20 interesting Yak facts

  1. The yak, is a long-haired bovine found throughout the Himalayan region of south Central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and as far north as Mongolia.
  2. A yak can climb an altitude as high as 20,000 feet, the highest elevation of any mammal’s habitat.
  3. The English word "yak" derives from the Tibetan gyag – in Tibetan this refers only to the male of the species, the female being called a dri or nak.
  4. In English, as in most other languages which have borrowed the word, "yak" is usually used for both sexes.
  5. The respiratory rate of a yak increases with heat and at low altitudes, while at higher, cooler climates, the rate decreases. This helps the animal adjust to the varying climates.
  6. Yaks belong to the genus Bos, and are therefore closely related to cattle (Bos primigenius)
  7. The large lung capacity of a yak enables it to inhale lots of oxygen.

  8. Wild male yaks stand about 2 to 2.2 metres (6.6 to 7.2 ft) tall at the shoulder and weigh up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) or more and have a head and body length of 3 to 3.4 m (9.8 to 11 ft).
  9. The domesticated yak is smaller and has a less shaggy coat, as compared to the wild one.
  10. Domestic yaks mate in about September; the females may first conceive at about 18 months of age, calving April to June, and can calve every year, apparently depending upon food supply.
  11. The wild yaks are black or brown in color, while the domesticated ones can be found in white.
  12. Yaks may live to more than 20 years.
  13. The digestive system of a yak is an internal heater, allowing food to digest at a temperature of 104 °F, keeping it warm in extremely cold conditions.
  14. The wild yak can survive a temperature as low as -40°F in winter.
  15. Yaks can be seen in herds of 10 to 100, comprising of mostly females. Only a few male yaks can be found per herd.
  16. A wild yak reaches its full size only between 6 to 8 years.
  17. Yaks breed in the month of September and after a gestation period of 9 months, give birth to a single calf. In rare cases, twins are also born.
  18. A yak has more than one stomach, which it uses to absorb all the nutrients from the plants it eats.
  19. The yak dung is dried and used as fuel in the treeless Tibetan plateaus.
  20. A mature yak can graze as much as 6-10 pounds of grass hay per day. It alternates its day between browsing and lying quietly chewing its cud.
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