Tibetan wild ass, Khyang, Gorkhar
The kiang (Equus kiang) is a large graceful wild ass native to the Tibetan Plateau. It is closely related to the onager and has never been domesticated.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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GraminivoreIn zoology, a graminivore (not to be confused with a granivore) is an herbivorous animal that feeds primarily on grass. Graminivory is a form of g...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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GrazingGrazing is a method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses, or other multicellular organisms such as algae. In agriculture...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
A territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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HerdingA herd is a social grouping of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic. The form of collective animal behavior associated with...
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Partial MigrantPartial migration is when within a migratory species or even within a single population, some individuals migrate while others do not.
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starts withThe kiang is the largest of the wild asses. They have a large head, with a blunt muzzle and a convex nose. The mane is upright and relatively short. The coat is a rich chestnut color, darker brown in winter and a sleek reddish brown in late summer, when the animal molts its woolly fur. The summer coat is 1.5 cm long and the winter coat is double that length. The legs, underparts, end of the muzzle, and the inside of the ears are all white. A broad, dark chocolate-coloured dorsal stripe extends from the mane to the end of the tail, which ends in a tuft of blackish brown hairs.
Kiangs are found on the Tibetan Plateau, between the Himalayas in the south and the Kunlun Mountains in the north. This restricts them almost entirely to China, but they also occur across the borders in the Ladakh and Sikkim regions of India, and along the northern frontier of Nepal. Kiangs inhabit alpine meadows and steppes. They prefer relatively flat plateaus, wide valleys, and low hills, dominated by grasses, sedges, and smaller amounts of other low-lying vegetation.
Kiangs are generally social animals and live in family groups. They sometimes gather together in large herds, which may number several hundred individuals. However, these herds are not permanent groupings, but temporary aggregations, consisting either of young males only, or of mothers and their foals. Older males are typically solitary and defend their territory from rivals, and dominate any local groups of females. Territorial males sometimes become aggressive towards intruders, kicking and biting at them, but more commonly chase them away after a threat display that involves flattening the ears and braying. Kiangs are diurnal and spend most of the day grazing; during the periods of dry seasons, they may gather in herds and travel great distances in search of food. Other than humans kiangs have only one real predator - the Himalayan wolf. They defend themselves by forming a circle, and with their heads down, kick out violently. As a result, wolves usually attack single animals that have strayed from the group. Kiangs are generally quiet but when they feeling threatened they will make loud snort.
Kiangs are herbivores (graminivores) and feed on grasses and sedges. When little grass is available, such as during winter or in the more arid margins of their native habitat, they may eat shrubs, herbs, and even roots, dug from the ground.
Kiangs breed between late July and late August; during this time older males court reproductive females by trotting around them, and then chasing them prior to mating. After the gestation period of 7 to 12 months, females give birth to a single foal. Females are able to breed again almost immediately after birth, although births every other year are more common. Foals weigh up to 35 kg (77 lb) at birth and are able to walk within a few hours. They grow quickly and are weaned at one year of age.
The main threats to kiangs include competition with domestic livestock for grazing pastures, habitat loss due to fencing, mining, and hunting.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the kiang is 60,000-70,000 individuals most of which occur in China and include 56,500-68,500 individuals. Outside China, the population is estimated at 1,600-2,200 individuals most of which are located in India, less than 25 individuals in Pakistan, and less than 100 individuals in Nepal. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...