Bovis ISSN 2398-2993

Bos taurus

Introduction

• Bos is a genus of cattle of the family Bovidae.
  • This includes buffalo, bison and some wild ruminants.
• Bos taurus refers to the common domestic cattle of Europe - of which there are many breeds.
• Feral cattle can be distinguished from domestic stock only by their location and lack of ear marks or tags.
• Size and conformation vary greatly depending on sex, age and breed.
• The male is heavier and larger, particularly around the head and neck.
• The hair is either straight or curly, and ranges from whitish to black with shades and blotches of red, roan, brown or buff.
• Both sexes can have horns, which are permanent and hollow, and grow throughout life over bony cores projecting from a prominent ridge on the skull.
• The horns of bulls are usually shorter and thicker than those of cows.

Biological Data

Normal

The history of Bos taurus breeds

• The ancestors of today's Eurasian breeds of humpless cattle were the "wild aurochs" - large, formidable, long-legged and long-horned beasts - the last of which were hunted to extinction in Poland in 1627.
• Archaeological evidence suggests that cattle were first domesticated in the Middle East between 6000 and 5000 BC, and spread from there through Africa and Europe.
• Other early independent centers of domestication included Switzerland, Germany and Denmark.
• Hundreds of distinct breeds have been produced by artificial selection and transported throughout the world.
• They are present in all continents, but are least present in French Southern and Antarctic Territories.
• They are also no longer present in Tuvalu.

Typical Blood parameters

• Hematology Bos taurus - hematological values.
• Biochemistry Bos taurus - blood chemistry.

Breed History and Information