Natural vegetation in the Altai region includes steppe grasses, shrubs and bushes and light forests of birch, fir, aspen, cherry, spruce, and
pines, with many clearings in the forest. These forest merge with a modified taiga. Among the animals are hare, mountain sheep, several species of deer, bobac, East European woodchucks, lynx, polecat, snow leopard, wolves, bears, Argali sheep, Siberian ibex, mountains goats and deer. Bird species include pheasant, ptarmigan, goose, partridge, Altai snowcock, owls, snipe and jay, In the streams and rivers are trout, grayling and the herring-like sig.
The Mongol word Gobi can mean desert, depression, salt marsh, or steppe, but which usually refers to a category of arid rangeland with insufficient vegetation to support marmots but with enough to support camels. Gobi wildlife includes wild asses, dzeran (Mongolian black and white tail gazelles), argali (wild sheep), snow leopard, steppe fox, Gobi desert bear, desert ibex, cranes, wild camels, eagles, hawks, and buzzards. In some palces there are thousands of gopherlike marmots and black tailed gazelles. Since the early 20th century, the Gobi has been known as one of world's premier dinosaur hunting sites.
Wildlife found in the central and northen forest areas of Mongolia include wolf, wild boar, elk, roe deer, brown bear, wild cat, musk deer, marmot, muskrat, fox, steppe fox and sable. In the lakes there are Dalmatian pelicans, hooded cranes, relict gulls, shelducks and bare-headed geese. The taiga forests are the same as the taiga that dominate Siberia.Trees found here include Siberian larch, which can reach a height of 45 feet, birch trees and Siberian and Scotch pine. As one travels from north to south the forest become slightly less dense.
Khustain Nuruu (60 miles southwest from Ulaan Baatar) is home to Asiatic red deer, wolves, boar, wild cat, wolf, lynx and gazelles. Deer and gazelles are often spotted but sightings of the other animals are rare. The nearly extinct Mongolian wild takhi horse was re-introduced in the grasslands and birch forests here in 1993.
There is a lot of wildlife in the Lake Khovsgol area, including 68 species of mammals, including moose, wolves, bears, sable, marmots and deer, nine species of fish, and scores of bird species, including storks and cranes. The Buriat, Darkand and Tsaatan minorities have traditionally lived around the lake. The Tsaatan reindeer herders have traditionally lived in the mountains to the northwest of the lake. There reindeer are not allowed in the park around the lake because of the damage they cause.
