Tibetan Yaks. World of animals and plants

The word Yak comes from the Tibetan yaag meaning “male yak” (also in the Russian language there is the word sarlyk, derived from the Mongolian sarlag), translated as a grunting bull (a disgruntled domestic yak grunts, which is not characteristic of a wild yak).

Photo: Jerrold Bennett

The yak is a large animal with a long body, relatively short legs, wide, rounded hooves and a heavy, low-set head. Height at the withers is up to 2 m, weight in old bulls is up to a ton. The body length of an old male is up to 4.25 m, of which 0.75 m is in the tail. The length of the female is up to 2.8 m, height 1.6 m, weight 325-360 kg.

The yak has a small hump at the withers, which makes its back appear sloping. The horns of both sexes are long, but not thick, widely spaced, directed to the sides from the base, and then curved forward and upward; their length is up to 95 cm, and the distance between the ends is 90 cm.

Photo: Kim's Pics

The yak is distinguished by long, shaggy hair that hangs from the body and almost completely covers the legs. The coat is dark brown or grayish-black everywhere except the muzzle, where there are often white markings. The yak is protected from the winter cold by a thick matted undercoat, which falls out in large clumps in spring and summer. Yak wool is widely used by Tibetans, and you can often see the animals wearing harnesses woven from their own hair. While on most of the body the fur is thick and even, on the legs, sides and belly it is long and shaggy, forming a kind of continuous “skirt” that almost reaches the ground. The tail is also covered with long, stiff hair and resembles that of a horse. In Russia, yaks are found, in addition to zoos, in the agriculture of Tuva and some other territories bordering Mongolia. In addition to Tibet, it is exploited as a pack and meat animal.

Photo: Larry Dears

Back in the first millennium BC, the yak was domesticated by humans. Domestic yaks are smaller and more phlegmatic than wild ones; hornless individuals are often found among them; their color is very variable. Yak is used in Tibet and other parts Central Asia, in Mongolia, Tuva, Altai, Pamir and Tien Shan. The yak is an indispensable pack animal in the highlands. It produces excellent milk, meat and wool without requiring any care. The domestic yak is crossed with cows, and the resulting hainaki (Mongolian hainag) are very useful as draft animals. They are distinguished by less endurance, but also by smaller size and a more docile disposition.

photo: Nick Leonard

Wild yak has been little studied due to the high altitude. Historically, wild yaks are recorded in Tibetan chronicles as one of the great evils, animals dangerous to humans. In Tibetan, wild yak, as opposed to domesticated one, is called dzo. Popular among nomads in the adjacent mountainous regions of China and Mongolia. In the Soviet Union, wild yak was acclimatized in the mountains of the North Caucasus, particularly in North Ossetia. Wild yaks cannot tolerate places inhabited by people, and therefore quickly die out - now they live only in the high mountainous regions of Tibet at elevations of 4300-4600 m above sea level. m. in winter and up to 6100 m above sea level. m. in summer. It is found on the Tibetan Plateau and in adjacent mountainous regions (Karakoram, Ladakh). They live in families of several heads or small herds of 10-12 heads, old males live alone. However, as N.M. testifies. Przhevalsky, who first described the wild yak, back in the 19th century. herds of yak cows with small calves reached several hundred, or even thousands of heads. At 6-8 years of age they reach sexual maturity; life expectancy is about 25 years.

Photo: Shepherd

The yak rut occurs in September - October. At this time, bulls join groups of cows. Violent fights occur between the bulls, unlike the ritualized fights of most other bovids. During a fight, rivals try to hit each other in the side with a horn. The fatal outcome of these battles is rare, and the matter is limited to injuries, sometimes very serious. During the rut, the calling roar of the yak can be heard, at other times it is extremely silent. Yak calving occurs in June, after a nine-month pregnancy. The calf is not separated from its mother for about a year.

Photo: Matthew Winterburn

Adult yaks are well armed, very strong and ferocious. Wolves decide to attack them only in exceptional cases in a large pack and in deep snow. In turn, bull yaks, without hesitation, attack the person pursuing them, especially if the animal is wounded. The attacking yak holds its head and tail high with a flowing plume of hair. Since ancient times, the yak enjoyed great fame because it produced the so-called horse tails (its main difference from other bulls), which served as a head adornment for the leaders of the eastern armies. Hunting a wild yak is both tempting and dangerous. Without thinking, the enraged animal, if not mortally wounded, rushes straight at the hunter. This animal is very resilient to wounds. Old bulls were found with three bullets in the head and fifteen in the chest, and they still had the strength to run a considerable distance.

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Yak (Bos grunniens)

Class - mammals
Order - artiodactyls

Suborder - ruminants
Family - bovids

Subfamily - bulls

Rod - real bulls

Distinguish wild ( mutus- “mute”) and domestic ( grunniens- grunting) yakov.

Appearance

The yak is a large animal with a long body, relatively short legs, wide, rounded hooves and a heavy, low-set head. Height at the withers is up to 2 m, weight in old bulls is up to 1000 kg. The body length of an old male is up to 4.25 m, of which 0.75 m is in the tail. The length of the female is up to 2.8 m, height 1.6 m, weight 325-360 kg.

Distribution area

In Russia, yaks are found, in addition to zoos, in agriculture. In countries other than Tibet, it is popular among nomads in the adjacent mountainous regions of northern India, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Nepal and Mongolia. In the Soviet Union, domestic yak was introduced to North Caucasus, in particular to Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, Dagestan, Checheno-Ingushetia and North Ossetia. The acclimatization of the yak in Armenia did not bring results.

Wild yaks cannot tolerate places inhabited by people, and therefore quickly die out - now they live only in the high mountainous regions of Tibet at elevations of 4300-4600 m above sea level. m. in winter and up to 6100 m above sea level. m. in summer. It is found on the Tibetan Plateau and in adjacent mountainous regions (Karakoram, Ladakh).

Lifestyle

They live in families of several heads or small herds of 10-12 heads, old males live alone. However, as N.M. Przhevalsky, who first described the wild yak, testifies, back in the 19th century. herds of yak cows with small calves reached several hundred, or even thousands of heads.

Of the sense organs, the yak has the best developed sense of smell. Vision and hearing are much weaker.

Basic food in nature: grasses, mosses and lichens

Reproduction

The yak rut occurs in September - October. At this time, bulls join groups of cows. Violent fights occur between the bulls, unlike the ritualized fights of most other bovids. During a fight, rivals try to hit each other in the side with a horn. The fatal outcome of these battles is rare, and the matter is limited to injuries, sometimes very serious. During the rut, the calling roar of the yak can be heard, at other times it is extremely silent. Yak calving occurs in June, after a nine-month pregnancy. Happens every 2 years. The calf is not separated from its mother for about a year.

At 6-8 years of age they reach sexual maturity; life expectancy is about 25 years.

The diet of yaks in the mini zoo consists mainly of nutritious plant foods: fresh grass, branches, carrots and turnips, boiled potatoes, black bread, bran and oats, add succulent food to winter time of the year. Often the yaks’ bodies lack minerals, so salt, chalk and bone meal are added to the diet, which must be constantly stored in special feeders in the enclosure.

Yaki is artiodactyl large mammals with short legs. Animals are capable of carrying heavy loads. Yaks are renowned for their extreme strength and endurance. There are representatives that have characteristics of several species. Long-haired mountain animals are similar to ordinary bulls and combine the characteristics of a goat, bison and ram. The wild yak is not adapted to life in areas inhabited by people.

Domesticated yaks were used to help with hard peasant labor. This is evidenced by ancient miniatures depicting this animal. In Tibet, the yak is praised. They even issued postage stamps with his image. The wild yak is designated in chronicles as a great evil for humans. He is dangerous and becomes scary when he attacks. Bull hunting was attractive to the warriors of the eastern armies. Warlords decorated their heads with yak tails.

Description of the appearance of the yak

The yak mammal has a long, large build and short legs. The front part of the body is more developed; there is a raised hump at the withers. The short legs end in round hooves. There are long horns on the head that grow to the sides, and they bend upward. Depending on the type maximum length The horns are 95 cm long. Apart from the muzzle, the entire body is covered with long hair that hangs to the ground. Hairline forms a hem. There are characteristic white markings on the muzzle. IN winter period The normal functioning of the body is ensured by a thick undercoat. The main habitat is Tibet, as well as other parts of Asia.

Use of yak wool

When an animal sheds, the fur falls out in clumps. Its color is grayish-black or dark brown. Domesticated yaks are raised as draft animals for milk and meat. Tibetans make harnesses and other items from yak wool. Wool does not absorb water and does not cause allergies; clothes made from it are very wearable. To make items, the wool is carefully combed. List of yak wool products:

souvenir toys;
cloth;
ropes;
sleds;
strand.

Reproduction and mating season of bulls

Males are twice as large as females and weigh from 0.95 to 1 ton. The female carries the fetus for 9 months. The cubs stay with their mother for up to a year. Puberty occurs at 6-8 years of age. The yak lives on average 25-30 years. Aggressive, especially during the mating season, which occurs in September-October. At this time they join the herd of cows. Heavy fights occur between males.

The yak uses its horns to pierce its opponent sideways, and this distinguishes it from other bovids. When attacking, the male holds his head high and develops a horse-like tail. He doesn’t know how to roar or moo, but only grunts when he’s angry. This applies to domestic breeds; wild yaks are silent. During pregnancy the male leaves the pregnant female. Domesticated animals are well trained and are found in circuses.

An adult representative reaches 4.25 m in length and 2 meters in height. He has a good sense of smell, in contrast to the organs of hearing and vision. Very hardy. There was an individual with three bullets in the head and fifteen in the chest. Even in this form, the yak remained very hardy. The animal belongs to dangerous species mammals, especially when wounded. Cannot stand being close to humans. Yaks can gather in herds, but with age they separate from their relatives and exist alone. Other characteristics of the yak:

Yak bulls have been living in Tibet for about 10,000 years. They rise to a height of 4000 km in winter, and in summer - to 6000 km. Wild yaks nowadays predominate in high areas, away from people. Animals choose this movement because of extinction near people. Domestic individuals stay closer to their relatives. The bull can be found in the Tibetan plateaus: Karakoram, Ladakh.

In Tibet they praise the yak - there you can buy souvenir figurines. Tibetan yaks live in herds of 10-12 animals. If the herd is in danger, the kids are driven into a circle for protection and defend themselves. In the works of N.M. Przhevalsky there are descriptions of a herd of several thousand heads. In the 19th century, he was the first to describe the animal, but it was difficult: obtaining information is difficult due to hard to reach place a habitat.

The yak animal belongs to the bovid bulls. Ruminant bulls come from Tibet, where they live in mountain range. Domesticated animals are used by humans as beasts of burden. Yaks are sometimes bred for meat and milk.

Although yaks originally come from the Tibetan Plateau, today they can be found in some other areas of our planet. These pack animals tolerate low temperatures well temperature conditions, characteristic of high mountain regions. This is what allows them to do this because of the thick and very long hair that covers the animals’ bodies on the sides and in the underbelly. This natural fur coat gives artiodactyls the ability to lie on snow covers without freezing at temperatures of about -35°C.

Wild yaks are quite ferocious creatures, and this can be appreciated from the photo. When meeting a person, they become aggressive and are ready to attack first.

Yaks are excellent pack animals, popular household assistants among Indian nomadic peoples living in the mountainous northern part of the country. You can meet the yak on farms in China and Iran, Mongolia and Nepal. They have chosen the mountainous expanses of Pakistan and Afghanistan and live among the Tajik and Uzbek peoples. In Russia, yak can be seen not only in the pens of zoos. During times Soviet Union it was brought to the Caucasian north and today predominates in Kabardino-Balkaria, Ossetia, and Karachay-Cherkessia. The agriculture of the Tuvan Republic numbers about 10,000 individuals. Single specimens are found in Altai and Buryatia.

External characteristics of barn animals

Yaks are large mammals. The average weight for males ranges from 0.95 to 1.0 tons, females weigh half as much - the maximum weight is about 0.4-0.5 tons. The height at the withers ranges from about 1.2-1.5 m, some specimens are grow up to 2 m in height. The bull yak can reach more than 4 m in length.

General form

The yak has a large and massive body with a well-developed front part of the body and short legs ending in strong hooves that allow it to easily move across mountainous terrain and rocky slopes. The description of the yak and the hump rising at the withers makes it similar in structure to a bison. The head is crowned with small horns curving upward. Sometimes you can see polled yaks.

Coat

Living in high mountain conditions, the yak is covered with thick hair, which protects the animal at an altitude of 1.5 to 4.0 km above sea level from frost and precipitation. Transfer special climatic conditions thick skin and the presence of a subcutaneous fat layer helps. The coat is represented by axial hair of sufficient length and fine down. The color often seen in photos is black or brown. The color is often variegated.

The mobility of the lips and the presence of horny lingual papillae give the yak the opportunity to feed on mountain vegetation throughout the year.

Living conditions of yaks

At the end of summer and beginning of autumn, wild yaks move closer to the border of the ever-lying snow. They spend the entire winter period in mountain valleys, where there is practically no vegetation. However, the narrow muzzle with movable lips, different from cows and sheepskins, allows the animals to get food from under the snow.

Egg animals live in small families - herds of no more than 20 individuals. At the same time, aged males try to stay apart. During the rut, skirmishes can occur between males, as a result of which rivals compete with the help of horns.

Wild yaks cannot stand being close to humans, so their habitat is slowly narrowing, and their numbers are invariably declining. For this reason, they are listed in the International Red Book.

The wild yak is a rather aggressive and violent animal. He is always ready to attack his offender. A person intending to cause harm to an animal is no exception.

What kind of animals are yaks, people knew even before our era, they managed to domesticate wild bull and use it for agricultural needs. Home representative a little smaller in size Compared to its wild ancestor, it behaves more calmly and balanced. In an angry state, animals do not roar, but produce sounds similar to grunting, which is why they were nicknamed grunting bulls.

Reproduction and breeding of yak

The mating season of the wild yak begins at the beginning autumn period. Pregnancy lasts 250 days, during which the bull is not nearby, but leaves the herd. A born calf does not leave its mother for about a year. Sexual maturity of young animals occurs when they reach the age of seven months.

Domestic bulls are often crossed with cattle by farmers. To do this, they mate with domestic cows, as a result of which hybrids are born, and, judging by the photograph, they are larger in size than purebred yaks. Hybrid individuals pass on their high productivity indicators and strong physique to the future generation.

For Agriculture barn animals and their use in crossing have many attractive features:

productivity reaches up to 0.6-0.7 tons of milk per year with a fat content of more than 6% with a lactation duration of 180 days,
milk from barley animals is high in protein and sugar,
meat obtained from yak is used for the production of sausages and canned food, while the slaughter yield remains at 45%,
Thick yak leather is used in making shoe soles and is used for technical purposes.

Features and habitat of the yak

Yak is an animal, with a long large body, small legs and round hooves. His head seems to be hanging down. The mass of the creature is also large - up to one and a half tons. The body can reach a length of up to 4.5 meters, of which almost a meter is the tail. Thanks to the hump on its back, we can say that the creature has a sloping back.

The yak's horns are quite long, one might say thin. They are directed to the sides from the beginning, and then bend. Their length varies, reaching 95 cm. If you look at a yak, you can find similarities with a goat, a bull, or a bison, thanks to its huge horns. Nature simply took and combined several animals into one. The result was this unusual creature.

The yak has elongated hair that hangs at the bottom of the body and almost covers the lower limbs. Winters are not terrible for the yak, because it has a long undercoat, which is an excellent remedy for the cold. By the way, it is interesting that during the molting period this undercoat falls out not in single hairs, but in whole clumps.

The Tibetans learned to use the animal’s wool, and on yaks you can often see a harness made from its own wool frame. On foot, abdominal cavity and on the sides of the yak, the wool is slightly different from the rest.

There it forms a blanket that stretches all the way to the ground. Yak - pet, and therefore it is exploited in many places as a beast of burden. Sometimes it is bred for slaughter.

Character and lifestyle of the yak

The indigenous mountain inhabitants can be called Yaks. They are perfectly adapted to live in the mountains, in places where wetlands, lakes and grassy meadows can often be found.

The creatures can move in the mountains without any problems, and their mass does not affect their movement speed in any way. Animals run no worse than rams or goats (also wild). But they do not cross the plains so quickly; any horse, even the slowest one, can overtake them.

Unlike their relatives, who are capable of roaring, mooing, or making other sounds common to the bovid family, the yak grunts. For this reason, scientists have given it the appropriate title of “grunting bull.”

Wild representatives of the species can gather 5 pieces together for grazing. Young animals are kept in greater fear of environment, so they are in large groups.

As they age, the yaks move into smaller and smaller groups until they are finally left to live alone. So if you happen to see a wild yak without its family, it means it is already quite old.

Tamed yaks are very common in Tibet, Altai and Pamir. The creatures are slightly smaller than their wild counterparts because they often interbreed with other domestic creatures, such as bulls. Locals very accustomed to yaks at home. For them, owning a yak is as common as owning a chicken or a pig.

The creatures' milk is quite thick, containing a lot of fat and protein. I often use yaks for riding. The creatures are very strong and resilient, they are able to endure the transition through the mountains with a significant weight on their back. Not very long ago, when no roads were built across the mountains, yaks were the best mountain transport.

We can safely say that yak – mountain animal, as he has adapted perfectly to life in the mountains. The air at an altitude of 5 km will in any case be very cold and thin, which the yaks don’t seem to care about. If you take a bull or another animal from the family to such a height, it will not be able to survive for a long time at such a height.

It’s all “to blame” for the yak’s hair, which forms a kind of blanket that reaches right down to the ground. It contains a lot of fluff, so yaks are able to sleep on cold ground or even in snow. Animals independently obtain their food under the snow; they spend the night only on the street and never under a roof.

When yaks are crossed with other livestock, interesting hybrid creatures are obtained. They are very hardy and have less fur. Khainyks (the so-called yak hybrids) can produce very large quantities of milk or meat products. But the problem is their frequent infertility.

The photo shows a yak-khainyki hybrid

Yak food

Very in an interesting way Yaks eat. They are able to obtain their own food by reaching necessary plants from under the snow. Almost everything that grows in meadows or fields is eaten. The exceptions are, perhaps, bitter varieties of herbs, which are not eaten by any other animals, not even insects.

Just like pets, bull yak prefers to eat cereals. Wheatgrass, which, like wild grass or weed, sprouts in any place, even very difficult for growth, is especially suitable for feeding it.

Yaks eat astragalus, fescue, and St. John's wort with great pleasure; sometimes, if nothing suitable grows nearby, they may be reluctant to eat godworts. Zoologists have counted more than 17 types of grass that are eaten by yaks. They feed on almost all crops that come their way. Maybe that’s why yaks have very good health and enormous strength.

Reproduction and life expectancy of the yak

Most often, yaks, both wild and tame, breed; they prefer to breed in late September - early October. For domestic animals, everything is quite simple. They are added to herds of cows so that the males inseminate them too.

Buy yaks, animals another type can be found in special reserves, where they are grown specifically for sale. In such places you can find simple bulls, cows, as well as small animals of this type. Their cost varies, but it is unlikely that there will be an individual cheaper than 50,000 rubles.

Bulls behave strangely aggressively when it is time for insemination. It's not that they behave much differently at other times, but at the end of September they just explode. Very serious fights often take place between males, which are completely different from the simple ritual fights of other creatures of their family.

During battles, yaks strive to hit their opponents in the side with their horns in order to wound the opponent. But there are very few deaths among such fights; apparently the creatures have some sense of proportion.

But injuries for them during the breeding season are very common, sometimes these wounds are very serious. It happens so much that males practically do not get up for weeks, making some movements only to eat.

When the yaks are in rut, they begin to roar. At other times, they prefer to remain silent, not making a sound, only grunting occasionally. Animals calve after 9 months of pregnancy. Baby Yak never leaves his mother's side.

Only after he turns one year old does he begin to move further and further away until he begins to live completely independently. Sexual maturity in yaks is 6-8 years. Creatures live no more than 25-30 years.