Biodiversity Encyclopedia: Gaoligong Mountain Goat – ‘Six Not-Like-Gods’ Appearance

Today, we're going to introduce you toSpine Animals·Gaoligong Mountain Goat

Gaoligong Mountain Goat

Budorcas taxicolor

Spine Animals, Pecopterygidae, Bovidae. Locally known as wild cattle, a national level key protected wild animal. Head length 170-220cm, weight 150-350kg. Overall morphology is similar to Sichuan Mountain Goat, but with a darker color, predominantly brown-black, particularly the head and limbs, while the shoulder and back to the neck are relatively lighter brown to dark gold, with a distinct dark central line along the spine. The photo was taken in Kongshan County, Dulong River, Yunnan Province.

Gaoligong Mountain Goats are distributed along the southeastern foot of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, including northwestern Yunnan Province north of the Gaoligong Mountains and Dulong River basin, as well as the eastern part of the Tibetan Autonomous Region to the east of the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, and some areas to the south of Myanmar's northern part.

Historically, Gaoligong Mountain Goats were considered a subspecies of mountain goats, but based on systematic evolution, morphology, and geographic distribution research, they have been elevated to an independent species.

Gaoligong Mountain Goats are commonly known as the 'Six Not-Like-Gods' by the public due to their unique appearance: their spine resembles a brown bear, their hind legs resemble a hyena, their face resembles a moose, and their tails resemble a goat. Their horns grow like those of a horse. The overall appearance is also like a cow.

Gaoligong Mountain Goats are endemic to the Trans-Himalayan mountains, but field research and monitoring are relatively lacking, and there is little known about their ecological habits, distribution range, and population status. Limited data shows that Gaoligong Mountain Goats are distributed at elevations ranging from 1000-3000 meters, and may have seasonal vertical migration behaviors like other mountain goats.