When travelers picture the Gobi Desert, they often imagine dunes and silence stretching to the horizon. Yet the Gobi is alive with movement and song—home to remarkable animals that have mastered survival in one of the harshest landscapes on Earth. To see a herd of khulan race across the steppe or hear the dawn call of a lark is to witness the true spirit of the desert. Read more “12 Amazing Animals That Define Wildlife in the Gobi”
Category: Wildlife and Nature
Discover the Unique Mongolian Horse Breeds
In Mongolia, horses are more than just animals; they are integral to the nation’s identity and way of life. With a horse population that rivals its human population, Mongolia’s equine companions are celebrated for their resilience, strength, and unwavering spirit.
Birds of the Gobi Desert
With 513 species, the birds of Mongolia are minor in number when compared to those of, say, India, with more than 1,300. However, the diversity of Mongolia’s is vast, with more than 60% being migratory, coming from far—and high. Some species travel here from oases in Africa, while Bar-headed guy fly above 26,000 feet, over the towering peaks of the Himalaya, to reach their summer grounds, where they raise their young. There are few endemic species in Mongolia, and approximately 50 to 60 species roam the skies of the Gobi Desert. Here are some of the most interesting must-see birds among Mongolia’s species.
Flora and Fauna of the Gobi
While a desert by every definition, the Gobi is hardly a lifeless expanse, as its widespread ecosystems include Desert Steppe, Semi Desert and True Desert. There are vast sandscapes of rolling dunes and barren cliffs before horizons of stark limestone. There is also the vegetation of the grassland areas of the Eastern Gobi Desert Steppe. And despite the harsh extremes of climate, drought-adapted trees, shrubs and flowers persist. The various regions and differing soil types of the Gobi have given rise to surprising species, providing expanses of lush green and beautiful punctuations of color. Visitors here discover incredible terrains with an otherworldly quality and mesmerizing beauty that is never forgotten. Read more “Flora and Fauna of the Gobi”
Geology of the Gobi Desert
What surprises people the most about the Gobi Desert is that it is not all sand. The term desert conjures images of vast rolling dunes—and the Gobi certainly has these—yet this splendidly tranquil ecosystem covering more than half-a-million square miles contains fertile tracts as well. Perhaps more surprising still is that this arid landscape was covered in conifer forests and lush with lakes and streams about 80 million years ago. Read more “Geology of the Gobi Desert”
Wildlife of the Gobi
One of Earth’s largest landscapes undisturbed by mankind, the Gobi Desert harbors some of the most unique species of animals. Read more “Wildlife of the Gobi”
Camels of the Gobi
The temperature in the Gobi in the south of Mongolia reaches −40 °F in the winter, and as high as 113 °F in the summer, making this one of the most forbidding lands in the world. Yet Bactrian camels have thrived here for millennia, supplying the nomadic herders with valuable wool for textiles, milk for sustenance, and transportation throughout the region. Read more “Camels of the Gobi”
Ecosystems of the Gobi Desert
It’s not often you hear the word Gobi without the word desert attached: the image of a barren, lifeless place of endless billowing sand dunes is firmly affixed to the term desert in the mind of the general public. Deserts, however, can be varied in landscape, and frequently contain many ecologically diverse pockets. Read more “Ecosystems of the Gobi Desert”