Wild bull: types and photos. Genus: Bos = Real bulls Population status and threat

• Order: Artiodactyla Owen, 1848 = artiodactyla, artiodactyl
• suborder: Ruminantia Scopoli, 1777 = Ruminants
• Family: Bovidae (Cavicornia) Gray, 1821 = Bovids
• Subfamily: Bovina = Bulls
• Genus:
• Species: Bos tnutus Przewalski, 1883 = Yak ; ; ; ; (4) ;

Genus: Bos Linnaeus, 1758 = Real bulls

Sizes medium or large. Body length 180-325 cm, height at the withers 130-210 cm, tail length 70-140 cm. Weight 325-1200 kg. Females are significantly smaller than males (for example, females reach a height at the withers of 145 cm). The body is long. The front part of the body is not particularly massive. Back at the withers with a slight hump. The limbs are relatively short and strong. The neck is short; usually there is a well-defined dewlap. The head is big. The eyes are relatively small. The ears are medium in size or large oval. The tail is long with a brush of hair at the end. Both males and females have horns, but females have fewer. The horns are small or large (length from 15-68 cm for ban tenga to 60-115 cm for gaur), located on the sides of the skull, at the base go to the sides, then bend up and slightly forward; the tops are directed upward and somewhat back and inward. The horns are round in diameter, their surface is smooth. The elk cover is variable: it can be low and sparse or high and dense. Very long and thick hair can be located along the belly, chest, bottom of the sides and limbs. The color of the hairline differs little in different forks; from reddish-brown to dark brown and black. There are no specific skin glands. Nipples 2 pairs.

The skull is large with a shortened brain region and an elongated facial region. The bones of the skull are strongly pneumatized. The frontal bones are very large. Their rear edge forms a ridge between the horns. There are no pits for the preorbital glands on the lacrimal bones. Ethmoid openings are absent or very small.

The diploid number of chromosomes in banteng is 60, gaura 58, yak 60.

Distribution covers Europe, North Africa, Western, Central and South Asia, including Tibet, Java, Bali, Sumatra and Kalimantan.

They live in different types of forests and jungles, up to sparse ones, they avoid swamps, they rise to mountains up to 2 thousand meters above sea level. They feed mainly on herbaceous plants, to a lesser extent leaves and shoots of shrubs. They are active mainly in the early morning and evening. They keep in small herds mainly from one male and 2-30 females. In yaks, females with young sometimes gather in a herd of up to 2000 individuals together. There is no seasonality in breeding (banteng, gaur) or the rut occurs in April-May (kouprey) or September-October (yak). The duration of pregnancy is approximately 270-280 days. There is one, rarely two cubs in the litter. Female yaks breed once every two years. Sexual maturity occurs at 2-3 years. Life expectancy is 20-25 years.

There appear to be 5 species in the genus:

banteng - V. javanicus D "Alton, 1823 (Burma, Indochina and Malacca Peninsulas, Java and Kalimantan Islands);

gaur - V. gaurus H. Smith, 1827 (India, Nepal, Burma, Indochina and Malacca)

cuprey-V. Sauveli Urbain, 1937 (Kampuchea);

tour - V. primigenius Bojanus, 1827 (lived in North Africa, almost throughout Europe, north to 6XN, in the Caucasus, in the Crimea, Asia Minor, in the Southern Urals, Turkmenistan, the Trans-Urals, the south of Western Siberia, in the region of Krasnoyarsk, Transbaikalia, China from 50 to 40 ° N; in Africa it was exterminated around 2400 BC, in Mesopotamia by 600 BC, in Central and Western Europe by 1400, in Kamensky lived in the vicinity of the Kuyaundinskaya steppe as early as the 16th or 17th centuries, and near Kuznetsk - in the 18th century);

yak - V. tnutus Przewalski, 1883 (Tibet, and in historical time, apparently, Altai and Sayans).

The taxonomy of the genus has not been finally established. Thus, Simpson (1945), Geptner et al. (1961) include the tur and yak in the genus Bos, and the gaura, banteng and kouprey in the genus Bibos Hodgson, 1837. I. I. Sokolov (1958) proposes the following system: the genus Bos with one species - aurochs, genus Poephagus Gray, 1843, with one species - yak and the genus Bibos with 3 species - gaur, banteng and kouprey.

Tur served as the ancestor of European cattle (B. primigenius taurus Linnaeus, 1758). The domestication of the aurochs probably took place in Greece around 2000 BC. Almost all other representatives of the genus were also domesticated. Home forms of banteng are known on the islands of Bali and Java - B. javanicus domesticus Cans, 1917, gaura - gayal, B. gaurus frontalis Lambert, 1804, yak - domestic yak, iB. mutus grunniens Linnaeus, 1766.

The "Red Book" includes: endangered kouprey (the number in 1970 was 30-70 yuls compared to 500 in 1964) and yak; few species that may be in danger of extinction in the near future: banteng (by 1972 very few; in most of the range it disappeared completely and it is believed that it survived in the wild only on the islands of Kalimantan and Java) and gaur (preserved only in remote locations and protected parks).

Evolution is an amazing mechanism invented by nature. Thanks to her, thousands of species of animals were born, very similar to each other, but at the same time having hundreds of differences. The wild bull is also no exception, because its family includes many subspecies.

These proud animals live in almost all corners. Representatives of wild bulls can be found in the desert savannahs of Africa, and in the snowy expanses of Tibet. What do we know about these animals? Why are they special? And why is their fate considered one of the most tragic on the planet?

The sad fate of the horned giant

Once upon a time in the vastness of modern Europe there was a wild bull tour. It was a majestic beast, weighing just under a ton. His horns were made to tremble in fear of numerous enemies, with the exception of man. Indeed, it is thanks to the latter that this type of wild bulls has not survived to our times.

The wild bull tour was a good source of meat and skin, because of this, it was on him. And given the slowness of the beast, even the weakest hunter could kill him. According to historical data, the last tour died in 1627. And yet, the memory of him has not disappeared, because it is this mighty handsome man who is the ancestor of almost all known types of bulls, including domestic ones.

Bison is the closest relative of the aurochs

One of the most tour is bison. This is a large animal, reaching almost 2 m at the withers. At the same time, the weight of the giant sometimes exceeds the limit of one ton, which makes it one of the largest representatives of its species. The bison has a dark brown coat, which is able to warm it in severe frosts.

Previously, this wild bull lived throughout the territory of modern Europe, Russia, and also in the Caucasus. But, as in the case with often attacked by people. This led to the fact that the number of bison declined sharply, and at the beginning of the 20th century they found themselves on the verge of complete extinction.

They were saved from oblivion by environmental organizations that undertook to restore the bison population. They placed these animals in reserves, where they are still under close supervision and protection.

Wild bulls of North America

Another relative of the tour, but this time overseas, is the bison. This wild forest bull lives in North America and its appearance strongly resembles a bison. True, the hair of a bison is much longer than that of its relative, and sometimes reaches 50 cm in length.

And yet, as in the case of the aurochs, this wild bull was also subjected to tyranny by man. So, if at the beginning of the 19th century their population numbered more than 60 million heads, then a century later this number fell to the mark of 1 thousand. What was the reason for this? The answer is simple - immigrants.

The new colonialists began to kill animals in order to feed the workers who built the railroad tracks. A little later, buffalo hunting began to look more like fun than foraging. There were even actions, according to which, those who bought train tickets could shoot from the windows at poor animals.

Fortunately, over time, people came to their senses, at least some of them. The bison were taken under protection and provided them with all the necessary conditions for the growth of the population. Now this wild bull is safe, but still environmentalists continue to closely monitor their numbers.

In the cold mountains of Tibet

The snow-capped mountains of Tibet have served as a haven for one of the most amazing animals - the yak. This is a wild bull with huge horns that reach 80 cm in length. Thick brown wool protects it from frost and snowfalls. And muscular legs allow you to move from one cliff to another without any problems.

And although the yak can be found in other regions of Central Asia, such as Altai and Kyrgyzstan, it is only in Tibet that these animals feel at home. After all, here their contact with a person is minimized, which means that nothing threatens their freedom.

Hot country lovers: gaur and buffalo

On the territory of India lives gaur - a wild bull, striking in its size. Cases have been recorded when adults reached a weight of 1.3-1.4 tons. The height of an adult animal ranges from 1.8-2.2 m at the withers. The gaur's horns are not too large, at least smaller than those of relatives. The coat has a dark brown color, and with age it darkens and becomes almost black.

Another hot climate lover is the buffalo. This animal lives in where the temperature sometimes exceeds the threshold of 40 degrees in the shade. This animal has strong horns, almost fused at the bottom.

And although this wild bull has an impressive size, it still has enemies among the local inhabitants. Lions and crocodiles often prey on them, and yet the population of these animals is out of danger.

The smallest wild bull

Among wild bulls there are also dwarfs. For example, anoa. This tiny creature has a height of 0.8-1 m. At the same time, its weight ranges from 150-300 kilograms. The smallest part of the body is the horns. In Anoa, they reach only 30-40 cm in length.

These bulls live on what in Indonesia. Since these animals are found only here, they are protected by the World Organization for the Protection of Animal Rights.

Domestic cows and bulls have already become part of our lives. Even city dwellers know what they look like, and have seen these animals in the villages grazing along the roads more than once. And who was the ancestor of domestic cows and bulls?

Indian buffalo is widely used in agriculture

Tour

The famous wild forest bull is a tour, the ancestor of domestic cattle.

Habitat

Lived in the Eastern Hemisphere:

• throughout Europe;
• North Africa;
• Asia Minor;
• In the Caucasus.

However, he was exterminated. Only in the forests of Central Europe there are few of these bulls left. In 1400 they were met on the territory of Belarus, Poland, Lithuania. But even there the number of animals decreased every year, in 1627 the last representative of this species died.

Appearance

What did the famous wild forest bull look like? It was an animal weighing up to 800 kg. Its height is 170-180 cm. There were horns on its head. Mature males are black, but along the back there was an ornament - a narrow white stripe. Females and young were brown, with a reddish tint. They preferred to live in the forest-steppes, but gradually moved to the forests. Eat grass, run. Gathered in herds.

Reconstruction of the appearance of the tour

Bulls are found everywhere. The famous wild American bull is the bison, which was the master of North America. Huge herds of these animals lived here. They had no natural enemies, except for wolves, and even they could not overcome an adult animal. But the first Europeans killed animals so that the locals would not have a source of food. The number of animals has dropped from 600 million to 835.

Now the number of bison has increased - up to 30 thousand. But you will no longer meet wild individuals in the USA and Canada.

Appearance

Bison is distinguished by strength and size. Its body is up to 3 m long. It is covered with gray-brown fur. It differs in its density and length. Therefore, bison do not freeze in winter. The back is decorated with a hump. The head and neck are darker. The bulls are larger, their weight is up to 1.5 thousand kg.

Habitat and food

They live in North America. They choose flat areas, but are also found in the forest. For them, the main thing is the availability of a source of food. They feed on herbaceous plants. In winter, they dig out their food under layers of snow. For life choose those places where dense vegetation. They live in herds: males - separately, females with calves also separately. In the herd, the head is the oldest male.

Bison - North American wild bull

European bison

Appearance

This contemporary of the mammoth is an animal whose body length reaches 3 m, and its height is up to 2 m, and its weight is up to 1 ton. There is a hump. Fur color is dark brown. Curly hairs adorn the head, chest and shoulders, front legs. The mane is striking in males, in cows and calves it is not so pronounced.

About the animal

A bison can easily overcome an obstacle of 2 m. It can swim. He has no natural enemies. They have a keen sense of smell and hearing, but poor eyesight. They eat grass and tree leaves. They live in herds. If there are two candidates for the position of the leader, the issue is resolved by a fight. The loser leaves. Bison live 30-40 years.

European bison can swim and jump high

Yak

The main decoration of animals is horns. A wild bull with huge horns is a yak. This subspecies of the bull was domesticated in the first millennium. Domestic yaks are not as large as wild ones, their character is calmer, their color is different.

Appearance

The height of the yak at the withers is up to 2 m, the length is 4 m in males. Females are smaller: length up to 2.8 m, and height 1.6 m. There is a hump on the back. The horns are long, look to the sides, and then bend, their length is up to 95 cm. The wool is long and shaggy, it completely covers the legs of the bull, brown or grayish-black, but white spots are visible on the muzzle.

About the animal

The wild yak has not been studied, because this subspecies lives only where there are no people. Now they are found only in the highlands of Tibet. But there aren't many of them left. They live in herds or families, old bulls prefer loneliness. Life expectancy - 25 years. There are very few wild yaks left. they die out in territories developed by people. They are fierce and strong animals. Tibetan chronicles speak of them as animals dangerous to humans. He, without hesitation, attacks the person who attacked him, so such a hunt is deadly. It is not easy to kill him, because. like hardy.

Wild yak carefully avoids people

The largest wild forest bull is the gaur. This is also a rare animal. They live in India, there are 30 thousand gaurs, in other countries there are fewer of them - only a few hundred.

Appearance

The largest bull impresses with its size. Its height at the withers is 1.7 - 2.2 m, and its weight is 700-1000 kg, but there are individuals that weigh 1.3 -1.5 tons. Females are slightly smaller. The horns are also huge, up to 90 cm, shaped like a crescent.

A ridge stands out on the back, which stretches from the shoulders to the middle of the body.

The skin is dark brown, covered with short hair. Older males are black. The top of the head is slightly lighter.

About the animal

They are active during the day, but where there are many people, they prefer to stay awake at night. Females and calves live in herds, while males live alone. They feed on grass, plant shoots and fruits. In the heat, they prefer to hide in the shade of trees. Live up to 30 years. Natural enemies are tigers and crocodiles.

Gaur can weigh up to one and a half tons

buffaloes

These are also strong and courageous large bulls. There are 4 types of buffalo:

1. African.
2. Indian.
3. Dwarf (anoa).
4. Tamarau.

The largest subspecies of the buffalo. Its weight can reach 1200 kg, but this is rare. The height is relatively small - 1.5-1.6 m. Some subspecies are much smaller than these sizes. Males are always larger than females. Fur color is black. They have poor eyesight and rely on their sense of smell.

The African buffalo does not see well, therefore it focuses on the scent

The length of adults is more than 3 m, and the height reaches 2 m. The average weight is about 900 kg, but sometimes more. The length of the horns reaches up to 2 m, they are directed backwards and look like a crescent. Now there are not so many representatives of this species left, because. humans are destroying their environment. These wild bulls eat grass in the early morning or evening. During the day they prefer to hide from the heat, immersed in liquid mud.

They live in herds, but old bulls prefer loneliness.

Tamarau

This is an animal from the genus of Indian buffalo, which differs from them in its small stature and the shape of the horns. Its height is 106 cm, body length is 220 cm, it weighs from 180 to 300 kg. The color of the skin is black or dark brown, a dark line is visible on the back. This is an endangered species, therefore it is protected by law. In captivity, they do not breed, so the number of animals is rapidly falling every year. The main threat is the lack of habitats for these animals. These are solitary animals, females and calves live in groups that persist throughout the year.

Tamarau - Philippine buffalo

Anoa

The smallest bull is the anoa. The length of his body is only 160 cm, and the height is 80 cm. Males weigh 300 kg, females are 2 times less. They are hairless, the skin is colored brown or black. Under threat of extinction. This animal is protected by law, but poachers shoot them in order to sell them to tourists. Therefore, the population has decreased by 90% (from 1079 to 1994).

Bulls (lat. Bovini) - a group of bovid artiodactyl mammals, currently having a taxonomic rank of a tribe in the subfamily Bovinae. Previously, bulls were the only representatives of the Bovinae subfamily, but after new genetic studies, the markhorn antelope was also included in it. There are 13 species of bulls, of which one lives in Europe (another one has already died out in the wild), one in Africa, one in North America, and the rest in Asia.

Real bulls (lat. Bos) - a genus of bovid artiodactyls, including wild and domesticated cattle. It is sometimes divided into four subgenera Bos, Bibos, Novibos and Poephagus, but this division remains controversial. To date, five species belong to the genus of true bulls, or seven if domesticated varieties are considered separate species.

Origin and distribution

It is believed that all modern species of real bulls are descended from a single ancestor - the tour (Bos primigenius). This species lived in Eurasia until the 17th century, when intense hunting drove it to extinction. There are about 1.3 billion livestock in the world today and they are one of the largest groups of mammals. Representatives of this genus are found throughout the world, and their wild forms are found in various biocenoses: in prairies, tropical forests, savannahs and temperate latitudes.

Life cycle

The life expectancy of real bulls is 18 - 25 years in the wild and up to 36 years at home. Pregnancy lasts, depending on the species, from nine to eleven months. One, occasionally two, cubs are born, mainly in spring.

There are more than a thousand different breeds of cattle in the world, most of which are domestic animals. Many of them do not exceed more than 1.5 meters in height, and do not gain more than 750 kilograms in weight. But among them there are species that are truly giants, and can be compared with elephants of medium size. The top 10 includes the largest bulls in the world. The list includes both domesticated individuals and representatives of the wild.

10 Tour Height 1.8 m

Opens the top ten largest bulls in the world, an extinct species from the genus of real bulls - tour. The species is considered the progenitor of cattle. Turs became extinct in the 17th century due to the raging epidemic to which they were subject. These were quite massive and large animals, which reached 180 centimeters at the withers, and gained up to 800 kilograms in weight. The closest relatives of the tour are considered to be the Watussi breed, bred in Africa. Massive and very long horns, which can grow up to 1.8 meters and weigh up to 100 kilograms, are distinguished from relatives of Watussi.

9 Chianine Height 1.9 m

The Chianine is the largest domestic bull breed from Italy. Another name is porcelain bull. The largest representatives reach 1.8 meters at the withers, and in mass gain up to 1 ton or more. As a rule, porcelain bulls are white or cream in color. Large artiodactyl animals have well-developed muscle mass. They are incredibly strong and powerful, so it’s better not to get in the way of an angry kyanina. However, aggressiveness is not characteristic of this animal, on the contrary, they are very good-natured towards people. The record holder among the breed was a bull named Donneto, weighing 1700 kg with a height of 190 cm.

8 Kouprey Height 1.8 m

Kouprey is an extinct species that was one of the largest bulls in the world. The growth of an adult individual reached 180 centimeters at the withers, and the body weight was about 800 kilograms. The horns of large males grew up to 80 centimeters. This species has been poorly studied by humans, as these artiodactyls preferred a secretive lifestyle in the rainforests of Asia. Presumably, the kouprey was a hybrid of banteng and gaur, as it had a lot of similarities with them. A distinctive feature of males from females was a large, long tuft of hanging hair in the neck.

7 African buffalo Height 1.8 m

6 Bison Height 2.7 m

In sixth place among the largest bulls in the world is a representative of the bovine subfamily - bison. The species is considered the last representative of wild bulls and the largest land mammal in Europe. At the withers, males grow up to 188 centimeters, and the length of the body can reach 2.7 meters. At the same time, bison weigh about 1 ton. A small population of bison is found in Spain, Belarus, Ukraine, Slovakia and Germany. In Russia, the species is on the verge of extinction and is kept in bison reserves. A sharp decline in the population is associated with intensive hunting for artiodactyls since ancient times.

5 Banteng Height 2.5 m

The top ten largest bulls in the world included a species called banteng. The largest representatives reach 190 centimeters in the shoulders, and 2.5 meters in length. Some individuals gain weight up to 900 kilograms. Bantengs have curved horns up to 70 centimeters long. Wild representatives of the species live on the islands of Borneo and Java, as well as in Southeast Asia. Domesticated banteng are common in Indonesia. In nature, artiodactyls prefer to live in groups, in which there can be up to forty females and only one bull. On average, they live no more than 25 years.

4 Bison Height 2 m

The bison, belonging to the tribe of bulls, is one of the largest among its closest relatives. Males grow up to 2 meters, and in length up to 3 meters. The weight of large individuals can reach 1.2 tons. In the United States, Canada, and Mexico, bison are found both in the wild and in agriculture.

3 Asian buffalo Height 2 m

2 Yak Height 2 m

The yak is one of the largest bull species in the world. In Russia, the breed is also called Sarlyk, which means "grunting bull". These are the only representatives of the genus of real bulls who know how to grunt when they are not happy. The largest yaks grow up to 2 meters at the withers, and in body weight they can gain up to 1 ton. Old males reach a length of more than 4 meters. Long widely spaced horns with bends, if straightened, will be almost 1 meter long. The appearance of the yaks is truly formidable. The artiodactyl is distinguished from its relatives by its long, shaggy coat, which hangs down and almost completely covers the legs. Yaks are common in the republics of Tyva, Buryatia and Altai. The animal is popular in the countries of Tibet, Tajikistan, India and China.

1 Gaur Height 2.3 m

Gaur is the largest bull in the world, which grows up to 2.3 meters at the withers, and gains weight up to 1.5 tons. In length, the animal's body usually does not exceed 3 meters. The crescent-shaped horns grow on average up to 90 centimeters. Gauras are common in the dense forests of India, Pakistan, Thailand and Bangladesh. Wild animals are usually active during the day, but if they settle near human dwellings, they prefer to lead a nocturnal lifestyle. The species is under the threat of extinction: in the wild there are about 20 thousand individuals.

Evolution is a mechanism that nature has come up with. Thousands of species of different animals appeared, with hundreds of differences, but similar to each other. The family of wild real bulls and wild cows also includes many subspecies of wild bulls.

Families of bulls live in all corners of the globe: both in the snowy expanses of Tibet and in the desert of Africa. Why is the fate of these animals considered tragic? What are the features?

Wild bulls: what descendants of these ancient animals exist in nature?

The sad fate of the horned giant

In the vastness of Europe there was a wild bull - tour. This beast was beautiful and weighed almost a whole ton. Wild bull with huge horns made everyone tremble with fear, except the man. Thanks to the latter, this species has not been preserved.

Tur was an excellent source of meat and skins, which is why it was hunted. The beast is slow, and every hunter could kill him. The memory of this species has been preserved, because it is the ancestor of all modern bulls.

Gallery: wild bulls (25 photos)

Bison - a relative of the tour, Belovezhskaya bull, bison of North America

Bison is the closest relative of the aurochs. A huge animal, at the withers about two meters. Its weight is just over a ton, which is why it is one of the largest representatives of their species. The bison has a dark brown coat color, it warms him in any cold, even in severe frosts.

Previously, this animal lived almost throughout Europe, Russia and the Caucasus. But the animal, as with the tour, was attacked by people. Now these creatures live in reserves, under supervision and protection.

The bison is also a relative of the tour, but already overseas. This wild forest bull lives in North America and is similar in appearance to the bison. Only the wool is longer, reaches half a meter in length. Front massive body part and the rear is much weaker. The chest, part of the back and head are often covered with matted hair.

Bison are horned, but the horns are often differently pronounced. The animals have a short tail with a tassel. There are forest and steppe bison. The steppe is smaller than the forest, has much more wool, and the horns are hidden under the bangs.

North American loves semi-desert plains, spacious pastures, forest glades, well lit by the sun. The mass of the male is more than a ton, females are slightly smaller.

This species has also been hunted. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the population numbered about 60 million individuals, and a century later, the number fell to the mark of one thousand. Why did it happen? The reason is migrants.

The colonialists began to kill bulls in order to feed the workers who are building the railway. Farther bison hunting turned into fun, not food.

Bison have been taken under protection and provide conditions for population growth.

In the mountains of Tibet

The snowy mountains of Tibet have become the home of an amazing animal - the yak.

• This is a bull with huge horns, about 80 cm long.
• Brown thick wool protects it from severe frost and snowfall.
• With the help of muscular legs, he moves from one to the second cliff without any problems.

Yak can be found in other regions of Central Asia, for example, in Altai or Kyrgyzstan. But only in Tibet do animals feel at home, because human contact minimized.

Heat lovers: buffalo and gaur bull

The smallest. The huge animals described above have relatives among dwarfs. These are - anoa. The growth of this creature does not exceed one meter, and the weight is within two hundred kilograms. Horns are the smallest part of their body. They reach no more than forty centimeters in length.

Anoa live in Indonesia, on the island of Sulawesi and are under the protection of the organization for the protection of animal rights.

Indian bull

Zebu lives in India. This is an independent subspecies, not associated with the tour. This bull from India is used on the farm - it performs the function of transport and assistant to the landowner. In Madagascar, zebu is also held in high esteem. There this Indian bull is considered sacred.

In some places, the wild bull of India is crossed with a domestic cow, resulting in hybrids that give milk and with great strength. The average weight of the animal is about 800 kg, the body is smooth, there is a “hump” and a chest fold. Zebu are willingly kept by nature reserves and zoos.

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