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Yak

Bos grunniens

Description:

The English word "yak" derives from the Tibetan yag, or gyag – in Tibetan this refers only to the male of the species, the female being called a dri or nak. In English, as in most other languages which have borrowed the word, "yak" is usually used for both sexes. Both sexes have long shaggy hair with a dense woolly undercoat over the chest, flanks, and thighs to insulate them from the cold. Especially in males, this may form a long "skirt" that almost reaches the ground. The tail is long, with a large plume of hair over much of its length.

Habitat:

The yak, Bos grunniens or Bos mutus, is a long-haired bovine found throughout the Himalayan region of south Central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and as far north as Mongolia and Russia. Domesticated yaks have been kept for thousands of years, primarily for their milk, fibre and meat, and as beasts of burden. Their dried dung is an important fuel, used all over Tibet, and is often the only fuel available on the high treeless Tibetan plateau. Yaks transport goods across mountain passes for local farmers and traders as well as for climbing and trekking expeditions. "Only one thing makes it hard to use yaks for long journeys in barren regions. They will not eat grain, which could be carried on the journey. They will starve unless they can be brought to a place where there is grass.

Notes:

They looked gentle and like big hairy buffalos. Domesticated ones were found walking around with jobs to do. They looked the best scattered along the mountainscapes and along the lakes! Fascinating yaks!

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6 Comments

surekha
surekha 12 years ago

Thanks for stopping by and the nice comments, SantaLuciaReserve! I spotted these at an altitude of 14450 ft, about 4310 meters! And yes, I seen them again at even higher altitudes at 5359 m, one of the highest mountain passes- Khardung La!

surekha
surekha 12 years ago

Thank you, hayde, for your visit and the nice comments :) Yes, you'd love them, and on those locales, gentle and peaceful!

SantaLuciaReserve
SantaLuciaReserve 12 years ago

These look like proper, full-on yaks and not Dzo or some other hybrid. Great stuff. How high up were they? I've seen the dzo up to about 4800m, but then the true yak seem to take over. Top, top spotting.

hayde
hayde 12 years ago

Thanks for the extensive info surekha, and a nice picture. I wish I could see it myself.

surekha
surekha 12 years ago

Yes, thank you, Alice!

alicelongmartin
alicelongmartin 12 years ago

Wonderful information! I have never seen one before, only remember one in a children's story.

surekha
Spotted by
surekha

Sikkim, India

Spotted on Dec 24, 2009
Submitted on Oct 6, 2011

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