Domestic Yak (Bos grunniens) — Yak ( Bos grunniens ) at Letdar on the Annapurna Circuit in the Annapurna mountain range of central Nepal.

Creator: travelwayoflife, Bos grunniens at Letdar on Annapurna Circuit.jpg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/).

Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic

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Species record

Domestic Yak

Bos grunniens

Explore the Domestic Yak (Bos grunniens) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

The domestic yak is a high-altitude bovine that developed on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau and is now kept across the mountains of central and southern Asia. It usually lives at about 2,000–5,000 metres and supports pastoral communities with milk, hair, hides, meat, transport and dung used as fuel.

Classification in this archive

Kingdom: Animals
Phylum: Chordates
Subphylum: Vertebrates
Class: Mammals
Order: Even-toed ungulates
Family: Cattle, antelopes and relatives
Genus: Cattle

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat: high-altitude grasslands, cold mountain pastures, high plateaus
Selected regions: Asia
Selected countries: China, Mongolia, Nepal, Bhutan

Conservation status

Conservation status not recorded.

Did you know?

Yaks are usually found between about 2,000 and 5,000 metres above sea level.
Their large lungs and oxygen-efficient blood help them breathe in thin mountain air.

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Sources and attribution

General
FAO — Origins, Domestication and Distribution of Yak
Accessed 2026-09-28
General
FAO — Yak in Relation to Its Environment
Accessed 2026-09-28