Yaks

Plateau Grassland Yaks are found on the cold highland pastures in Qinghai province of China. They look similar to wild Yaks, but they are domesticated.

These yaks have a relatively large body and a big head. Both sexes are horned. Like the wild yak, they have greyish-white hair down their back and around their muzzle and eye.

They adapt well to the cold and humid climate of high elevation. 

The yaks of Tibet are kept on high mountain pastures, which often suffer from overgrazing.  Tibetan yaks are primarily black and have horns.

Valley Yaks are found in the valleys of North and East Tibet, as well as in some parts of Sichuan and Yuman provinces.

White Yaks are found in Tibet, and southwest China.  White Yaks were once considered a divine animal. 

Today White Yaks are raised for meat, milk, and hides.  Their hides are used for leather products. 

Wild yaks usually are found in herds of ten to thirty animals. 

They have dense close matted under hair as well as shaggy outer hair.

Wild yaks secrete a special sticky substance in their sweat which helps keep their under-hair matted and acts as extra insulation. This secretion is used in some traditional Nepalese medicine. Many wild yaks are killed by hunters in China and are now a vulnerable species.