| Takin | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Caprinae |
| Genus: | Budorcas Hodgson, 1850 |
| Species: | B. taxicolor |
| Binomial name | |
| Budorcas taxicolor Hodgson, 1850 |
|
| Subspecies | |
| Distribution of the Takin | |
The Takin ( /ˈtɑːkɪn/; Budorcas taxicolor; Tibetan: ར་རྒྱ་, Wylie: ra rgya), also called cattle chamois or gnu goat,[2] is a goat-antelope found in the Eastern Himalayas. There are four subspecies: B. taxicolor taxicolor, the Mishmi Takin; B. taxicolor bedfordi, the Shanxi or Golden Takin; B. taxicolor tibetana, the Tibetan or Sichuan Takin; and B. taxicolor whitei, the Bhutan Takin. Mitochondrial research shows that takin are related to sheep, its similarity to the muskox being an example of convergent evolution.[3] The takin is the national animal of Bhutan.[4]
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The takin is one of the larger and stockier of the goat antelopes. Short legs are supported on large, two-toed hooves, which have a highly developed spur.[2][5] The large head is made more distinctive by the long, arched nose, and stout horns that are ridged at the base and can reach 64 centimetres in length.[2] The long shaggy coat is light in colour, with a dark stripe along the back,[2] and males (bulls) also have a dark face.[5] Four subspecies of takin are currently recognised, and these tend to show a variation in coat colour. The legend of the 'golden fleece', searched for by Jason and the Argonauts,[6] may have been inspired by the lustrous coat of the golden takin (B. t. bedfordi).[5] Rather than localised scent glands, the takin has an oily, strong-smelling substance secreted over the whole body.[5]
Takin stand 100 to 130 cm (39 to 51 in) at the shoulder and weigh up to 350 kg (770 lb).[7] Biologist George Schaller likened the Takin to a "bee-stung moose",[4] because of the swollen appearance of the face. They are covered in a thick golden wool which turns black on the under-belly. Both sexes have small horns which run parallel to the skull and then turn upwards in a short point, these are around 30 cm (12 in) long.
Takin are found from forested valleys to rocky, grass covered alpine zones, at altitudes of between 1,000 and 4,500 metres above sea level.[2] The Mishmi takin occurs in eastern Arunachal Pradesh while the Bhutan takin in western Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan.[8]. There are also records from Sikkim. Dihang-Dibang Biosphere Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh is a stronghold of both Mishmi and Bhutan takins.[9] A captive population exists and is managed by the studbook held at Minnesota Zoo in the United States.[10]
Takin are found in small family groups of around 20 individuals, although older males may lead a more solitary existence. In the summer months, herds of up to 300 individuals gather high up on the mountain slopes.[2] Mating takes place between July and August and a single young is born after a gestation period of around eight months.[2] Takin migrate from the upper pasture to lower, more forested areas in winter.[2] When disturbed, individuals will give a 'cough' alarm call and the herd will retreat into thick bamboo thickets and lie on the ground for camouflage.[6]
Takin feed in the early morning and late afternoon, grazing on a variety of leaves and grasses.[6] Salt is also an important part of their diet and groups may stay at a mineral deposit for several days.[2]
This article incorporates text from the ARKive fact-file "Takin" under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License and the GFDL.
Maurice Burton; Robert Burton (January 2002). The international wildlife encyclopedia. Marshall Cavendish. pp. 2623–4. ISBN 978-0-7614-7285-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=EBl7y_MX0xoC&pg=PA2622. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
