What species is a cow?

Answer 1

to fertilize soil

Answer 2

There are actually two species of "cows" or cattle, as is the proper term. The one most commonly seen around in the milking parlour and in pastures are Bos taurus species. These are what are deemed "European" cattle, originally descended from the now-extinct wild Auroch. The B. taurus species come in many colours, breeds, and sizes.

The second species is called Bos indicus. These species of cattle have humps, loose skin and large, droopy ears. The American Brahman is a B. indicus breed, as well as most cattle found in India and Africa. These cattle are highly tolerant to hot humid climates and are also insect resistant.

Answer 3

Cows are domesticated mammalian herbivorous ruminants (animals with four chambered stomachs) that give birth to live young (calves) and give milk to both their young and the people that have domesticated them, as well as meat in the form of beef. They are a part of the Family Bovidae which include true buffalo, the bison, muskox, yak, banteng, gaur, gayal and zebu.

There are twelve main species of cattle, four of which are known to be extinct: Bos primigenius (Aurochs - extinct), Bos longifrons (Celtic Shorthorns - extinct), Bos taurus(European-type cattle), Bos indicus (humped cattle known collectively as Zebu of India and Africa, and of the Brahman of America), Bos grunniens (the Yak), Bos gaurus(gaurs), Bos frontalis (gayal or mithun [domesticated form of gayal]), Bos sauveli (kouprey or Grey ox), Bos javanicus (banteng), Bos acutifrons (most ancient representative of the Bos species, dating back 1.5 to 2 million years old, possible ancestor to the Aurochs - extinct), and Bos planifrons (possible ancestor to the Indian Aurochs, a bovine species from the Siwaliks of India and Pakistan - extinct).

Most cattle that we are aware of are from the species Bos taurus. This is especially true when the word "cow" conjures up the image of a typical black-and-white dairy cow of the breed Holstein-Freisian. However, not all cows are black-and-white. They come in a variety of colours, from all black to roan (blue and red), as well as tan, yellow, red, brown, and different splashes of white on their faces, necks, legs and bodies depending on the breed. For instance, Hereford are easily recognized by a white face and white crest as well as white on the brisket, underbelly and lower legs and feet with a red body that varies from a deep blood-red to a light tan. Holsteins have white in various places, but never have a white face. They may have a white diamond-shape on their foreheads, but their entire heads are not completely white. Black patches vary from small with white in between to all black with white underbelly, legs and tail. The species Bos indicus also come in a variety of colours, but colour variation increases when crossed with Bos taurus beef cattle. Colour variations also occur when different breeds of Bos tauruscattle are interbred; the most common and most well-known is called the "Black Baldy" where Hereford and Angus parents are crossed to get a black calf with a white face. The same colouration can be achieved if Angus was crossed with Simmental, which have the same white-face feature of the Hereford breed.

Overall, there are over 800 breeds of cattle in the world, and millions of ways of crossbreeding these breeds to obtain new and different breeds of cattle.

Answer 4

Cows eat grass, mate with bulls to produce calves, sleep, eat some more, give milk to feed their calves or to be milked out for human consumption if they're dairy cows, etc.

Answer 5

A cow (i.e., a mature female bovine that has had at least two calves) is called a cow.

Answer 6

A noun for a cow can be a male,female,and thing

Answer 7

This question has been answered in a similar way. Please see that related question below.

Answer 8

Cattle is another word for domestic cows.

Answer 9

Bovine