Animals
& Plants
Pushi Procapra Picticaudata
On the north of Qinghai Lake, there is a rare species called Pushi
Procapra picticaudata living on Haibei Grassland. As a branch of
primitive antelope, it is stronger than Tibetan antelope. For the
mature ones, the length of body is more than 1m. The female weight
is 23kg, while the male weight is 27kg. On the head, there exists
a pair of strong black horns, which grow firstly upward and then
bend backward and inward. So some experts also name this species
“China Duijiao Antelope”.
When it is running, its forelimbs and hind limbs are placed together
and the running speed can reach 60km/h. After pedaling, its body
jumps into the air, which draws a beautiful curve. The feather of
Pushi Procapra picticaudata changes in different seasons. In summer,
it is brownish-red; in winter, the feather turns into milk white,
which is the protection color as it is the same with snow. When
frightened, the feather on buttock erects immediately as a symbol
to alert its friends. After the danger disappears, it will come
back to original living circle. This kind of species likes to live
together. In winter, they migrate to south in groups and in summer
come back.
Tibetan mastiff
The Mastiff is a large, massive, symmetrical dog with a well-knit
frame. The impression is one of grandeur and dignity. Eyes set wide
apart, medium in size. The color of eyes is brown Ears are small
in proportion to the skull, V-shaped, rounded at the tips. Leather
moderately thin, set widely apart at the highest points on the sides
of the skull continuing the outline across the summit. Skull broad
and somewhat flattened between the ears, forehead slightly curved,
showing marked wrinkles which are particularly distinctive when
at attention. Brows (superciliary ridges) moderately rose. Muscles
of the temples are well developed, those of the cheeks extremely
powerful. Arch across the skull a flattened curve with a furrow
up the center of the forehead. This extends from between the eyes
to halfway up the skull. The stop between the eyes well marked but
not too abrupt. Its temper is a combination of grandeur and good
nature, courage and docility.
Black-necked cranes
Black-necked cranes live on grassland in plateaus. It catches
small aquatic animals in shallow water with its bill or dig foods
from mud and soil. It is a migrant bird. Black-necked crane is one
of the first band national rare species in our country. Qinghai
Province has founded national nature reserve in Yushu Zhou. Every
Apr, about 100 black-necked cranes migrate to Quanwan Swamp, Qinghai
Lake Swamp, Yangchang Swamp. At the end of May, they construct nests.
At the beginning of Jun, they lay eggs, two eggs each nest. The
hatch period is 31 days. The baby bird can find food two or three
days after its birth. Often one bird in each nest can survive. In
Oct, they migrate to Yunnan Province and Guizhou Province.
Anser indicus Latham
This kind of bird is well-known for two black bend lines on its
neck. Its weight is between 2.5-3.1kg. Male is a little bigger than
female. Every year, more than 120,000 Anser indicus Lathams live
on avian Islands. Some live on Sankuaishi and Haixin Hill. In winter,
they live in swamp of Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, India and Bengal Gulf.
In Feb and Mar, they together fly to north. At the end of Mar and
beginning of Apr, they arrive at Qinghai Lake. In the middle of
Apr,they begin to lay eggs, one to three per day. The average number
of eggs in one nest is four to eight, while the largest is twelve.
The average weight of egg is 143g. The hatch period is 29 days.
In Jul and early Aug, the baby birds began to renew their feather.
At the end of Aug, young birds can fly. From the end of Sep, they
begin to fly to south place. At the beginning of Nov, they reach
their destination.
“Huang”fish
In Qinghai Lake, there is a special kind of “Huang”fish. In order
to adjust to the environment, the fish took off its squama. Its
appearance is similar to carp with black dots on its back. The fishes
grow very slow (it reaches 1kg after ten years) due to the low temperature
of the lake. Nowadays, we need to control over-fishing and protect
this species. If you want to have a taste on this fish, please go
to Zhaling Lake, where a similar species of fish exists.
Yak
The wild yak has a dense undercoat of soft, close-matted hair
which is covered by generally dark brown to black outer hair. The
wild yak can weigh up to 1000 kg (2200 lb) with a shoulder height
of over 2 m (6.5'). It occurs in treeless uplands, including plains,
hills, and mountains. It stays in high areas with permanent snow
during the warmer months of August and September, and spends the
rest of the year at lower elevations. The wild yak grazes on grasses,
herbs and lichens. Ordinarily it gathers in groups of 10 - 30 or
more, but
it may occasionally be observed in large groups of 100 - 200. 
The wild yak was once numerous and widespread on the entire Tibetan
plateau north of the Himalayas. Currently it is found in remote
areas of the Tibetan plateau and adjacent highlands, including Gansu
Province, China.
Uncontrolled hunting by natives and military personnel is the
main reason for the wild yak's decline. Its range has been reduced
by more than half during this century. Poaching remains the main
current threat. The wild yak has lost most of the best alpine meadow
and steppe habitat to pastoralists. Problems are also caused by
habitat disturbance, hybridization and competition with domestic
yaks, and disease transmitted by domestic yaks.
Xining Wool
Xining Wool is a kind of coarse wool, which is pure white and
glossy. Due to long fiber, it is firm and able to endure pressure.
What’s more, it resists acids and bases. The woolen productions,
which are made from Xining Wool have been sold all over the world.
Plants in Qinghai Lake area
There are different kinds of aquatic plants in lake area, including
splendid achnatherum, wormwood, early-ripe grain and etc. The pasture
beside the lake is a famous tourist resort attracting traveler all
over the world.
Mushroom
On grassland besides Qinghai Lake, there is a special kind of
mushroom, which is fleshy, fresh and tender. After rains, many mushrooms
grow on the grassland. If you pick up some and boil in clear soup,
you will find it very delicious and nourishing.
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