The Domestic Yak (Bos grunniens) and the Wild Yak (Bos mutus) are large, long-haired, ungulate mammals in the Bovidae family of bovines, similar to cattle and bison. It is a bovid. The species, Bos grunniens, means grunting ox, and the species, Bos mutus, means mute (silent) ox. The Yak, like a cow, is an ungulate because it has cloven hooves.

The Wild Yak is black or dark brown, whereas the Domestic Yak can be rust-brown, grey, and cream. The Yak has small ears and a wide forehead, with smooth dark-coloured horns. It has a short neck with humped shoulders. The male, called a bull, has horns that extend from the sides of its head and curve forward. The female, called a cow, has smaller horns that are more upright. The tail is long and looks like a horse’s tail (long and hairy) instead of a cow’s tail (with a tuft of hair at the end).

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