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Bhutan's
Nature - Animals
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Takin
or 'Dong Gyem Tsey' |
 
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Takin
Takin Budorcas taxicolor
There
is only one species of takin (Budorcas taxicolor). It belongs to the subfamily
Caprinae. There are three subspecies of takin: the Shensi takin (Budorcas
taxicolor bedfordi), also known as the golden takin, ranges in China's
Qin Ling mountains located in the provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu. |
The
Mishmi takin (Budorcas taxicolor taxicolor) is distributed from Bhutan,
Assam, northern Myanmar to the Chinese province of northern Yunnan.
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Name |
Takin Budorcas taxicolor in Bhutan |
Habitat |
This
species is found in elevations from 1000 to 4250 meters. The habitat ranges
from rocky, grass covered alpine zones to forested valleys and the animal
is distributed from Bhutan, Assam, northern Myanmar to the Chinese province
of northern Yunnan. |
Diet |
The
takin is a generalist herbivore, mostly a browser. It feeds in the early
morning or late afternoon and eats primarily deciduous leaves found on
trees or shrubs, but also grasses and herbs. During the winter, the food
of choice is twigs or evergreen leaves. The takin's head is large
with an arched muzzle and a broad, naked nose. The horns appear in both
sexes. |
Physical
Appearance |
The
body length of an adult male is between 210 and 220 cm, and a female is
about 170 cm. The tail reaches about 15 cm, and is usually hidden under
the thick, long, shaggy fur. The coat is whitish yellow to golden yellow
to reddish brown, and has a dark stripe down the back. |
Social
Behavior |
This
species lives in large herds of up to 300 individuals in the upper elevations
during the summer, and up to 20 members in the smaller bands that form
during winter months. The takin is a very slow moving animal. It spends
most of the day in thick vegetation. There are seasonal migrations from
upper elevations in the summer to lower areas in the winter. |
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