Reproduction

In wild yaks, there is a certain pattern that occurs with the mating season. Wild yaks live in herds divided by sex. There are small groups that consist of the grown males, and then much larger groups that contain the females and the calves, both male and female. Yaks mate in September, when this time comes, the male only groups separate and join the female groups to search for a mate. Males will fight over females and often this coincides with the grunting noises that the yaks are named for, on the Classification page. After the mating period, there is nine months before the new yak calves are born. Calves are born in June, the time when the best food is available. Female yaks give birth to one calve (twins are very rare) every other year, but  domesticated yaks may sometimes give birth more frequently. Yaks reach maturity and begin to reproduce starting at 4 years and no later than 6 years. Yaks have a total life span of around 20 years. In total then, yaks give birth to between 7 and 12 offspring in a life time with the number leaning more towards the lower end. This may seem like a very small number compared to some organisms that give birth to hundreds of offspring. However, these organisms also live for a very short time period. The yak however, lives for a much longer period of time and while it only gives birth to a few offspring, it can live long enough to care for them in the herd.

See who else the the yak Interacts with besides members of the herd, or go back to see what Nutrition is more abundant in the summer months.