Kiang

Kiang — The Kiang (Equus kiang), also written khyang, is a large mammal belonging to the horse family. They are native to the Tibetan Plateau, where they inhabit montane and alpine grasslands from 4000 to 7000 meters elevation. They are the largest of the wild asses, with an average shoulder height of 140 cm.

The Kiang is related to the onager or Asiatic Wild Ass (E. hemionus), and some authorities classify it as a subspecies of onager, E. hemionus kiang, though recent molecular studies indicate that it is a distinct species. This species is among the least studied large animal species in the world, probably because they inhabit some of the most difficult and inaccessible terrain. They are also still found in small numbers in northern Nepal along the Tibetan border.

The Kiang has a large head, with a blunt muzzle and a convex nose. The mane is upright and relatively short. The coat is a rich chestnut colour, darker brown in winter and a sleek reddish brown in late summer, molting its woolly fur. The summer coat is 1.5 centimeters long and the winter coat is double the length. The legs, undersides and ventral part of the nape, end of the muzzle, and the inside of the pinnae 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. Kiang have very slight sexual dimorphism.