

Yolyn Am

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Yolyn Am Gorge

Mongolian & Midday Gerbils, Pallas’s Pika, Marbled Polecat, Steppe Polecat, Red Fox, Beech Marten, Pallas’s Cat, Long-tailed Dwarf Hamster, Gobi-Altai Mountain Vole.

Kozlov’s Pygmy Jerboa, Salpingotus kozlovi

North of Dalanzadgad

Gobi Jerboa, Mongolian Gazelles, Red Fox.

Hustai National Park

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Wapiti, Cervus canadensis

Przewalski’s Horse, Wapiti, Long-tailed Ground Squirrel, Siberian Marmot, Mongolian and Midday Gerbils, Long-tailed Dwarf Hamster, Striped Dwarf Hamster, Mongolian Silver Vole, Reed Vole, Northern Red-sided Vole, Red Fox, Corsac Fox, Steppe Polecat, Wolf.

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Przewalski’s Horse, Equus ferus

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Community Reports

The World’s Best Mammalwatching

No matter where you live I can guarantee it is going to feel crowded compared to the glorious emptiness of Mongolia. The world’s most sparsely populated country might be light on humans, but it is rich in other  mammals, with Snow Leopards, Saiga and most of the planet’s few remaining wild Bactrian Camels. A trip deep into the Gobi Desert, with Tumen and Oyunaa, is one hell of an adventure. I went in 2016. Not only have you got a good chance of seeing camels, you should also see a plethora of very cool small mammals including the superbly ridiculous Long-eared Jerboa. See more of the World’s Best Mammalwatching.

Snow Leopards, 2024: Cat Expeditions, 1 week and 4 species: Snow Leopards, Saiga, Siberian Ibex and Goitered Gazelle.

Winter in Mongolia, 2023: Heng Yirui, 2 weeks & 15 species including 7 Snow Leopards and a Pallas’s Cat.

Manul Safari, 2023: Cat Expeditions, 10 days & 7 species including Pallas’s CatMongolian GazelleCorsac Fox and Eurasian Badger.

Winter Cat Quest, 2023: Wise Birding, 10 days & 14 species including Snow Leopard, Pallas’s Cat and Argali.

Mongolia, 2022: Philip Preccey, 12 days & 32 species including Snow Leopard, Pallas’s Cat and Saiga.

Manul Safari, 2022: Sebastian Kennerknecht, 8 days & 5 species including Mongolian Hamster and Pallas’s Cats. Awesome photos!

Mongolia, 2022: Daan Drukker, 4 weeks & 46 species including Pallas’s CatSaiga, Argali and Wild Camel.

Mongolia, 2022: Karl Van Ginderdeuren, 17 days & 19 species including Steppe PolecatPallas’s Cat and Snow Leopard.

Mongolia, 2019: Paul Carter, 4 weeks & 46 species including Saiga, Steppe Zokor and Zaisan Mole Vole. Great report!

Mongolia, 2019: Wise Birding’s reports of two trips with species including Snow LeopardPallas’s Cat, Mongolian Wild Ass, and Marbled & Steppe Polecats.

Mongolia, 2019: Sandwich Bird Tours & Wildlife Tour in Mongolia, 2 weeks & 17 species including Snow Leopard and Pallas’s Cat.

Mongolia, 2019: Justin Brown, 2 weeks & species including Saiga, Camels and a Gobi Bear.

Mongolia, 2019: Willdife Tour in Mongolia, 18 days and several mammals including brilliant Snow Leopard and Pallas’s Cat viewing.

Mongolia, 2018: Munkhnast Dalannast, 3 weeks & 30 species including Marbled and Steppe Polecats and Pallas’s Cat.

Mongolia, 2018: Karl Van Ginderdeuren, with species including Pallas’s Cat and Snow Leopard.

Mongolia, 2018: Steve Firth, 2 weeks & 19 species including Marbled PolecatCorsac Fox and a Snow Leopard.

Mongolia, 2018: Naturetrek, 12 days & 15 species including SaigaCorsac Fox and Snow Leopard.

Hustai National Park & Toson Nature Reserve, 2018: Stuart Chapman, 6 days & 11 species including Daurian Ground Squirrel, Striped Dwarf Hamster and Mongolian Gazelle.

Mongolia, 2018: Phil Gregory, 18 days & 25 mammals including Corsac Fox, Pallas’s Cat and Argali.

Snow Leopards, 2017: Arne Secelle & Edith Verschorre, 2 weeks & 17 species including 5 Snow Leopard sightings, 3 Pallas’s Cats and a Marbled Polecat (not a Steppe Polecat it seems).

Mongolia, 2017: Phil Gregory, 18 days & 27 mammals including Campbell’s Hamster and Argali.

Mongolia, 2016: Jon Hall, 15 nights and 45 mammals including Wild Camels, Marbled & Steppe Polecats, Pallas’s Cat, 9 jerboa species including Long-eared Jerboa and 4 hamster species.

Mongolia, 2015: Richard Webb, 2 weeks and 33 mammals including Bactrian Camel, Long-eared Jerboa, Prezwalski’s Horse and a Snow Leopard.

Mongolia, 2013: John Pilgrim, 2 weeks & 33 mammals including Long-eared Jerboa, Snow Leopard, Argali, Marbled Polecat & Prezwalski’s Horse.

Mongolia, 2004: Steve Anyon-Smith, 1 month & 30 mammals.

Also See

Meriones Gebils: Taxonomy and Tails May 2020

Snow Leopards in Mongolia – RFI September 2016

Wild Camel in the Gobi October 2016

Pygmy Jerboas April 2014

Mongolia RFI: Camels and other mammals (September, 2013)

Resources


Daan Drukker’s Field Guide to the Squirrels of Mongolia, 2023 comes with a set of sound recordings, which can be downloaded here. If you are planning a trip to Mongolia, make sure to download the sounds to your phone.

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