The Tian Shan dhole (Cuon alpinus hesperius), also known as the Siberian dhole, Western Asiatic dhole,[1] or northern dhole is an extinct subspecies of dhole native to the Altai and Tian Shan mountain ranges, and possibly Pamir. Only 15 records of captured and killed specimens are known, and it most likely went extinct since 1946.[2]
The Tian Shan dhole is somewhat smaller than the Ussuri dhole, with a relatively wider skull and much lighter, straw-coloured winter fur coat. It has a short, wide face and a skull measuring 180 mm long on average. The top of the head and outer sides of the ears are reddish-straw coloured. The upper surface of the neck is dirty-white, with a narrow, sandy-yellow-coloured band running along the upper surface of the back from the ears to the shoulders. The outer surfaces of the limbs are sandy-yellow, while the flanks and inner sides of the limbs have little to no yellowish tint.[3]
The auditory bullae of this subspecies has distinct morphology compared to other dhole subspecies.[4]
The Tian Shan dhole's habitats consists of mountain ranges and other areas with colder climate. It lived in the Tian Shan and the Altai Mountains, and possibly in the Pamir. Their recorded range outside the USSR is considered questionable, with records from China and Mongolia requiring genetic research.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature considered the subspecies in Tian Shan, Altai and Pamir mountain ranges as extinct.[5] As of 2018, given that there are no reliable evidence of its existence since 1946, this subspecies is most likely extinct, though it would be advisable to carry out additional research in Western Tian Shan.[6]
It fed primarily on Siberian ibexes, arkhar, argali, roe deer, maral and wild boar, as well as musk deer and reindeer.[7]