ass: Tibetan Wild Ass

The Tibetan wild ass, or kiang, presently the most numerous wild ass in Asia, is found on the steppe and alpine grasslands of the Tibetan Plateau in China and neighboring areas of India and Nepal. Formerly classified as a subspecies of the Asian wild ass, it is considered to have western, southern, and eastern subspecies. The kiang can reach 56 in. (142 cm) in shoulder height, and has a chestnut-colored coat with whitish legs and belly and a dark brown spinal stripe and tail tuft.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Classification
• African Wild Ass and the Donkey
• Tibetan Wild Ass
• Asian Wild Ass

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Vertebrate Zoology