A number of adaptations in high altitude animals are the outcome of their physiological adjustment to cope with the stern environmental stress. Some of the notable adaptations are:

1. Special superior thermoregulatory mechanism in most high altitude animals in High Himalaya and the Andes, that lack in some tropical mammals e.g. marsupials, chiropterans and primates. Changes in the circulation of heat are remarkable adaptations to cold. A number of mechanisms for physiological adjustments the animals adopt living in cold arctic conditions of high altitudes are:
   • Generation of body heat by the fast metabolic burning of food as fuel; metabolism is high to generate more body heat affords an effective mechanism against cold.
   • The use of insulation and other devices in accordance with Newtonian formula concerning the cooling of warm bodies. Calculations reveals that an arctic mammals must generate ten times more heat than a tropical one or clothe itself 10 times more effectively for insulation or employ an intermediate combination of these two mechanism.
2. Adaptations towards low oxygen tension at high altitudes have resulted in fast circulation and pulse beat. There is more heat weight in relation to body weight, as in birds and mammals.
3. Proliferation of RBCs occurs rapidly in high altitude animals to increase the oxygen carrying capacity of blood.
4. Affinity of Hemoglobin towards oxygen in RBC of wild animals also increases with an increase with an increase in altitude much more than in their counterparts inhabiting lowland biotypes.
5. Highly adapted high altitude animals require low partial pressure of oxygen to half saturate the hemoglobin. A number of high Himalayan mammals and South American mammals such as Vacunnas and Illamas have hemoglobin with a high higher affinity for oxygen compared to sheep and rabbits. The partial pressure of P^H 6.8 is 13 mm for Vaccunes and 18 for Illamas in contrast to partial pressure of 26 mm in rabbits and 37 for sheep at high altitude. The domestic cats are unable to live at high altitude because of the above cited condition as they require 50 mm oxygen pressure to half saturate the hemoglobin. This is not so in dogs in which the hemoglobin has a high affinity for oxygen to efficiently to low pressure at high altitudes.
6. The uptake of oxygen in lungs of high altitude animal is high as established by comparative experimental studies on Yak and high altitude cows.
7. There is a higher hemoglobin value of blood in high altitude animals.
8. The lungs of high altitude animals are adapted to dry tropical air and hence the water lose through them is greater than animals of moisture laden air in the lowland regions.
9. To economize the water level required by the body the excreta becomes firmed with progression of altitude. In high altitude sheep and goats and the yak, the urine elimination is less in quantity. This water conservation is one unique adaptation in high altitude animals.
10. The sense of smell is highly acute as in yak and small and single as in Himalayan bearded Vulture and golden Eagle in high altitude animals.