Central Asian Steppe

The wild, wind-blown grasslands and deserts of Mongolia and Central Asia.

ClimateHarsh extremes — baking summers and deeply frozen winters.

LandscapeStony desert, shifting dunes and dry, grassy steppe.

Species recorded187

Written profiles4

Groups present5

Coordinates45.0°, 105.0°

About the Central Asian Steppe

The Central Asian steppe and the deserts embedded in it form one of the largest continuous grassland systems on Earth, running from Mongolia far to the west. It is a continental climate at its most extreme — burning summers, winters that fall far below freezing, and very little rain at any point. There are no trees to speak of and nowhere to hide, so animals here are either fast, burrowing, or exceptionally good at being invisible on open ground. Many are migratory or nomadic, following green flushes that appear unpredictably after rain, which makes fencing, roads and railways unusually damaging: an obstacle that would be trivial in a forest can cut a steppe animal off from the only grazing available that year. Winter storms can kill livestock and wildlife alike at very large scale.

Featured animals of the Central Asian Steppe

All profiles →

4 species have a full written profile.

Bactrian Camel

Camelus bactrianus

Critically endangeredHerbivore

Least concernCarnivore

Saiga Antelope

Saiga tatarica

Critically endangeredHerbivore

Most-recorded wild species here

Photographed and identified by iNaturalist contributors in this region, ordered by number of records.

Argali

Ovis ammon

Mammals

Przewalski's Horse

Equus ferus przewalskii

Mammals

Siberian Wapiti

Cervus canadensis sibiricus

Mammals

Common Hoopoe

Upupa epops

Birds

Demoiselle Crane

Grus virgo

Birds

Baikal Steppe Polecat

Mustela eversmanii michnoi

Mammals

Water Pipit

Anthus spinoletta

Birds

Bog Bush-cricket

Metrioptera brachyptera

Insects

Mongolian Gazelle

Procapra gutturosa

Mammals

Himalayan Griffon

Gyps himalayensis

Birds

Twite

Linaria flavirostris

Birds

Upland Buzzard

Buteo hemilasius

Birds

Gomphocerus sibiricus sibiricus

Insects

Great Egret

Ardea alba

Birds

Common Raven

Corvus corax

Birds

Protaetia ungarica

Insects

Black Kite

Milvus migrans

Birds

Goitered Gazelle

Gazella subgutturosa

Mammals

Full species checklist

A further 165 species recorded in the Central Asian Steppe.

Common name	Scientific name	Group	Records
Sedakov's Bush-cricket	Gampsocleis sedakovii	Insects	189
Eastern Black Redstart	Phoenicurus ochruros phoenicuroides	Birds	187
Buprestis strigosa	Buprestis strigosa	Insects	187
Alashan Ground Squirrel	Spermophilus alaschanicus	Mammals	186
Chukar	Alectoris chukar	Birds	185
Long-eared Hedgehog	Hemiechinus auritus	Mammals	184
Bombus sibiricus	Bombus sibiricus	Insects	184
Laughing Dove	Spilopelia senegalensis	Birds	183
Cinereous Vulture	Aegypius monachus	Birds	183
Asian Desert Warbler	Curruca nana	Birds	183
Green Sandpiper	Tringa ochropus	Birds	182
Red-throated Thrush	Turdus ruficollis	Birds	182
Little Owl	Athene noctua	Birds	181
Dusky Thrush	Turdus eunomus	Birds	181
Azure-winged Magpie	Cyanopica cyanus	Birds	181
Mongolian Finch	Bucanetes mongolicus	Birds	179
Mongolian Accentor	Prunella koslowi	Birds	178
Mongolian vole	Alexandromys mongolicus	Mammals	178
Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	Birds	177
Scaeva albomaculata	Scaeva albomaculata	Insects	177
Catocala helena	Catocala helena	Insects	177
Turkmen Corsac Fox	Vulpes corsac turkmenicus	Mammals	176
Little Ringed Plover	Thinornis dubius	Birds	175
Pallas's Pika	Ochotona pallasii	Mammals	175
Daurian Zokor	Myospalax aspalax	Mammals	174
Great Grey Shrike	Lanius excubitor	Birds	173
Great Spotted Woodpecker	Dendrocopos major	Birds	173
Daurian Redstart	Phoenicurus auroreus	Birds	173
Green-winged Teal	Anas crecca	Birds	173
Black-billed Capercaillie	Tetrao urogalloides	Birds	173
Mylabris mongolica	Mylabris mongolica	Insects	172
Isabelline Wheatear	Oenanthe isabellina	Birds	171
Lesser Kestrel	Falco naumanni	Birds	171
Pied Avocet	Recurvirostra avosetta	Birds	169
Asian Lady Beetle	Harmonia axyridis	Insects	169
House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Birds	168
Taiga Flycatcher	Ficedula albicilla	Birds	167
Andrews's Three-toed Jerboa	Stylodipus andrewsi	Mammals	166
Tarbagan Marmot	Marmota sibirica	Mammals	166
Hairy-footed Jerboa	Dipus sagitta	Mammals	165
Gloydius halys mogoi	Gloydius halys mogoi	Reptiles	163
Steppe Horned Lark	Eremophila alpestris brandti	Birds	162
Daurian Ground Squirrel	Spermophilus dauricus	Mammals	161
Wood Sandpiper	Tringa glareola	Birds	160
Great Tit	Parus major	Birds	159
Desert Finch	Rhodospiza obsoleta	Birds	158
Angaracris barabensis	Angaracris barabensis	Insects	158
Marbled Yellow Pearl	Evergestis extimalis	Insects	155
Garganey	Spatula querquedula	Birds	153
Eurasian Coot	Fulica atra	Birds	150
Lopezus fedtschenkoi	Lopezus fedtschenkoi	Insects	148
Red-billed Chough	Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax	Birds	146
Tuvan Toad-headed Agama	Phrynocephalus versicolor	Reptiles	146
Oriental Cuckoo	Cuculus optatus	Birds	146
Spotted Redshank	Tringa erythropus	Birds	145
White-winged Snowfinch	Montifringilla nivalis	Birds	145
Rock Sparrow	Petronia petronia	Birds	144
Hill Pigeon	Columba rupestris	Birds	143
Reed Bunting	Emberiza schoeniclus	Birds	143
Transverse Lady Beetle	Coccinella transversoguttata	Insects	139
Long-tailed Ground Squirrel	Urocitellus undulatus	Mammals	139
Nutmeg Moth	Anarta trifolii	Insects	138
Northern Wheatear	Oenanthe oenanthe	Birds	137
Naumann's Thrush	Turdus naumanni	Birds	137
Small Tortoiseshell	Aglais urticae	Insects	136
Long-tailed Rosefinch	Carpodacus sibiricus	Birds	136
Pallas's Sandgrouse	Syrrhaptes paradoxus	Birds	135
Eurasian Magpie	Pica pica	Birds	134
Asian Short-toed Lark	Alaudala cheleensis	Birds	133
Vagrant Darter	Sympetrum vulgatum	Insects	132
Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Birds	130
Rock Pigeon	Columba livia	Birds	128
Amur Stonechat	Saxicola stejnegeri	Birds	128
Ruddy Shelduck	Tadorna ferruginea	Birds	125
Evergestis sorhageni	Evergestis sorhageni	Insects	125
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker	Dryobates minor	Birds	123
Pine Bunting	Emberiza leucocephalos	Birds	123
Olive-backed Pipit	Anthus hodgsoni	Birds	122
Apollo	Parnassius apollo	Insects	121
Eurasian Kestrel	Falco tinnunculus	Birds	120
Rook	Corvus frugilegus	Birds	120
Mylabris speciosa	Mylabris speciosa	Insects	115
Transbaikal Red Squirrel	Sciurus vulgaris fusconigricans	Mammals	114
Five-toed Pygmy Jerboa	Cardiocranius paradoxus	Mammals	113
Isabelline Shrike	Lanius isabellinus	Birds	109
Pallas's Bunting	Emberiza pallasi	Birds	108
Scotocampa sheljuzhkoi	Scotocampa sheljuzhkoi	Insects	108
Tufted Duck	Aythya fuligula	Birds	106
Great Crested Grebe	Podiceps cristatus	Birds	103
Common Redshank	Tringa totanus	Birds	102
Mongolian Jird	Meriones unguiculatus	Mammals	100
Calamia decipiens	Calamia decipiens	Insects	100
Desert Wheatear	Oenanthe deserti	Birds	99
Brandt's vole	Lasiopodomys brandtii	Mammals	99
Eastern Buzzard	Buteo japonicus	Birds	96
Blyth's Pipit	Anthus godlewskii	Birds	96
Eurasian Spoonbill	Platalea leucorodia	Birds	95
Myrmeleotettix palpalis	Myrmeleotettix palpalis	Insects	95
Spongy Moth	Lymantria dispar	Insects	93
Golden Eagle	Aquila chrysaetos	Birds	92
Marbled Polecat	Vormela peregusna	Mammals	92
Great Brocade	Eurois occulta	Insects	92
Citrine Wagtail	Motacilla citreola	Birds	91
Kaspischer Even-fingered Gecko	Alsophylax pipiens	Reptiles	91
Siberian Ibex	Capra sibirica	Mammals	90
Carrion Crow	Corvus corone	Birds	90
Godlewski's Bunting	Emberiza godlewskii	Birds	87
Red-flanked Bluetail	Tarsiger cyanurus	Birds	87
Large White	Pieris brassicae	Insects	86
Saker Falcon	Falco cherrug	Birds	86
Coccinella transversoguttata transversoguttata	Coccinella transversoguttata transversoguttata	Insects	85
Eurasian Skylark	Alauda arvensis	Birds	83
Bryodemella holdereri	Bryodemella holdereri	Insects	81
Mandarin Duck	Aix galericulata	Birds	80
Far Eastern Bumble Bee	Bombus patagiatus	Insects	80
White-tailed Bumble Bee	Bombus lucorum	Insects	79
Little Bunting	Emberiza pusilla	Birds	73
Alpine Blue	Agriades orbitulus	Insects	72
Eurasian Bearded Vulture	Gypaetus barbatus barbatus	Birds	71
White Wagtail	Motacilla alba	Birds	70
Black-headed Gull	Chroicocephalus ridibundus	Birds	69
Stone Marten	Martes foina	Mammals	67
Mongolian Toad	Strauchbufo raddei	Amphibians	66
Portland Moth	Actebia praecox	Insects	65
Helophilus continuus	Helophilus continuus	Insects	63
Rosy Starling	Pastor roseus	Birds	51
Blackvein Fritillary	Melitaea arcesia	Insects	51
Mongolian Lark	Melanocorypha mongolica	Birds	50
Great Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo	Birds	48
Grey Wagtail	Motacilla cinerea	Birds	48
Eurasian Red Squirrel	Sciurus vulgaris	Mammals	47
Chinese Beautiful Rosefinch	Carpodacus davidianus	Birds	47
Eurasian Tree Sparrow	Passer montanus	Birds	38
Black Meadowhawk	Sympetrum danae	Insects	38
Dryad	Minois dryas	Insects	37
Dusky Warbler	Phylloscopus fuscatus	Birds	35
Pied Wheatear	Oenanthe pleschanka	Birds	34
Eurasian Sparrowhawk	Accipiter nisus	Birds	33
Compton Tortoiseshell	Nymphalis l-album	Insects	32
Eastern Banded Grasshopper	Arcyptera microptera	Insects	30
Rosy Pipit	Anthus roseatus	Birds	29
Lesser Bath White	Pontia chloridice	Insects	29
Hungarian Glider	Neptis rivularis	Insects	29
Horned Lark	Eremophila alpestris	Birds	28
Eleven-spotted Ladybird Beetle	Coccinella undecimpunctata	Insects	28
Steppe Eagle	Aquila nipalensis	Birds	27
Black Redstart	Phoenicurus ochruros	Birds	26
Willow Tit	Poecile montanus	Birds	25
Thick-tailed Pygmy Jerboa	Salpingotus crassicauda	Mammals	23
Tolai Hare	Lepus tolai	Mammals	22
Aporia hippia	Aporia hippia	Insects	19
Siberian Jerboa	Orientallactaga sibirica	Mammals	18
Black-winged Stilt	Himantopus himantopus	Birds	17
Brown Accentor	Prunella fulvescens	Birds	14
Pere David's Snowfinch	Pyrgilauda davidiana	Birds	10
Common Branded Skipper	Hesperia comma	Insects	8
Eurasian Siskin	Spinus spinus	Birds	7
Chestnut Heath	Coenonympha glycerion	Insects	7
Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Birds	6
Northern Pintail	Anas acuta	Birds	6
Siberian Chipmunk	Eutamias sibiricus	Mammals	6
Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush	Monticola saxatilis	Birds	5
Greater Sand-Plover	Anarhynchus leschenaultii	Birds	5
Long-toed Stint	Calidris subminuta	Birds	2
Booted Eagle	Hieraaetus pennatus	Birds	1

Central Asian Steppe

About the Central Asian Steppe

Featured animals of the Central Asian Steppe

Most-recorded wild species here

Full species checklist

Groups found here

Mammals

Birds

Reptiles

Amphibians

Insects