Animal
Mishmi takin
A sturdy Himalayan animal that changes altitude and herd size with the seasons.
Content language
A Mishmi takin’s life changes with the seasons. In summer, animals gather in large herds and feed on mountain meadows, including those above 3,000 metres. In winter they split into smaller groups and descend into forested valleys. Moving up and down allows them to use different levels of the mountain landscape.
Mishmi takins live in the eastern Himalayas, northeastern India and northern Myanmar. Thick fur protects them from cold. Large nasal cavities help warm inhaled air before it reaches the lungs. The skin produces an oily substance that coats the hair and helps prevent it from becoming soaked. Protection from cold therefore involves both the outer covering and the route air takes into the body.
Their plant-based diet consists of grasses, bamboo shoots and leaves from shrubs and trees. Takins also lick salt to obtain essential minerals. Males may become aggressive during the mating season in late summer. Hunting and habitat destruction threaten these animals. Mountain meadows and lower forests both matter to a species that uses different habitats at different times of year.
For children
A takin has thick fur, but it still changes where it lives in winter. In summer its herd climbs to high meadows, even above 3,000 metres. When cold weather arrives, the big herd splits into smaller groups that descend into forested valleys.
Mishmi takins come from Asian mountains. Their bodies have several ways of dealing with cold and damp. Fur keeps them warm, spaces in the nose help warm the air, and an oily substance on the hairs keeps water out. It is a little like a warm coat with rain protection.
Takins eat grasses, bamboo shoots and leaves. They also like licking salt for minerals. They need mountain meadows as well as valley forests. Destroying these places makes their seasonal journeys harder.
Question 1 of 2
How does a Mishmi takin herd’s life change in winter?
- Location
- Takin enclosure, area 25.