Animals of the World: Y and Z
The yak is a large, shaggy-haired hooved mammal of the high plateaus and mountains of Central Asia, especially the Himalayan region and Tibet. Its thick coat and large lungs are adaptations to the cold, thin air of high altitudes. Domesticated yaks have long been kept by mountain peoples for milk, meat, wool, and as pack animals, while wild yaks still roam remote highland areas.
The zebra is an African hooved mammal closely related to the horse, instantly recognizable by its bold pattern of black and white stripes. The stripes are unique to each individual, much like a fingerprint, and several explanations have been proposed for their function, including confusing predators and deterring biting insects. Zebras are grazers that often live in herds, sometimes alongside other plains animals.
There are several kinds of zebra. The mountain zebra lives in rugged, hilly country in southern Africa, while Grevy's zebra, the largest of the wild horse family, has narrower stripes and large rounded ears and inhabits drier grasslands of eastern Africa. Some zebra species and subspecies are threatened by habitat loss and competition with livestock, making them a focus of conservation. Both the yak and the zebra belong to the broad group of hooved, plant-eating mammals, yet each has adapted to a very different environment, one to cold mountain heights and the other to warm African grasslands.
Frequently asked questions
- Where do yaks live?
- Yaks live in the high mountains and plateaus of Central Asia, including the Himalayan region and Tibet, where they are adapted to cold and high altitude.
- Why do zebras have stripes?
- The exact reason is debated, but proposed functions include confusing predators, helping zebras recognize one another, and deterring biting insects.
- Are all zebras the same species?
- No. There are several species, including the plains zebra, the mountain zebra, and Grevy's zebra, which differ in size, stripe pattern, and habitat.
