Abstract: From August 2012 to August 2014, the behaviors of Argali sheep (Ovis ammon sairensis) in Kekesen Mountain in southern Altai Mountains were examined using focalsampling to study activity budgets and rhythms. A total of 2068 behavioral observation samples were collected from 1197 individuals. Foraging and resting were the main behaviors observed, comprising 43.1% and 25.5% of the activity time budgets, respectively. The mean time of the five examined behaviors of the male and female Argali sheep differed significantly among seasons, except for the mean time of the female Argali sheep in spring and autumn. Moreover, the mean time of the five examined behaviors in different seasons differed significantly between the male and female Argali sheep, except for their resting behaviors in winter. In addition to seasonal effects, Argali sheep behaviors were influenced by availability of food resources, temperature, intra and interspecific competition, especially predators, reproductive cycle and human activity. As the behavior characteristics of Argali sheep in other distribution areas are dramatically different, this study demonstrates the Argali sheep’s ability to successfully adapt its behaviors to local environment.

Key words: shade tolerance, plasticity, light availability., ontogeny, light, forest plant