Domestic yak
At the Detroit Zoo
The Detroit Zoo is home to female domestic yak, Novus. She was born at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, KS. in 1999. In 2000, she was welcomed to the Zoo and can be found with Scottish Highland steer, MacGregor and belted Galloway steer, Dozier, in the barnyard.
Description
Equipped with a heavy build and sturdy frame, the domestic yak has humped shoulders, short legs and rounded hooves. Both male and female yaks have horns. The horns of the male sweep out from the sides of the head and then curve forward with an upward tilt; they typically range from 19 to 39 inches in length. The horns of a female are smaller, only 11 to 25 inches in length, and have a more upright shape.
Scientific name: Bos grunniens grunniens
Continent: Central Asia
Habitat: The domestic yak is most commonly found in alpine meadows, alpine steppes and desert steppes.
Size: 11 feet in length; up to 6.5 feet tall at the shoulder
Weight: 670-1,210 pounds
Diet: The domestic yak is an herbivore, feeding on lichens, grasses and tubers. Since a domestic yak's stomach cannot digest grains, it often moves to fresh pastures to feed.
Reproduction: Gestation eight months; single offspring
Lifespan: 23 years
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