Takin
| Takin | |
|---|---|
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| 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 |
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| Subspecies | |
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| 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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[edit] Appearance
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.
[edit] Habitat
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.[citation needed] 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]
[edit] Biology
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]
[edit] Photos
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A takin in Korkeasaari Zoo, Helsinki, Finland
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A baby takin in the Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois
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A Takin at the San Diego Zoo
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An adult Sichuan Takin at the San Diego Zoo
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Takin at the Paris Menagerie.
_in_Korkeasaari_Zoo,_Helsinki,_Finland.jpg)
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[edit] References
This article incorporates text from the ARKive fact-file "Takin" under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License and the GFDL.
- ^ Yanling, S., Smith, A.T. & MacKinnon, J. (2008). Budorcas taxicolor. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 31 March 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of vulnerable.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Animal Diversity Web (November, 2002) "Budorcas taxicolor" (University of Michigan Museum of Zoology) via arkive.org
- ^ Pamela Groves, Gerald F. Shields, CytochromeBSequences Suggest Convergent Evolution of the Asian Takin and Arctic Muskox, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Volume 8, Issue 3, December 1997, Pages 363-374, ISSN 1055-7903, DOI: 10.1006/mpev.1997.0423.
- ^ a b Tashi Wangchuk (2007). "The Takin - Bhutan's National Animal". In Lindsay Brown, Stan Armington. Bhutan. Lonely Planet. p. 87. ISBN 978-1-74059-529-2. http://books.google.com/books?id=s-L8NUlW_QgC&pg=PA87. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
- ^ a b c d Macdonald, D. (2001) The New Encyclopedia of Mammals. Oxford University Press, Oxford. via arkive.org
- ^ a b c Huffman, Brent. "Budorcas taxicolor" Ultimate Ungulate via arkive.org
- ^ WWF: Takin
- ^ Choudhury, A.U. (2003). The mammals of Arunachal Pradesh. Regency Publications, New Delhi. 140pp
- ^ Choudhury, A.U. (2010). Mammals and birds of Dihang – Dibang Biosphere Reserve, North-east India. Lambert Academic Publishing, Saarbrücken, Germany. 104pp.
- ^ Minnesota Zoo (March, 2008) "Takin" mnzoo.com Retrieved 2011-09-15
[edit] Further reading
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.
[edit] External links
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