The Yak or yak (Bos grunniens) is a kind of the cattle, which is common in central Asia. It is one of five kinds of cattle, which were domestiziert by humans.

Characteristics

A Yakbulle can reach a head fuselage length of 3,25 m, a of 2 m and a weight of a ton. The cows are clearly smaller and easier and weigh rarely more than 350 kg.

Domestizierte Yaks do not reach the extents of savage Yaks. Bulls of the Hausyaks have a from 112 to 180 cm, cows are somewhat smaller with 107 to 112 cm. Bulls reach a weight of 700 kg; Cows become 250 to 350 kg heavily.

Both Wildjaks and domestizierte Yaks have a completely behaartes muzzle, a pronounced Widerrist and strengthen, strongly behaarte member masses.

Against cold weather Yaks are prepared by a long hair dress, which is enough up to the soil. The color of a Wildyaks is black brown. Hausyaks are variable; it gives beside brown and black also red, white or gescheckte Yaks. The bulls have nearly 1 m for a long time, outward and upward arranged horns; those of the cows are formed many smaller and more irregularly.

Spreading

At the ice age age Yaks lived even in Alaska and Central Europe. The historical circulation area covered the Himalaya as well as far parts of the Chinese provinces Xinjiang, Tibet and Qinghai and parts of Still in 14. Wild Yaks in Tuwa lived century. 1720 still by Wildyaks in Kusnezk, 1739 by which in the Altai and Daurija was reported. This Siberian Yaks belonged after Weretschagin to the subspecies (Bos grunniens baicalensis). Today wild Yaks within large ranges of its former area became extinct. They live only in some parts Wetschinas and Tibets and possibly in Ladakh in India. See also under threat. Their habitat are high-altitude rock steppes like the Chang seaweed at heights up to 6100 M. in the colder seasons pull it into deeper situations.

Way of life

The large herds of savage Yaks consist of cows with their calves. In former times these herds are to have covered several thousand animals. The bulls live until they follow in September the herds. There they fight each other among themselves, in order to attain the right for the guidance of a herd. After a carrying time of nine months a calf for each dam is brought to the world. At the age of eight years a Yak achieved the full size, and its maximum age amounts to 25 years.

Humans and Yaks

Domestikation

The time of the Domestikation is unknown. Different theories shift it on data between 5000 v. Chr. and 1000 v. Chr., whereby the latter period is the more probable. It is safe that before 2000 years already Hausyaks were used; this is testified on wall paintings in Tibetan Klostern. There are today in central Asia about 12.7 million domestizierte Yaks (1993).

The use of the Yak is various. It serves as reading and a riding animal, gives milk, wool, leather and meat. In large heights they are far more suitable than all other load animals. With up to 150 kg Yaks for the crossing of the passports are loaded. Yaks give in the year about 400 litres to milk; a quantity small in the comparison with house cattle or water buffalos, but the milk has a high fat content (8%) and is nourish-technically very valuable thereby. Of the milk (the pink is, instead of white) butter, cheese and one as way provisions used drying milk mass are made.

After the winter the fine Unterwolle is expenditure-combed to the Yaks and to yarn for articles of clothing versponnen, meet for each animal about 3 kg of wool. From rough wool and the cut off belly hair covers, rope, bags and tents are manufactured. Also the Yak excrement is used; in high situations it is sometimes the only available fuel. One can state with good reason that Yaks make the existence of humans in the extreme altitudes Tibets only possible at all.

Yaks can be crossed with house cattle. Particularly in the north of India there are numerous yak Zebu hybrids.

Occasionally verwildern Yaks domestizierte again. Thus there are small herds of verwilderter Hausyaks in internal Mongolia, where there is no more genuine Wildyaks. In regions, in which Wildyaks occur, such verwilderten Hausyaks for Wildyaks is a threat, since they cross with them and to descendants witness, which do not possess no more the characteristics of Wildyaks.

Isolated Yaks were exported also into other regions. Small Yakherden gives it for example in the alps or in the north of Canada. These are however exceptions, and outside of Asia the Yakzucht remains a very exotic industry.

Threat

Wild Yaks is regarded endangered of the IUCN since 1996 as; before they had been considered as threatened, until one had recognized that it gives much particularly in the unexplored widths of west China more Wildyaks than before accepted. The numbers at that time on 15.000 estimated, might however since that time somewhat have decreased/gone back. 8500 Wildyaks live in Tibet, 3700 in Qinghai and 2500 in Xinjiang. Outside of China there is probably no more wild Yaks: In Nepal they became extinct, to occurrences in Kashmir obviously expired. Although after Chinese laws completely protected, wild Yaks becomes still bejagt. Further causes for the population decrease are mixtures of savages and domestizierter Yaks as well as the infection with cattle diseases.

Name

Sometimes the Yak is placed into its own kind Poephagus. Over the systematic position there is disagreement. While some zoologists assume a close relationship for the kind of the Bisons, others see of the Auerochsen relatives close in the Yak.

Originally the Hausyak was designated as Bos grunniens, the Wildyak however as Bos mutus. Since both belong to the same kind in truth, today the older name Bos is applied grunniens to both.

The name "“Yak"” originates from the Tibetan language. There it rather as hunt expressed and only to the male animal applied, while the female is called dri.

Due to its sound expression the Yak also Grunzochse is called.

Literature

• Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals OF the World. John Hopkins University press, 1999 ISBN 0801857899
• Helmut lingen: Large encyclopedia of the animals. Lingen publishing house, 1989

Related links

• ''' The Yak ''' - detailed description of the Yak in 16 chapters (FAO document, 460 sides, English).
• ''' Yakzucht ''' - description of Yakhaltung and - breed on a Almbauernhof in the Steiermark/Austria.
• ''' Yak picture gallery ''' - Yaks on a Almbauernhof in the Steiermark/Austria.
• ''' Tibetan Yak cheese '''

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