All the Colors of the Yak Rainbow

One of the most fun things about traveling to Tibet, from a yak-keeper's perspective, was seeing the wide range of yak colors, many of which are not available in the U.S.A. The yak's history in North America started in the early 1900s when a few zoo animals were sold from Canada, and there has been little to no importation for the past 100 years (live animals and semen are currently banned from trade), so the North American population comes from relatively few animals (estimated to be between 20-30 original seed stock). 

In the U.S. we have 3 patterns (Royal, Solid, and Trim) and 5 colors (Native/Black, Imperial, Royal, Golden, and White).  Above is pictured a gorgeous golden trim yak from Tibet - a rare color in the U.S. but relatively common in their original home.

Native yak

"Native" color, "Solid" pattern, the most common yak color.

Closer to the wild type, the Native (also called Black) yak has a dark black/brown body, no white markings, and a lighter grey-colored nose. 

Native Trim yak

 "Native" color, "Trim" pattern, another common yak color.  'Trim' yak means there are white markings - often a splash of white on the face, tail, or feet. Some trim yak have only a few white hairs hidden somewhere, most commonly a foot.

Royal Yak

 "Native/Black" color, "Royal" pattern. The Royal yak are less common than native types or trim, and are highly prized as pets. The amount of piebald white/black and spotting is individual to each animal.  Royal pattern can also be seen in Golden yak, who are then golden brown/white spotted. 

Imperial Trim Yak

 "Imperial" color, "Trim" pattern (notice the white back feet). Also known as the 'Black nose Black', Imperial yak are black with a solid black nose (instead of the lighter color of the natives). Imperial can also be solid black (no trim). 

White yak 

White yak are argued about a lot. In the U.S., people say there are no pure white yak, but they were always cross-bred with cattle (Charolais breed) to get the white color. There were a lot of white yak in Tibet, though many had a small amount of black or blue spotting on them somewhere. All domestic yak were likely cross-bred with cattle at some point in their history (they are considered a different species than the still existing wild yak), so is there a 'pure' white yak? It's definitely up for debate. 

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Colors in Tibet, not seen in USA: 

Blue/Gray - This gorgeous color ranges from almost white to deep blue-grey, almost black, with merleing or brindling of whites/tans. This is the color I most wish we had available in the states! 

Here is a high-white manifestation of the blue (I think, or it could be a spotted white/grey)

More variation in the blue - heavily spotted with white

"Skull" face, or Bald face pattern - nearly solid white face on dark body, with dark eye markings and light nose. These ranged from nearly white with dark eye markings (like the baby) to a solid black animal with just the white 'skull' pattern.

Not pictured:  "Lineback" or solid white stripe down the back pattern.  This full dorsal stripe is unknown in the US but I saw it fairly frequently in Tibet. 

I hope you enjoyed this color guide!  My next post will be about husbandry differences between the U.S. and Tibet, and some of the history of yak keeping, milking, fiber use and meat!