The saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), also called spindlehorn, Asian unicorn, or infrequently, Vu Quang bovid, is one of the world's rarest large mammals, a forest-dwelling bovine native to the Annamite Range in Vietnam and Laos.

Often called the Asian unicorn, little has been uncovered about the enigmatic saola in the three decades since its scientific discovery. None exist in captivity and this rarely seen mammal is already critically endangered (the last step before extinction).

The Saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) is one of the rarest large animals on earth. It is the sole species of a genus of bovids, and has been known to science only since 1992. Adults weigh 80-100 kg, and both females and males are characterized by long, gently curving horns, and a striking pattern of white markings on the head.

The saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) is one of the world's rarest large mammals, a forest-dwelling bovine native to the Annamite Range in Vietnam and Laos. It was described in 1993 following the discovery of remains in Vũ Quang Nature Reserve by a joint survey of the Vietnamese Ministry of Forestry and the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Family group: Solitary, sometimes in pairs (usually a mother and her offspring). Main Predators: Probably leopard, tiger, and dhole. The saola lives in broadleaf rainforests in the Annamite Mountains of The Loa People's Democratic Republic and Viet Nam. The approximate range is depicted in the map below. (Redrawn from Timmins et al., 2008)

Dec 13, 2019 · Scientific Name: Pseudoryx nghetinhensis; Common Name(s): Saola, Asian unicorn, Vu Quang bovid, Vu Quang ox, spindlehorn; Basic Animal Group: Mammal; Size: 35 inches at the shoulder, about 4.9 feet in length; Weight: 176–220 pounds; Lifespan: 10–15 years; Diet: Herbivore; Habitat: Forests in the Annamite mountain range between Vietnam and Laos

The saola, siola, Vu Quang ox, spindlehorn, or Asian bicorn, also, infrequently, Vu Quang bovid (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), is one of the world's rarest large mammals, a forest-dwelling bovine found only in the Annamite Range of Vietnam and Laos.

The saola is one of the most recently discovered large mammals, and its formal description elicited an incredible flurry of scientific interest due to its highly distinctive physical traits. In fact, the saola is so distinctive that its discovery required the creation of a new genus (Pseudoryx).

That species is probably now extinct. The saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) is also known as the spindlehorn and pseudoryx. It weighs about 100 kilograms (220 pounds) and stands 80 to 90 centimeters (31.5 to 35.4 inches) at the shoulder.

The Saola (Pseudoryx nghentinhensis) is the most recently described species of Bovidae, being discovered only in 1992 (1). The etymological meaning of Pseudoryx is false oryx since the taxon is superficially similar in appearance to oryxes. The species name nghentinhensis denotes the Vietnamese province in which it was discovered (1).