A-Z of animals : Xantus to Zebra

Found in the mountains of Tibet, males Yaks reach a length of 2.7m (9ft) and a height of 1.8m (6ft), weighing 545kg (1200lb). Despite their relative immensity, they are agile, nimble, sure climbers and good swimmers roaming icy mountainsides and valleys. There are wild yaks and domesticated yaks.

Zebra: Found in Africa, this close relative of the horse falls into 3 species: Grevy's zebra, Burchell's zebra, and Mountain zebra. Habitat loss and hunting have made them vulnerable, worsened by their slow reproduction. The stripes on all zebras is unique to each individual, with the variation greatest in the shoulder region.

The Zebu is domestic cattle native to the jungles of East Asia. Known as hump cattle for the hump on their back, they are one of the smallest cattle species in the world but very hardy.