The wild yak is a large, long-haired bovine native to the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau and surrounding mountain regions of Central Asia, the ancestor of the widely kept domestic yak but now far less numerous and confined to remote, high-elevation habitat, generally above 4,000 metres. It has a thick, shaggy dark coat that insulates it against extreme cold, along with a large lung capacity and specialized blood adapted to the low oxygen levels of high altitude. Wild yaks graze on the sparse grasses and low vegetation of alpine meadows and steppe, and adult males can be considerably larger and more solitary than the females, which live in herds with young. Hunting and competition with domestic livestock for grazing land have caused significant population declines, and the species is classified as vulnerable.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) Relationship to People Living or ExtinctDerived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status. Scientific Name Conservation Status Population Estimate2008 IUCN assessment ceiling, mature individuals only. Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceHeavily built bovine with a bulky frame, sturdy legs, and long shaggy black or dark brown hair forming a dense woolly undercoat, with males often growing a long skirt-like fringe that can reach the ground. 1 Comparison
CITES Appendix Connections
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Wild Yak (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section, first sentence
The wild yak (Bos mutus) is a large, wild bovine native to the Himalayas.
Conservation section, first sentence
The wild yak is currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Conservation section, 2008 assessment sentence
The latest assessment in 2008 suggested a total population of no more than 10,000 mature individuals.
Description section, first sentence
The wild yak is heavily built with a bulky frame, sturdy legs, and rounded cloven hooves.
Section: Conservation
Poaching, including commercial poaching, has remained the most serious threat; males are particularly affected because of their more solitary habits.
Behaviour and ecology
They also eat a smaller amount of herbs, winterfat shrubs, and mosses, and have even been reported to eat lichen.
Infobox: status2
CITES_A1
In Biome: Alpine, Distribution and habitat
It's most common in alpine tundra with a relatively thick carpet of grasses and sedges rather than the more barren steppe country.
In Biome: Tundra, Distribution and habitat
It's most common in alpine tundra with a relatively thick carpet of grasses and sedges rather than the more barren steppe country.
View the Source 2. Wild yak (Wikidata)
WikidataStatements section, habitat (P2974): TerrestrialQuote, Statements section, habitat (P2974): Terrestrial
Wikidata habitat statement (P2974) resolves to a terrestrial habitat type.
Wikidata: Wild Yak
Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: ArtiodactylaView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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