An ancient 'superfood' sent from heaven
A good-looking wild cat whose range extends from the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia into southern China, the clouded leopard, a vulnerable species, has been spotted at altitudes of 2,500 to 3,720 m (8,200 to 12,200 ft). They use trees as daytime rest sites.
The largest flying bird in the world by combined measurement of weight and wingspan, the Andean condor soars over the Andes mountains and nests at elevations of up to 5,000 m (16,000 ft).
How high above the ground can life endure? Among animals, only a few mammals and certain birds are known to have completely adapted to high-altitude environments, and even then they still have to tolerate freezing cold, intense winds, and thin air. But some species do this well and are in fact very adept at living on the roof of the world.
Click through the following gallery and take a look at the wildlife at home in the heights.
This endangered species, native only to the southern Chinese province of Yunnan, is known for its odd-looking snub nose, which makes it look like a victim of botched plastic surgery. But it's celebrated for living at a higher altitude than any other non-human primate–anywhere from 3,000 to 4,500 m (9,800 to 14,700 ft).
Native to the eastern Himalayas and eastern and southeastern Bangladesh, this goat-antelope roams across an altitude range of 2,000 to 4,500 m (6,500 to 14,763 ft).
Wild yaks are found primarily in northern Tibet and the northwestern Chinese province of Qinghai, wandering treeless uplands between 3,000 and 5,500 m (9,800 and 18,000 ft). While the domestic yak is widespread, its wild counterpart is listed as vulnerable.
Supple and graceful, the vulnerable snow leopard inhabits alpine and subalpine zones at elevations from 3,000 to 4,500 m (9,800 to 14,800 ft), ranging from eastern Afghanistan to Mongolia and western China.
The goat-like Himalayan tahr, distinguished by its thick reddish wool coat, is native to the Himalayas in southern Tibet, northern India, and Nepal. Listed as near-threatened, the animal lives at elevations from 2,500 to 5,000 m (8,200 to 16,400 ft).
The bar-headed goose breeds in Central Asia, on the high alpine lakes of the Tibetan Plateau, and winters in South Asia, as far south as the Indian Peninsula. This requires an intrepid annual round trip migratory flight over the crest of the Himalayas—at altitudes of over 7,010 m (23,000 ft)!
Long considered sacred by many Himalayan people, this rare and endangered primate is found in a small region of western Assam, India, and in the neighboring foothills of the Black Mountains of Bhutan, above 3,000 m (9,800 ft).
Distributed across the high-altitude Himalayan regions of India, Pakistan, Nepal, and China, this handsome game bird is rarely seen below an altitude of 2,000 m (6,560 ft) and, indeed, reaches elevations of up to 5,000 m (16,404 ft).
Native to the Tibetan Plateau, kiang live at an elevation of 5,400 m (17,700 ft).
A sure-footed species of goat-antelope, the chamois is endemic to the mountains of Europe. The animal spends the summer months at elevations up to at least 3,600 m (11,800 ft). In winter, it descends to around 800 m (2,600 ft).
Also known as the white-bellied musk deer, this endangered species is found in Nepal, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, and China, and inhabits high alpine environments above altitudes of 2,500 m (8,200 ft).
Known also as the lammergeier, the bearded vulture is widespread and rarely seen below an elevation of 1,000 m (3,300 ft). In central Asia, this huge bird of prey has been spotted at 5,000 m (16,000 ft).
Distinguished for the remarkable pair of screw-horns worn by males, the markhor is native to Central Asia, the Karakoram mountain range, and the Himalayas. They are well adapted to mountainous terrain, and can be found between 600 and 3,600 m (1,968 and 11, 811 ft) in elevation.
Agile and compact, the Tibetan sand fox roams territory throughout the Tibetan Plateau, the Kashmir region, Nepal, China, and Bhutan, up to altitudes of approximately 5,300 m (17,400 ft).
This social creature lives in colonies in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau at altitudes of 3,000 to 5,500 m (9,800 to 18,000 ft). It's also found in northeastern Pakistan, northern India, Nepal, Bhutan, and China.
Already extinct in Bhutan and critically endangered, the Himalayan brown bear is found in dwindling numbers, its distribution restricted to Himalayan high lands, between 3,000 and 5,500 m (9,800 and 18,000 ft).
A member of the crow family, the Alpine chough breeds in mountains from Spain eastwards through southern Europe and the Alps, across Central Asia and the Himalayas to western China. It has nested at 6,500 m (21,300 ft), higher than any other bird species, and was once observed following mountaineers ascending Mount Everest at an altitude of 8,200 m (26,900 ft).
Found along the southern slopes of the Himalayas in Pakistan, India, and Nepal, this venomous pit viper species slithers across habitats at altitudes ranging from 2,100 to 4,900 m (6,900 to 16,100 ft).
A small, slender antelope species also known as the goa, this animal inhabits the Tibetan Plateau between 3,000 and 5,750 m (9,840 and 18,860 ft) in elevation.
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The vulnerable Asiatic black bear usually inhabits altitudes of around 3,500 m (11,480 ft) in the Himalayas.
Shy and elusive, the red panda is native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China, and lives between 2,200 and 4,800 m (7,200 and 15,700 ft). It's listed as endangered.
The Himalayan pika lives at altitudes up to 4,200 m (13,800 ft) in remote areas of Tibet.
The magnificent and endangered Bengal tiger is native to the Indian subcontinent. It's also found in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, where it has been recorded by camera traps at an altitude of 4,000 m (13,000 ft).
Wildlife that can endure high altitudes
The animals that live on the roof of the world
FOOD Animals
How high above the ground can life endure? Among animals, only a few mammals and certain birds are known to have completely adapted to high-altitude environments, and even then they still have to tolerate freezing cold, intense winds, and thin air. But some species do this well and are in fact very adept at living on the roof of the world.
Click through the following gallery and take a look at the wildlife at home in the heights.