Quirky? perhaps it depends who you ask - it is the national animal of Bhutan, and has a fair place in Bhutanese mythology. In mythology, the takin is a product of 16th century Drukpa Kunley, who, after eating a cow and a goat, performed a miracle - he re-assembled the bones, putting the goat's head on the cow's body, and after an utterance, the takin came to life.

Class: MAMMALIA

Order: ARTIODACTYLA

Family: BOVINAE

Genus: BUDORCAS

Species: TAXICOLOR

A large, herbivorous mammal found in relatively small areas of South-east Asia. At the shoulder, the takin ram stands 129 centimetres tall, and the doe at 120 centimetres. There are four takin sub-species - the Mishmi Takin, as pictured, is named for the Mishmi peoples, who are mostly native to Arunachal Pradesh in North-east India. The Bhutan Takin, found in Bhutan, is similar in appearance. The Sichuan Takin of Tibet is mostly yellowish at the front, but the back is more brownish. And the Golden Takin, found in mountainous China, is yellow all-over. Takins likely originated in Asia, some 3 million years ago, and is related to goats.

Appearing large and bulky, the takin is an agile climber of rocky surfaces, just like its goat relatives. Yellowish fur works as fine camouflage in mountainous forests and amongst rocky backgrounds, and its thick nose works as so to warm the harsh mountain air. The horns of the takin are curved like that of a musk-ox, and for years it was thought that the two were related, but now it's thought that this is just a result of convergent evolution. The powerful legs of the takin are well adapted to life on the mountainside.