Yak - Wikipedia

Long-haired domesticated bovid For the progenitor species Bos mutus, see Wild yak. For other uses, see Yak (disambiguation). "Dri" redirects here. For the Argentine Roman Catholic cardinal, see Luis Pascual Dri.

Yak
A yak near Chagan-Uzun, Altai Republic, Russia
Conservation status
Domesticated
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Subfamily:	Bovinae
Genus:	Bos
Species:	B. grunniens
Binomial name
Bos grunniensLinnaeus, 1766
Synonyms
Poephagus grunniens

The yak (Bos grunniens), also known as the Tartary ox, grunting ox,[1] hairy cattle,[2] sarlak or sarlyk,[3] or domestic yak, is a species of long-haired domesticated cattle found throughout the Himalayan region, the Tibetan Plateau, Tajikistan, the Pamir Mountains, and as far north as Mongolia and Siberia. It is descended from the wild yak (Bos mutus).[4]

Etymology

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The English word yak originates from the Tibetan: གཡག་, Wylie: g.yag. In Tibetan and Balti it refers only to the male of the species, the female being called Tibetan: འབྲི་, Wylie: 'bri or Tibetan: གནག, Wylie: gnag in Tibetan and Tibetan: ཧཡག་མོ་, Wylie: hYag-mo in Balti. In English, as in most other languages that have borrowed the word, yak is usually used for both sexes, with bull or cow referring to each sex separately.

Taxonomy

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Belonging to the genus Bos, yaks are related to cattle and bison. Mitochondrial DNA analyses to determine the evolutionary history of yaks have been inconclusive.

The yak may have diverged from cattle at any point between one and five million years ago, and there is some suggestion that it may be more closely related to bison than to the other members of its designated genus.[5] Apparent close fossil relatives of the yak, such as Bos baikalensis, have been found in eastern Russia, suggesting a possible route by which yak-like ancestors of the modern American bison could have entered the Americas.[6]

The species was originally designated as Bos grunniens ("grunting ox") by Linnaeus in 1766. Still, this name is now generally considered to refer only to the domesticated form of the animal, with Bos mutus ("mute ox") being the preferred name for the wild species. Although some authors still consider the wild yak to be a subspecies, Bos grunniens mutus, the ICZN made an official ruling in 2003[7] permitting the use of the name Bos mutus for wild yaks, and this is now the more common usage.[8][6][9]

There are no recognised subspecies of yak except where the wild yak is considered a subspecies of Bos grunniens.

Physical characteristics

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Yaks are heavily built animals with bulky frames, sturdy legs, rounded, cloven hooves, and extremely dense, long fur hanging lower than the belly. While wild yaks are generally dark, blackish to brown in colouration, domestic yaks can be quite variable, often having rusty brown and cream patches. They have small ears and broad foreheads, with smooth horns that are generally dark in colour. In males (bulls), the horns sweep out from the sides of the head and then curve backwards; they typically range from 48 to 99 cm (19 to 39 in) in length.

The horns of females (cows) are smaller, at 27 to 64 cm (11 to 25 in) in length, and have a more upright shape. Both sexes have a short neck with a pronounced hump over the shoulders, although this is larger and more visible in males.[6] Males weigh 350 to 585 kg (772 to 1,290 lb), females weigh 225 to 255 kg (496 to 562 lb). Wild (feral) yaks can be substantially heavier, bulls reaching weights of up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lb).[10] Depending on the breed, domestic yak males are 111–138 cm (44–54 in) high at the withers, while females are 105–117 cm (41–46 in) high at the withers.[11]

Both sexes have long, shaggy hair with a dense woolly undercoat over the chest, flanks, and thighs to insulate them from the cold. Especially in bulls, this may form a long "skirt" that can reach the ground. The tail is long and horselike rather than tufted like the tails of cattle or bison. Domesticated yaks have a wide range of coat colours, with some individuals being white, grey, brown, roan or piebald. The udder in females and the scrotum in males are small and hairy as protection against the cold. Females have four teats.[6]

Yaks are not known to produce the characteristic lowing (mooing) sound of cattle, but both wild and domestic yaks grunt and squeak, which inspired the scientific name of the domestic yak variant, Bos grunniens (grunting bull). Nikolay Przhevalsky named the wild variant Bos mutus (silent bull), believing that it did not make a sound at all, but it does.[12]

Physiology

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Yak physiology is well adapted to high altitudes, having larger lungs and heart than cattle found at lower altitudes, as well as greater capacity for transporting oxygen through their blood,[13][14] due to the persistence of foetal haemoglobin throughout life.[15] Conversely, yaks have trouble thriving at lower altitudes,[16] and are prone to suffering from heat exhaustion above about 15 °C (59 °F). Further adaptations to the cold include a thick layer of subcutaneous fat and an almost complete lack of functional sweat glands.[13]

Compared with domestic cattle, the rumen of yaks is unusually large, relative to the omasum.[citation needed] This likely allows them to consume greater quantities of low-quality food at a time, and to ferment it longer to extract more nutrients.[13] Yak consume the equivalent of 1% of their body weight daily while cattle require 3% to maintain condition.[citation needed] They are grazing herbivores, with their wild ancestors feeding primarily on grass and sedges,[17] with some herbs and dwarf shrubs.[18]

Reproduction and life history

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Yaks mate in the summer, typically between July and September, depending on the local environment. For the remainder of the year, many bulls wander in small bachelor groups away from the large herds. Still, as the rut approaches, they become aggressive and regularly fight with each other to establish dominance. In addition to non-violent threat displays, bellowing, and scraping the ground with their horns, bull yaks compete more directly, repeatedly charging at each other with heads lowered or sparring with their horns. Like bison, but unlike cattle, males wallow in dry soil during the rut, often while scent-marking with urine or dung.[6] Females enter oestrus up to four times a year, and females are receptive only for a few hours in each cycle.[19]

Gestation lasts between 257 and 270 days,[13] so that the young are born between May and June, and results in the birth of a single calf. The cow finds a secluded spot to give birth, but the calf can walk within about ten minutes of birth, and the pair soon rejoin the herd.[13] Females of both the wild and domestic forms typically give birth only once every other year,[6] although more frequent births are possible if the food supply is good.

Calves are weaned at one year and become independent shortly thereafter. Wild calves are initially brown in color and only later develop darker adult hair. Females generally give birth for the first time at three or four years of age,[20] and reach their peak reproductive fitness at around six years. Yaks may live for more than twenty years in domestication or captivity,[6] although it is likely that this may be somewhat shorter in the wild.

Husbandry

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For thousands of years,[citation needed] domesticated yaks have been kept in Mongolia and Tibet, primarily for their milk, fibre (wool), and meat, and as beasts of burden.[21] Their dried droppings are an important fuel, used all over Tibet, and are often the only fuel available on the high, treeless Tibetan Plateau. Yaks transport goods across mountain passes for local farmers and traders and are an attraction for climbing and trekking expeditions:

Only one thing makes it hard to use yaks for long journeys in barren regions. They will not eat grain, which could be carried on the journey. They will starve unless they can be brought to a place where there is grass.[22]

They also are used to draw ploughs.[23] Yaks' milk is often processed to a cheese called chhurpi in Tibetan and Nepali languages, and byaslag in Mongolia. Butter made from yaks' milk is an ingredient of the butter tea that Tibetans consume in large quantities,[24] and is also used in lamps and made into butter sculptures used in religious festivities.[25]

Outside the Himalayas

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Small numbers of herds can be found in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and some parts of Europe. Yaks have generated interest outside the Himalayas as a commercial crop and by cattle breeders. The main interest of North American yak breeders is lean meat production by hybridizing with other cattle, followed by wool production.[26]

Research

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The Indian government established a dedicated centre for research into yak husbandry, the ICAR-National Research Centre on Yak, in 1989. It is located at Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh, and maintains a yak farm in the Nyukmadung area at an altitude of 2,750 metres (9,020 ft) above MSL.[27]

Breeding and hybridization

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In Nepal, Tibet, and Mongolia, domestic cattle are crossbred with yaks. This gives rise to the infertile male dzo མཛོ། as well as fertile females known as dzomo or zhom མཛོ་མོ།, which may be crossed again with cattle. The Dwarf Lulu breed, "the only Bos primigenius taurus type of cattle in Nepal" has been tested for DNA markers and found to be a mixture of both taurine and zebu types of cattle (B. p. taurus and B. p. indicus) with yak.[28] According to the International Veterinary Information Service, the low productivity of second-generation cattle–yak crosses makes them suitable only as meat animals.[29]

Crosses between yaks and domestic cattle (Bos primigenius taurus) have been recorded in Chinese literature for at least 2,000 years.[6] Successful crosses have also been recorded between yak and American bison,[29] gaur, and banteng, generally with similar results to those produced with domestic cattle.[6]

Domestication

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Jacques et al. (2021)[30] show that most elaborate yak-related terminologies are found within Tibetic and Gyalrongic languages. Both branches also have native terms for yak-cattle hybrids, suggesting that Tibetic and Gyalrongic speakers may have independently cross-bred yaks and cattle, predating the proto-Gyalrongic split (3221 [2169–4319] BP[31]) from Tibeto-Gyalrongic. The oldest dated physical evidence of yak domestication is from 2,500 years BP.[32]

Customs

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In parts of Tibet and Karakorum, yak racing is a form of entertainment at traditional festivals and an important part of their culture. More recently, sports involving domesticated yaks, such as yak skiing or yak polo, are being marketed as tourist attractions in South Asian countries, including in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.[citation needed]

In Nepal, an annual festival is held to drink the fresh blood of yak, and it is believed that it cures various diseases such as gastritis, jaundice, and body strain.[33][34] The fresh blood is extracted from the neck of a yak without killing it. The cut is healed after the ceremony is over.[35] The ritual is believed to be originated in Tibet and Mustang.[36]

Traditionally, yaks are used to transport deceased people to charnel grounds for sky burials in Tibet, with Tibetan practice holding that the yaks be set free upon the conclusion of the task.[37][38][39][40]

Yak skiing is a sport practiced in the Indian hill resort of Manali, Himachal Pradesh, as a tourist attraction. The sport involves a skier waiting at the bottom of a slope and a yak at the top of the hill; yak and skier are connected by means of a rope going around a pulley at the top of the hill. To engage the yak, the skier must shake (and swiftly put down) a bucket of pony nuts. This attracts the yak, which charges downhill and pulls the skier upward by means of the rope.[41][42]

Gallery

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• Yaks in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, India, saddled for riding
• Train of pack yaks at Litang monastery in Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China
• Yaks plowing fields in Tibet
• Yaks in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
• Domestic yak in Mao County, China
• A yak at Mount Siguniang Scenic Area, Sichuan, China
• Yak are reared on grazing pastures and meadows at elevations of 3,000–5,000 m (9,800–16,400 ft) above sea level in 28 northern mountain districts in Nepal.

See also

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• Yak dance
• Yakalo

References

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1. ^ Scherf, Beate (2000). "World Watch List for Domestic Animal Diversity" (PDF). World Watch List for Domestic Animal Diversity. FAO: 653.
2. ^ "Yak | mammal". Encyclopædia Britannica.
3. ^ "SARLAK Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster". Merriam-Webster.
4. ^ Grubb, P. (2005). "Order Artiodactyla". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 691. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
5. ^ Guo, S.; et al. (2006). "Taxonomic placement and origin of yaks: implications from analyses of mtDNA D-loop fragment sequences". Acta Theriologica Sinica. 26 (4): 325–330.
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Leslie, D.M.; Schaller, G.B. (2009). "Bos grunniens and Bos mutus (Artiodactyla: Bovidae)". Mammalian Species. 836: 1–17. Bibcode:2009MamSp.836....1L. doi:10.1644/836.1.
7. ^ International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (2003). "Opinion 2027. Usage of 17 specific names based on wild species that are predated by or contemporary with those based on domestic animals (Lepidoptera, Osteichthyes, Mammalia): conserved". Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. 60: 81–84.
8. ^ Buzzard, P.; Berger, J. (2016). "Bos mutus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016 e.T2892A101293528. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T2892A101293528.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
9. ^ Gentry, A.; Clutton-Brock, J.; Groves, C. P. (2004). "The naming of wild animal species and their domestic derivatives". Journal of Archaeological Science. 31 (5): 645. Bibcode:2004JArSc..31..645G. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2003.10.006.
10. ^ Buchholtz, C. (1990). True Cattle (Genus Bos). pp. 386–397 in S. Parker, ed. Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Mammals, Volume 5. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. (quoted in Oliphant, M. (2003). Bos grunniens (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed 4 April 2009)
11. ^ "The Yak. Chapter 2: Yak breeds". FAO. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
12. ^ "Origins, Domestication and Distribution of Yak". FAO. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
13. ^ a b c d e "The Yak in Relation to Its Environment". FAO.
14. ^ The Yak, Second Edition. Bangkok: Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, ISBN 92-5-104965-3. Accessed 8 August 2008.
15. ^ Sarkar, M.; Das, D. N.; Mondal, D. B. (1999). "Fetal Haemoglobin in Pregnant Yaks (Poephagus grunniens L.)". The Veterinary Journal. 158 (1): 68–70. doi:10.1053/tvjl.1999.0361. PMID 10409419.
16. ^ Yak Archived 25 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Animal genetics training resources version II: Breed Information. Adopted from: Bonnemaire, J. "Yak". In: Mason, Ian L. (ed). (1984). Evolution of Domesticated Animals. London: Longman, pp. 39–45. ISBN 0-582-46046-8. Accessed 8 August 2008.
17. ^ Harris, R.B.; Miller, D.J. (October 2009). "Overlap in summer habitats and diets of Tibetan Plateau ungulates". Mammalia. 59 (2): 197–212. doi:10.1515/mamm.1995.59.2.197. S2CID 84659876.
18. ^ Schaller, G.B.; Liu, W. (1996). "Distribution, status, and conservation of wild yak Bos grunniens". Biological Conservation. 76 (1): 1–8. Bibcode:1996BCons..76....1S. doi:10.1016/0006-3207(96)85972-6.
19. ^ Sarkar, M.; Prakash, B.S. (2005). "Timing of ovulation in relation to onset of estrus and LH peak in yak (Poephagus grunniens L.)". Animal Reproduction Science. 86 (4): 353–362. doi:10.1016/j.anireprosci.2004.08.005. PMID 15766812.
20. ^ Zi, X.D. (2003). "Reproduction in female yaks (Bos grunniens) and opportunities for improvement". Theriogenology. 59 (5–6): 1303–1312. doi:10.1016/S0093-691X(02)01172-X. PMID 12527077.
21. ^ Peters, K. J. (April 1987). "Unconventional livestock: Classification and potential uses". ILCA Bulletin (27). International Livestock Centre for Africa: 40.
22. ^ Golden Book Encyclopedia, Vol. 16 p. 1505b. Rockefeller Center, NY: Golden Press (1959).
23. ^ Gyamtsho, Pema. "Economy of Yak Herders" (PDF). Digital Himalaya.
24. ^ Newman, Jacqueline M. (Winter 1999). "Tibet and Tibetan Foods". Flavor and Fortune. Vol. 6, no. 4. Archived from the original on 1 July 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
25. ^ "Butter - Yaks, butter & lamps in Tibet", WebExhibits.
26. ^ "Part 3 - Yak in nontraditional environments by Gerald Wiener". the Yak - Second Edition. FAO. 2003.
27. ^ "Welcome to the Official Website of ICAR-NRCY". nrcy.icar.gov.in.
28. ^ Takeda, K.; Satoh, M.; Neopane, S.P.; Kuwar, B.S.; Joshi, H.D.; Shrestha, N.P.; Fujise, H.; Tasai, M.; Tagami, T.; Hanada, H. (2004). "Mitochondrial DNA analysis of Nepalese domestic dwarf cattle Lulu". Animal Science Journal. 75 (2): 103. doi:10.1111/j.1740-0929.2004.00163.x.
29. ^ a b Zhang, R.C. (14 December 2000). "Interspecies Hybridization between Yak, Bos taurus and Bos indicus and Reproduction of the Hybrids". In: Recent Advances in Yak Reproduction, Zhao, X.X.; Zhang, R.C. (eds.). International Veterinary Information Service.
30. ^ Jacques, G.; d'Alpoim Guedes, J.; Zhang, S. (2021). "Yak Domestication: A Review of Linguistic, Archaeological, and Genetic Evidence". Ethnobiology Letters. 12 (1): 103–114. doi:10.14237/ebl.12.1.2021.1755. S2CID 238997533.
31. ^ Sagart, L.; Jacques, G.; Lai, Y.; Ryder, R.J.; Thouzeau, V.; Greenhill, S. J.; List, J.-M. (2019). "Dated language phylogenies shed light on the ancestry of Sino-Tibetan". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 116 (21): 10317–10322. Bibcode:2019PNAS..11610317S. doi:10.1073/pnas.1817972116. PMC 6534992. PMID 31061123.
32. ^ "Earliest evidence for domestic yak found using both archaeology, ancient DNA". ScienceDaily. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
33. ^ Degen, Allan A.; Kam, Michael; Pandey, Shambhu B.; Upreti, Chet R.; Pandey, Sanjeev; Regmi, Prajwal (21 October 2007). "Transhumant Pastoralism in Yak Production in the Lower Mustang District of Nepal". Nomadic Peoples. 11 (2): 57–85. doi:10.3167/np.2007.110204.
34. ^ "People flock to Mustang to drink yak blood". Retrieved 7 June 2021.
35. ^ "Festival to drink Yak blood begins in Nepal". Hindustan Times. 20 July 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
36. ^ Ians (11 March 2010). "Nepal now sees blood drinking festival". The Hindu. Kathmandu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
37. ^ "Sky Burial – The traditional Tibetan Funeral Custom". Tibet.cn. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
38. ^ Runze, Yu, ed. (13 December 2012), "Funeral Reforms Edge Along in Tibetan Areas", Sina English, Xinhua, archived from the original on 24 February 2021, retrieved 12 August 2024
39. ^ Jigme, Catherine. "Sky burial may be replaced by cremation in Qinghai". Tibet Travel. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
40. ^ Logan, Pamela. "Survival and Evolution of Sky Burial Practices". Retrieved 12 April 2025.
41. ^ Perry, Alex (4 July 2005). "Extreme Yak Sports". Time. Archived from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
42. ^ "Asia's newest sport - yak skiing". BBC News. 3 July 2005. Retrieved 21 October 2008.

External links

[edit] Wikispecies has information related to Yak. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bos grunniens.

• International Yak Association (IYAK); Archived 4 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine
• European Yak Association (EYAK)
• Article on Yak breeds in FAO archives
• Yaks: The Official Animal of Tibet
• Yak Genome Database

v t e Extant Artiodactyla species
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Infraclass: Eutheria Superorder: Laurasiatheria
Suborder Ruminantia Antilocapridae Antilocapra Pronghorn (A. americana) Giraffidae Okapia Okapi (O. johnstoni) Giraffa Northern giraffe (G. camelopardalis) Southern giraffe (G. giraffa) Reticulated giraffe (G. reticulata) Masai giraffe (G. tippelskirchi) Moschidae Moschus Anhui musk deer (M. anhuiensis) Dwarf musk deer (M. berezovskii) Alpine musk deer (M. chrysogaster) Kashmir musk deer (M. cupreus) Black musk deer (M. fuscus) Himalayan musk deer (M. leucogaster) Siberian musk deer (M. moschiferus) Tragulidae Hyemoschus Water chevrotain (H. aquaticus) Moschiola Indian spotted chevrotain (M. indica) Yellow-striped chevrotain (M. kathygre) Sri Lankan spotted chevrotain (M. meminna) Tragulus Java mouse-deer (T. javanicus) Lesser mouse-deer (T. kanchil) Greater mouse-deer (T. napu) Philippine mouse-deer (T. nigricans) Vietnam mouse-deer (T. versicolor) Williamson's mouse-deer (T. williamsoni) Cervidae Large family listed below Bovidae Large family listed below
Family Cervidae Cervinae Muntiacus Bornean yellow muntjac (M. atherodes) Hairy-fronted muntjac (M. crinifrons) Fea's muntjac (M. feae) Gongshan muntjac (M. gongshanensis) Sumatran muntjac (M. montanus) Southern red muntjac (M. muntjak) Pu Hoat muntjac (M. puhoatensis) Leaf muntjac (M. putaoensis) Reeves's muntjac (M. reevesi) Roosevelt's muntjac (M. rooseveltorum) Truong Son muntjac (M. truongsonensis) Northern red muntjac (M. vaginalis) Giant muntjac (M. vuquangensis) Elaphodus Tufted deer (E. cephalophus) Dama European fallow deer (D. dama) Persian fallow deer (D. mesopotamica) Axis Chital (A. axis) Calamian deer (A. calamianensis) Bawean deer (A. kuhlii) Hog deer (A. porcinus) Rucervus Barasingha (R. duvaucelii) Eld's deer (R. eldii) Elaphurus Père David's deer (E. davidianus) Rusa Visayan spotted deer (R. alfredi) Philippine sambar (R. mariannus) Rusa deer (R. timorensis) Sambar (R. unicolor) Cervus Thorold's deer (C. albirostris) Red deer (C. elaphus) Elk (C. canadensis) Central Asian red deer (C. hanglu) Sika deer (C. nippon) Capreolinae Alces Moose (A. alces) Hydropotes Water deer (H. inermis) Capreolus European roe deer (C. capreolus) Siberian roe deer (C. pygargus) Rangifer Reindeer (R. tarandus) Hippocamelus Taruca (H. antisensis) South Andean deer (H. bisulcus) Mazama Red brocket (M. americana) Small red brocket (M. bororo) Merida brocket (M. bricenii) Dwarf brocket (M. chunyi) Pygmy brocket (M. nana) Amazonian brown brocket (M. nemorivaga) Little red brocket (M. rufina) Central American red brocket (M. temama) Ozotoceros Pampas deer (O. bezoarticus) Blastocerus Marsh deer (B. dichotomus) Pudu Northern pudu (P. mephistophiles)? Southern pudu (P. pudu) Pudella Peruvian Yungas pudu (P. carlae) Northern pudu (P. mephistophiles) Odocoileus Mule deer (O. hemionus) Yucatan brown brocket (O. pandora) White-tailed deer (O. virginianus) Subulo Gray brocket (S. gouazoubira)
Family Bovidae Hippotraginae Hippotragus Roan antelope (H. equinus) Sable antelope (H. niger) Oryx East African oryx (O. beisa) Scimitar oryx (O. dammah) Gemsbok (O. gazella) Arabian oryx (O. leucoryx) Addax Addax (A. nasomaculatus) Reduncinae Kobus Waterbuck (K. ellipsiprymnus) Kob (K. kob) Lechwe (K. leche) Nile lechwe (K. megaceros) Puku (K. vardonii) Redunca Southern reedbuck (R. arundinum) Mountain reedbuck (R. fulvorufula) Bohor reedbuck (R. redunca) Aepycerotinae Aepyceros Impala (A. melampus) Peleinae Pelea Grey rhebok (P. capreolus) Alcelaphinae Beatragus Hirola (B. hunteri) Damaliscus Common tsessebe (D. lunatus) Bontebok (D. pygargus) Alcelaphus Hartebeest (A. buselaphus) Connochaetes Black wildebeest (C. gnou) Blue wildebeest (C. taurinus) Pantholopinae Pantholops Tibetan antelope (P. hodgsonii) Caprinae Large subfamily listed below Bovinae Large subfamily listed below Antilopinae Large subfamily listed below
Family Bovidae (subfamily Caprinae) Ammotragus Barbary sheep (A. lervia) Arabitragus Arabian tahr (A. jayakari) Budorcas Takin (B. taxicolor) Capra Wild goat (C. aegagrus) West Caucasian tur (C. caucasia) East Caucasian tur (C. cylindricornis) Markhor (C. falconeri) Domestic goat (C. hircus) Alpine ibex (C. ibex) Nubian ibex (C. nubiana) Iberian ibex (C. pyrenaica) Siberian ibex (C. sibirica) Walia ibex (C. walie) Capricornis Japanese serow (C. crispus) Red serow (C. rubidus) Mainland serow (C. sumatraensis) Taiwan serow (C. swinhoei) Hemitragus Himalayan tahr (H. jemlahicus) Naemorhedus Red goral (N. baileyi) Long-tailed goral (N. caudatus) Himalayan goral (N. goral) Chinese goral (N. griseus) Oreamnos Mountain goat (O. americanus) Ovibos Muskox (O. moschatus) Nilgiritragus Nilgiri tahr (N. hylocrius) Ovis Argali (O. ammon) Domestic sheep (O. aries) Bighorn sheep (O. canadensis) Dall sheep (O. dalli) Mouflon (O. gmelini) Snow sheep (O. nivicola) Urial (O. vignei) Pseudois Bharal (P. nayaur) Rupicapra Pyrenean chamois (R. pyrenaica) Chamois (R. rupicapra)
Family Bovidae (subfamily Bovinae) Boselaphini Tetracerus Four-horned antelope (T. quadricornis) Boselaphus Nilgai (B. tragocamelus) Bovini Bubalus Wild water buffalo (B. arnee) Domestic water buffalo (B. bubalis) Lowland anoa (B. depressicornis) Tamaraw (B. mindorensis) Mountain anoa (B. quarlesi) Bos American bison (B. bison) European bison (B. bonasus) Bali cattle (B. domesticus) Gayal (B. frontalis) Gaur (B. gaurus) Domestic yak (B. grunniens) Zebu (B. indicus) Banteng (B. javanicus) Wild yak (B. mutus) Cattle (B. taurus) Pseudoryx Saola (P. nghetinhensis) Syncerus African buffalo (S. caffer) Tragelaphini Tragelaphus(including kudus) Nyala (T. angasii) Mountain nyala (T. buxtoni) Bongo (T. eurycerus) Lesser kudu (T. imberbis) Harnessed bushbuck (T. scriptus) Sitatunga (T. spekeii) Greater kudu (T. strepsiceros) Cape bushbuck (T. sylvaticus) Taurotragus Giant eland (T. derbianus) Common eland (T. oryx)
Family Bovidae (subfamily Antilopinae) Antilopini Ammodorcas Dibatag (A. clarkei) Antidorcas Springbok (A. marsupialis) Antilope Blackbuck (A. cervicapra) Eudorcas Mongalla gazelle (E. albonotata) Red-fronted gazelle (E. rufifrons) Thomson's gazelle (E. thomsonii) Heuglin's gazelle (E. tilonura) Gazella Arabian gazelle (G. arabica) Chinkara (G. bennettii) Cuvier's gazelle (G. cuvieri) Dorcas gazelle (G. dorcas) Mountain gazelle (G. gazella) Rhim gazelle (G. leptoceros) Speke's gazelle (G. spekei) Goitered gazelle (G. subgutturosa) Litocranius Gerenuk (L. walleri) Nanger Dama gazelle (N. dama) Grant's gazelle (N. granti) Bright's gazelle (N. notatus) Peter's gazelle (N. petersii) Soemmerring's gazelle (N. soemmerringii) Procapra Mongolian gazelle (P. gutturosa) Goa (P. picticaudata) Przewalski's gazelle (P. przewalskii) Saigini Saiga Saiga antelope (S. tatarica) Neotragini Dorcatragus Beira (D. megalotis) Madoqua Günther's dik-dik (M. guentheri) Kirk's dik-dik (M. kirkii) Silver dik-dik (M. piacentinii) Salt's dik-dik (M. saltiana) Neotragus Royal antelope (N. pygmaeus) Nesotragus Bates' pygmy antelope (N. batesi) Suni (N. moschatus) Oreotragus Klipspringer (O. oreotragus) Ourebia Oribi (O. ourebi) Raphicerus Steenbok (R. campestris) Cape grysbok (R. melanotis) Sharpe's grysbok (R. sharpei) Cephalophini Cephalophus Aders's duiker (C. adersi) Brooke's duiker (C. brookei) Peters' duiker (C. callipygus) White-legged duiker (C. crusalbum) Bay duiker (C. dorsalis) Harvey's duiker (C. harveyi) Jentink's duiker (C. jentinki) White-bellied duiker (C. leucogaster) Red forest duiker (C. natalensis) Black duiker (C. niger) Black-fronted duiker (C. nigrifrons) Ogilby's duiker (C. ogilbyi) Ruwenzori duiker (C. rubidis) Red-flanked duiker (C. rufilatus) Yellow-backed duiker (C. silvicultor) Abbott's duiker (C. spadix) Weyns's duiker (C. weynsi) Zebra duiker (C. zebra) Philantomba Blue duiker (P. monticola) Maxwell's duiker (P. maxwellii) Walter's duiker (P. walteri) Sylvicapra Common duiker (S. grimmia)
Suborder Suina Suidae Babyrousa Buru babirusa (B. babyrussa) North Sulawesi babirusa (B. celebensis) Togian babirusa (B. togeanensis) Hylochoerus Giant forest hog (H. meinertzhageni) Phacochoerus Desert warthog (P. aethiopicus) Common warthog (P. africanus) Porcula Pygmy hog (P. salvania) Potamochoerus Bushpig (P. larvatus) Red river hog (P. porcus) Sus Palawan bearded pig (S. ahoenobarbus) Bornean bearded pig (S. barbatus) Visayan warty pig (S. cebifrons) Celebes warty pig (S. celebensis) Domestic pig (S. domesticus) Flores warty pig (S. heureni) Oliver's warty pig (S. oliveri) Philippine warty pig (S. philippensis) Wild boar (S. scrofa) Timor warty pig (S. timoriensis) Javan warty pig (S. verrucosus) Tayassuidae Tayassu White-lipped peccary (T. pecari) Catagonus Chacoan peccary (C. wagneri) Dicotyles Collared peccary (D. tajacu)
Suborder Tylopoda Camelidae Lama Llama (L. glama) Guanaco (L. guanicoe) Alpaca (L. pacos) Vicuña (L. vicugna) Camelus Domestic Bactrian camel (C. bactrianus) Dromedary/Arabian camel (C. dromedarius) Wild Bactrian camel (C. ferus)
Suborder Whippomorpha Hippopotamidae Hippopotamus Hippopotamus (H. amphibius) Choeropsis Pygmy hippopotamus (C. liberiensis) Cetacea see Cetacea

v t e Fibers
Natural	Plant Abacá Bagasse Bamboo Bashō Coir Cotton Fique Flax Linen Hemp Jute Kapok Kenaf Lotus silk Piña Pine Raffia Ramie Rattan Sisal Wood Animal Alpaca Angora Byssus Camel hair Cashmere Catgut Chiengora Guanaco Hair Llama Mohair Pashmina Qiviut Rabbit Silk Tendon Spider silk Wool Vicuña Yak Mineral Asbestos
Synthetic	Regenerated Artificial silk Milk fiber Semi-synthetic Acetate Diacetate Lyocell Modal Piñatex Rayon Triacetate Mineral Glass Carbon Boron Basalt Metallic Polymer Acrylic Aramid Twaron Kevlar Technora Nomex Microfiber Modacrylic Nylon Olefin Polyester Polyethylene UHMWPE Spandex Vectran Vinylon Vinyon Zylon
Category Commons

v t e Meat
Poultry	Cassowary Chicken Duck Emu Goose Ostrich Pigeon Quail Rhea Turkey
Livestock	Alpaca Beef Beefalo Bison Buffalo Camel Cat Goat Dog Donkey Snails Frog Guinea pig Horse Lamb and mutton Llama Pork Veal Yak Żubroń
Game	Alligator Bat Bear Bushmeat Boar Crocodile Elephant Fox Iguana Kangaroo Monkey Mouse Pangolin Rat Hare Rabbit Snake Turtle Venison Dog Wolf
Fish	Anchovy Basa Bass Carp Catfish Cod Crappie Eel Flounder Grouper Haddock Halibut Herring Kingfish Mackerel Mahi Mahi Marlin Milkfish Orange roughy Pacific saury Perch Pike Pollock Salmon Sardine Shark Sole Swai Swordfish Tilapia Trout Tuna Walleye
Shellfish andother seafood	Abalone Calamari Chiton Clam Crab Crayfish Dolphin Lobster Mussel Octopus Oyster Scallop Seal Shrimp/prawn Sea cucumber Sea urchin Whale Sea squirt Jellyfish
Insects	Ants Black soldier fly maggots Cicada Crickets Flour Grasshoppers (locust) Mealworm Mezcal worm Mojojoy Silkworm Mopane worm Palm grub
Cuts andpreparation	Aged Bacon Barbecued Biltong Braised Burger Charcuterie Chop Confit Corned Cured Cutlet Dried Dum Fermented Fillet/supreme Forcemeat Cretons Pâté Fried Frozen Ground Ham Jerky Kebab Kidney Liver Luncheon meat Marinated Meatball Meatloaf Offal Pickled Pemmican Poached Potted Rillettes Roasted Salt-cured Salumi Sausage Smoked Steak Stewed Tandoor Tartare
List articles	Meat dishes Beef Chicken Fish Goat Lamb Pork Ham Seafood Veal Steaks Meatball Smoked foods Sausage Other Countries by meat consumption Countries by meat production Food and drink prohibitions Meat substitutes
Ethics andpsychology	Ethics of eating meat Carnism Animal rights Psychology of eating meat Meat paradox
Alternatives	Vegetarianism Semi-vegetarianism Pescetarianism Pollotarianism Plant-based diet Meat alternative Veganism
Meat science	Beef hormone controversy Drip loss Feed conversion ratio Preservation Tenderness Water holding capacity
Meat industry	Broker Branch house Butcher Cutter Environmental impact Factory farming Jobber Packing Slaughter Slaughterhouse
Relatedsubjects	Arachnophagy Artificial marbling Cannibalism Case-ready meat Meat diaper Cultured meat Entomophagy Mystery meat Offal Non-vegetarian food in India Pink slime Raw meat Red meat Roadkill cuisine Warmed-over flavor White meat
Food portal  Category: Meat

v t e Working animals
Dog	Assistance Detection Drafting Guard Guide Herding Hunting Livestock guardian Mercy Military working Police Search and rescue Sled Sport Therapy Working
Horse	Draft Driving Guide Logging Municipal Packhorse Pit pony Riding Sport Stock
Other species	Asian elephant Bali cattle Camel Bactrian Dromedary Donkey Gayal Llama Mule Ox Reindeer Truffle hog Water buffalo Working rat Yak
Related topics	Human uses of animals Domestication list Livestock Military animal Pack animal Service animal
Category:Working animals Commons images

v t e Domestication of animals
Vertebrates	Alpaca Bactrian camel Bali cattle Cat Cattle Chicken Dog Donkey Dromedary Domestic duck Domestic Muscovy duck Ferret Fuegian dog Gayal Goat Guinea pig Horse Llama Fancy mouse Pig Poultry Domestic rabbit Reindeer Sheep Domesticated silver fox Domestic turkey Water buffalo Yak Zebu
Invertebrates	Honey bee Silkworm
History	Domestication of the cat cats in ancient Egypt Domestication of the dog Domestication of the goat Domestication of the Syrian hamster Domestication of the horse theories Domesticated animals of Austronesia Domestication of the sheep
Related topics	List of domesticated animals Selective breeding Self-domestication The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication Genomics of domestication

Taxon identifiers
Bos grunniens	Wikidata: Q19829410 Wikispecies: Bos grunniens ADW: Bos_grunniens BOLD: 28104 CoL: MLPW CMS: bos-grunniens ECOS: 6366 EoL: 328700 EPPO: BOVSGR GBIF: 2441019 IRMNG: 11003902 ITIS: 183840 MDD: 1006261 MSW: 14200680 NBN: NHMSYS0000376450 NCBI: 30521 Observation.org: 82078 Open Tree of Life: 381164 Paleobiology Database: 44611 TSA: 2753