Yak

• It can live and work above 4,000 metres, where ordinary cattle barely cope.
• It was domesticated on the Tibetan Plateau between 7,300 and 10,000 years ago.
• Wild bulls can reach 1,000 kg.
• fisiologíaIt has more red blood cells than lowland cattle, and each carries more oxygen — a key adaptation to living above 4,000 metres.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)

Habitat & environment

Alpine grassland, cold steppe and high-altitude desert of the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding regions, between 3,000 and 5,500 metres

Birth weight

18 kg

Size at birth

Precocial, able to stand and walk hours after birth

Sexual maturity

2-3 years (though full adult size is not reached until 6-8 years)

Gestation / incubation

257-274 days (~8.5-9 months)

Litter / clutch size

1 young, with 2 years between births in wild populations

Lifespan in captivity

Documented record of up to 26.3-28 years in captivity

Sources consulted: AnAge; Animal Diversity Web; North American Yak Association; A-Z Animals; Animal Corner; Know Your Mammals; Idaho Falls; PMC

Best time: All year round on the plateaus of the Himalaya and Tibet, above 3,000 m, almost always tied to herding communities.