Impurest's Guide to Animals #54 - Takin

Well it’s official, the Year of the Horse is coming to a close and the countdown to the Year of the Goat has begun. But before we can celebrate this week’s crag hopping creature we must bid farewell to the often misunderstood Blob Fish. Adios Blob Fish, your no Caracal that’s for sure. Now onto the next animal, please enjoy.

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Issue #54 - Takin

Kingdom – Animalia

Phylum – Chordata

Class – Mamalia

Order – Cetartiodactyla

Family – Bovidae

Genus – Budorcas

Species – taxicolour

Related Species - Despite being similar in appearance to cows, the Takin is the second largest member of the Goat Antelopes, and is most closely related to domestic sheep (1)

Range

Year of the Takin

Takin are large cow like animals that stand around a meter at the shoulder, weigh in at 300kg and reach a length of around two meters. Takin are covered in long shaggy coats, the colour of which varies with the subspecies, which secretes an oil used for scent marking. Despite having relatively short legs for their body size, Takin are agile climbers and can rear up onto their back legs when supported against a tree, to browse on vegetation usually out of their range (2).

While herbivores, the most important resource in a Takin’s environment is salt, mostly due to the limited amount available in the plants the animal feeds on. Groups of almost a hundred individuals have been seeing descending on exposed salt licks with some animals staying close to the minerals for days. Due to their size Takin have few natural predators when fully grown, with Snow Leopards (Panthera unica) and Humans (Homo sapiens sapiens) the only animals willing to take on a such a creature. When in danger Takin utter a cough like alarm call and will retreat as a herd to safer ground. That said despite having small horns (around 30cm) the bulls are fierce fighters and won't hesitate to stand their ground to protect their herd (3).

Like most hoofed animals young Takin are ready to move within hours of being born, often sticking close to her while she feeds. Within three days if being born the calf is able to navigate the steepest slopes with relative ease thanks to a spur mounted behind the hoof that helps both young and adults remain stable on inclines and rock slopes. That said unlike the adults the calves are vulnerable to aerial attack; Golden Eagles (Aquila chysaetos) and the Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus) have been know to target young Takin, perusing them until they run off the edge of a cliff and fall to their doom.

Five Fun Takin Facts

Takin, when properly pronounced, rhymes with Rockin’ (4)

The Takin is not the only goat-antelope to bulk up, the even larger Musk Ox (Ovibos moschatu) is also a member of the sub-family

The hide of the Takin is one potential origin of the Golden Fleece that featured in the myth of Jason and the Argonauts

This isn't the only myth that Takins are part of. In 15^th century Bhutan it was said that the Llama Drukpa Kunley demanded both a cow and a goat for a feast. To rectify this he stuck the head of a goat onto a cow and commanded it to come alive, thus creating a Takin (5)

Despite being herbivores Takin don’t take to domestication very well; due in part to the combination of their goat like attitudes and their large size.

Bibliography

1 - www.arkive.org

2 - Smith, A. T., Xie, Y. (eds.) (2008) A Guide to the Mammals of China. PrincetonUniversity Press, Princeton Oxforshire. Page 472.

3 - Animal Diversity Web (November, 2002) "Budorcas taxicolor" (University of Michigan Museum of Zoology)

4 - http://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word/takin.html

5 - http://guides.wikinut.com/Facts-about-the-Takin/rv3cjxhp/

Picture References

1 - http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4axMCtAfQTI/Uo3fuH423EI/AAAAAAAADyQ/LmPJe-l75Rs/s1600/DSC_1511.jpg

2 - http://www.ultimateungulate.com/Images/Budorcas_taxicolor/B_taxicolor_map.gif

3 - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Takin_1427.JPG

4 - http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/images/wls/cms_exf_2007/news/local/takin1.jpg

And with a grunt the Takin leads us up the mountain path into the Chinese New Year. Next week we have a forked tailed request from @cgoodness but until then critic, comment and be sure to check out past issues in Impurest’s Bestiary

新年快乐

Impurest Cheese

@cbishop,@foolsgold,@ostyo,@wildvine,@samimista,@cattlebattle,@xwraith,@cgoodness,@ms-lola, @squares, @scorpion2501, @darthaznable, @scattered316, @bumpyboo,@knightsofdarkness2, @wolverine08, @dboyrules2011, @joshuadbr, @nighthunder, @johnjo719,@itsomething, @delphic, @dngn4774,@bruxae, @jaken7, @ccraft, @wim_garnet,@claymore1998, @ironspiderchan45, @kfhrfdu_89_76k, @dccomicsrule2011, @hylian,@darling_luna, @transcendence, @rd189 and @unbreakable_fs4

Happy year of the Goat

@impurestcheese: Everyone knows you're the Greatest Of All Time!

What a beautiful animal! Looks like an old golden idol.

@bruxae: Thanks for the comment and yes it is beautiful. Takin pelts are one of the many things that were traded down the Silk Road and sold for a lot of money in the markets of Constantinople and Venice

@dngn4774: LOL it spells Goat

I was going to throw in a "Crave That Mineral" meme, but that would take away from the majesty of these particular goats (I think that meme showcases an alpine goat of some kind, anyway).

The hide of the Takin is one potential origin of the Golden Fleece that featured in the myth of Jason and the Argonauts

This is a super cool fact, including the mythical origins of the animal. Great article.

@ms-lola: Ah throw it in anyway if you lik :-)

And yes it's surprising how much of mythology can be traced back to equally spectacular animal/plant/place (delete as appropriate)

nice

@laflux: Thanks

@hylian: Happy new year Gogoat :-)

@impurestcheese: Okay!

(warning, meme blasting ahead):

@impurestcheese: I'm upset that we couldn't ride him more

@ms-lola: Top one is a female Ibex, the second one is an American Mountain Goat

Ibex are amazingly agile, master rock climbers and one of the few animals to use an excess of 'tongue' during mating

@hylian: Uh ride him? What kind of...wait a second (goggles I ride the Gogoat) oh goddess it's terrifying

@impurestcheese: Thanks for the info (ahem). (;P)

@impurestcheese: XD That would make for one interesting "ride"

@ms-lola: Oh nos a horny Ibex

@hylian: No wrong, so wrong on so many levels

It looks delicious

Yep, it's hunted for food in its native range but...

...It's not for you (thwaks @cgoodness: on the nose with a rolled up newspaper) bad cgoodness bad

@impurestcheese: ;-;

@cgoodness: What is that? A vampire or something?

@impurestcheese: a crying face

@cgoodness: Ah okay, don't cry your tiger and swallow show is up next week...

@impurestcheese: :D

Never heard of this animal before. Keep up the good work. :)

@unbreakable_fs4: Thanks such unusual and odd creatures are my speciality

@impurestcheese: I was gonna say it looks just like a Musk Ox.

@ostyo: Yep but as being related to it is concerned they sit on opposite ends of the spectrum. The Takin is classed with the sheep and the Musk Ox is in an almost extinct genus all by itself

@impurestcheese: Nah, this just what happens when you give a Musk Ox a hair cut. :P

I've always liked larger 'versions' of stereotypically small animals.

Interesting how a not-so-well-known animal can have so many stories surrounding it( though two may be exaggerating.

@ostyo: Do you really want to shave this...

@scattered316: Yeah Takin are cool but very illusive which is why stories are so limmited

Watcha Takin about, Willis.

@cattlebattle: Say what? Ah Diff'rent Strokes not shown in the UK

Takin 2: Electric Boogaloo

@cattlebattle: Brake Dancing. Can't imagine a Takin would do well in this field. Would probably end up mugging people for salad leaves and goring the other competitors

Suggestion: Immortal Jellyfish

@transcendence: We do have a jellyfish coming up in the next three weeks, as such I'll swap it out to this 'immortal jellyfish'

@impurestcheese: Cool.

@transcendence: Yep it is indeed

Goats are metal as f*ck

@rd189: I hate to tell you but that's not a goat, it's a Jacob Sheep. That said, thank you for your comment.

@impurestcheese: Thanks for destroying my dreams :( You are welcome.

@rd189: Wow that's a new one. Usually it's supplier of Nightmare Fuel

@impurestcheese: The Metal Go...Sheep is my spirit animal

@rd189: Hey each man, woman and caracal to their own I guess

This is mine

@impurestcheese: I'll bike when I want to

@hylian: Nope...do not tempt the evil that is Professor Oak

@impurestcheese:

@hylian: Don't come crying to me when Oak bushwacks you for disobeying him