Black bulls animals list. Wild bull: species and photos. Where does a wild bull live and what does it look like? Wild bulls in nature species

Bulls are cloven-hoofed animals, known and tamed by humans since ancient times. They live all over the world, they are found both in Nordic countries and on hot continents. Allocate several types of bulls: North American, European bison, forest, zebu (Indian), gaur, yak, anoa.

Otherwise called bison... The main habitat is America, more precisely - its northern part. The largest member of the herbivore family. The height of the animal reaches 2 meters, the length reaches 3 meters. The front has a greater mass than the back, there are more muscles on it, it is more pronounced. From head to part of the back, everything is covered with wool, in some places felted. The main color is brown, some species are with shades of white or gray.

Bison are divided into two subspecies: steppe and forest.

• steppe is smaller, big amount wool and the presence of bangs between the horns.
• forest belongs to the descendants of the primitive bison Bison priscus.

They live in the sunlit territory: glades, pastures, plains. The weight of an adult bison reaches a ton, females have a slightly smaller mass.

Another subspecies of the wild bull is the bison. They are crossed with bison to produce bison. The hybrid is widespread in India and African countries. Used to work in the fields.

A real wild bull is now a rarity. Many species of these animals, which were found 200 years ago in the vastness of Eurasia and Africa, have already been completely exterminated or domesticated. A striking example there may be a tour from which the modern cow descended. However, thanks to the actions of conservation organizations, corners of the wild nature still remain, which has helped to conserve some of these majestic animals. In addition, active work is currently underway to restore the lost varieties by breeding their domesticated descendants. This has already yielded certain positive results.

A real wild bull is now a rarity.

North American bison

This is the most famous species of wild animals of this species. Before appearing in North America European colonialists on the open prairies of the continent roamed more than 600 million wild bison. In a very short time, their number dropped to 835 individuals. Thanks to environmental protection measures and the creation protected areas their number is gradually being restored. Their population has already reached about 30 thousand individuals. A healthy adult bison is very large in size.

The animal can reach approximately 2.5 m at the withers and exceed 3 m in length. There is a characteristic hump on the back. The head is elongated. It is very massive. The head, neck and part of the back are covered with a thick woolen mane. Bulls can weigh around 1500 kg. A healthy adult has practically no natural enemies. Wolves, which are found on the plains where these ungulates live, prefer to attack in a pack on young, sick or old individuals who have strayed from the herd. Such buffalo usually cannot offer violent resistance. The diet of these ungulates throughout the year can include;

• forbs;
• lichens;
• young branches and foliage;
• seaweed.

This subspecies of the wild bull swims well, therefore it can even overcome large rivers during migrations that animals carry out while searching for food. These creatures have very strong hooves, so they can dig themselves food even from under the deep snow.

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Majestic European bison

These are real bulls that trace their ancestry back to the time when mammoths roamed the snowy plains. American species of such animals and bison share common roots. And now there is a lot in common between these species. Currently, the number of these majestic creatures reaches only about 7 thousand heads. They live mainly in European reserves, including Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Here these large animals eat herbs and young shoots. The Bialowieza bull differs from its North American counterpart not only in name, but also in some anatomical features.

These are real bulls that trace their ancestry back to the time when mammoths roamed the snowy plains.

The body length of an animal can reach about 3 m and a height of about 2 m. A bull usually weighs about 1 ton, and a cow weighs up to 800 kg. These animals have a fairly well developed musculature. The head is relatively small. Bulls usually have large horns, rounded in the shape of a crescent. These creatures usually live in herds of up to 50 individuals. The dominant position in the strict hierarchy is occupied by a large male. Like many species of bulls that live in wildlife, the creatures are perfectly adapted to their natural environment. They can withstand even the most severe frosts, overcome obstacles up to 2 m and swim across large rivers.

Resurrection of the forest bull

Some large bovids are now completely extinct. For example, the last wild forest bull disappeared from natural environment in 1967, although domesticated representatives of this species have quite successfully survived to this day. It is believed that the cause of the extinction of these animals was mass felling forests and the emergence of new diseases. The wild forest bull was unable to adapt to the changing ecosystem.

The species began to disappear almost everywhere, even in the protected areas created for its preservation.

They were real giant bulls. Their weight exceeded 1000 kg. The males were black with a characteristic white stripe along the ridge. The height of an adult animal was about 180 cm at the withers. The cow was somewhat smaller. She had a brownish-brown coat. This wild bull with huge horns made his way with ease even through dense forest thickets. The animals were kept in small herds of 50 individuals. They could eat a wide variety of vegetation.

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Currently, scientists from the Ostvarderspassse nature reserve, which is located in the Netherlands, have recreated a wild forest bull, called Heck. These animals look very much like those ungulates that became extinct more than 4 centuries ago. The modern wild forest bull is just undergoing a period of adaptation. A whole herd of such animals has already been bred, but they are under the close scrutiny of scientists. The modern wild forest bull is not yet fully accustomed to natural conditions, but work is underway on this. It is assumed that such animals will continue to live without human intervention.

Indian zebu

These bovids are found exclusively in tropical and subtropical latitudes. The Indian zebu bull has nothing to do with tours and forms its own subspecies. Some individuals were domesticated and are now used not only for obtaining high-quality milk and meat, but also as draft animals.

This wild bull of India is often interbred with domesticated buffaloes.

In some cases, wild individuals can take herds of females from pastures if people are not careful enough about grazing and do not control animals. Bulls of this breed are distinguished by great strength and bad character. Their weight reaches approximately 600-800 kg. This forest bull from India has a sleek short coat. The torso and legs are usually light gray, while the neck and head are dark. There is a distinct hump on the back.

Domestic cows and bulls have already become a part of our life. Even city dwellers know what they look like, and have seen these animals more than once in villages grazing along the roads. Who was the ancestor of domesticated 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 woods 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. Horns flaunted on its head. The matured males are black, but along the back there was a decoration - a narrow white stripe. Females and juveniles were brown with a reddish tint. They preferred to live in the forest-steppe, but gradually moved to the forests. They ate grass, shoots. Gathered in herds.

Reconstruction appearance tour

Bulls are found everywhere. The famous wild American bull is the bison that was the master of North America. Huge herds of these animals lived here. They had no natural enemies, except for wolves, and even those could not defeat an adult animal. But the first Europeans killed animals in order to local residents there was no food source. The number of animals dropped from 600 million to 835.

Now the number of bison has increased - up to 30 thousand. But wild individuals in the USA and Canada are no longer to be found.

Appearance

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

Habitat and food

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

Bison - North American wild bull

European bison

Appearance

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

About the animal

Bison can easily overcome an obstacle of 2 m. He knows how to 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 place of the leader, the issue is decided by a fight. The loser leaves. Bison live for 30-40 years.

European bison can swim and jump high

Yak

The main decoration of animals is horns. Wild bull with huge horns - this 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 colors are 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: up to 2.8 m in length and 1.6 m in height. 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 coat is long and shaggy, it completely covers the legs of the bull, brown or grayish-black in color, but white spots are visible on the muzzle.

About the animal

The wild yak has not been studied since this subspecies lives only where there are no people. Now they are found only in highland Tibet. But there are not many of them left either. They live in herds or families, old bulls prefer solitude. Life expectancy is 25 years. There are very few wild yaks left. they are dying out in the territories occupied 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, therefore such a hunt is deadly. It is not easy to kill him, tk. the yak is 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 gauras, in other countries there are fewer of them - only a few hundred.

Appearance

The largest bull is striking in 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 less. The horns are also huge, up to 90 cm, resembling a crescent in shape.

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 upper part 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, and 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

Buffalo

They are also strong and brave large bulls. There are 4 types of buffaloes:

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

The largest subspecies among buffaloes. 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. The color of the coat is black. They have poor eyesight and rely on their sense of smell.

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

The length of adults is more than 3 m, and the height reaches 2 m. The average weight is about 900 kg, but there are also 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, because man destroys 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 solitude.

Tamarau

This is an animal from the genus of Indian buffaloes, different from them. 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, with a dark line 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- this is the absence of habitats for these animals. These are solitary animals, females and calves live in groups that remain throughout the year.

Tamarau - Filipino buffalo

Anoah

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

• Order: Artiodactyla Owen, 1848 = Artiodactyls, pair-toed
• p / order: 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 = True bulls

The sizes are medium to large. Body length 180-325 cm, height at the withers 130-210 cm, tail length 70-140 cm.Weight 325-1200 kg. Females are much 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 heavy. The back is at the withers with a slight hump. The limbs are relatively short and strong. The neck is short; there is usually a well-defined dewlap. The head is large. 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 smaller ones. The horns are small or large (length from 15-68 cm in the ban tenga to 60-115 cm in the gaura), located on the sides of the skull, at the base they move to the sides, then bend up and slightly forward; the tops are directed upward and slightly backward and inward. The horns are round in diameter, their surface is smooth. The snow cover is changeable: it can be low and sparse or high and dense. On the belly, chest, bottom of the sides and limbs, very long and Thick hair... The color of the hairline differs little in different pitchforks; from reddish brown to dark brown and black. There are no specific skin glands. 2 pairs of nipples.

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

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

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

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

There are apparently 5 species in the genus:

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

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

cuprey-B. sauveli Urbain, 1937 (Kampuchea);

tour - B. primigenius Bojanus, 1827 (lived in North Africa, almost all over Europe, to the north up to 6XU N lat., In the Caucasus, Crimea, Asia Minor, on South Urals, Turkmenistan, Trans-Urals, south Western Siberia, in the region of Krasnoyarsk, Transbaikalia, China from 50 to 40 ° N. NS.; in Africa it was exterminated around 2400 BC, in Mesopotamia by 600 BC, in Central and Western Europe by 1400, in the Kamensk district of the Kuyaun-Dinskaya steppe he lived in the 16th or 17th centuries, and near Kuznetsk - in the 18th century);

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

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

Tour served as the ancestor of the European major cattle(B. primigenius taurus Linnaeus, 1758). The domestication of the aurochs occurred probably in Greece around 2000 BC. Almost all other members of the genus have also been domesticated. Domestic 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, IV. mutus grunniens Linnaeus, 1766.

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

Bulls (Latin Bovini) - a group of bovids cloven-hoofed mammals, currently having the taxonomic rank of a tribe in the subfamily Bovinae. Previously, bulls were the only representatives of the subfamily Bovinae, but after new genetic research it also enrolled horned antelope... There are 13 species of bulls, of which one lives in Europe (another one is already extinct in the wild), one in Africa, one in North America, the rest in Asia.

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

Origin and distribution

It is believed that all modern species true bulls descended from a single ancestor - the tour (Bos primigenius). This species lived in Eurasia until the 17th century, when intense hunting brought it to extinction. Today, there are about 1.3 billion livestock in the world and they are one of the most numerous groups of mammals. Representatives of this genus are found all over the world, and their wild forms found in various biocenoses: on the prairie, rainforest, savannas and temperate latitudes.

Life cycle

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 over 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 medium-sized elephants. The top 10 includes the largest bulls in the world. The list includes both domesticated and wildlife.

10 Tour Height 1.8 m

The ten largest bulls in the world are opened by an extinct species of the genus of real bulls - the tour. The species is considered the progenitor of cattle. Tours became extinct in the 17th century due to the raging epidemic they were exposed to. They were quite massive and large animals that 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 the vatussi congeners.

9 Chianine Height 1.9 m

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 they gain up to 1 ton or more. As a rule, porcelain bulls are white or cream in color. Large cloven-hoofed 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 Chianin. Nevertheless, aggressiveness is not characteristic of this animal, on the contrary, in relation to people they are very good-natured. The record holder among the breed was a bull named Donneto, who weighed 1700 kg with a height of 190 cm.

8 Kuprey Height 1.8 m

Kuprey is an extinct species that belonged to the largest bulls in the world. The growth of an adult reached 180 centimeters at the withers, and its body weight was about 800 kilograms. The horns of large males grew up to 80 centimeters. This species was poorly studied by humans, since these artiodactyls preferred a secretive lifestyle in the tropical forests of Asia. Presumably, cuprey was a hybrid of banteng and gaura, as it had a lot of similarities with them. Distinctive feature males from females had a large, long clump of dangling hair in the neck.

7 African buffalo Height 1.8 m

6 Bison Height 2.7 m

On the sixth place among the largest bulls in the world is a representative of the bovine subfamily - the bison. The species is considered the last of the wild bulls and the largest land mammal in Europe. At the withers, males grow up to 188 centimeters, and the body length 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 intense hunting for artiodactyls since ancient times.

5 Banteng Height 2.5 m

Top ten big bulls a species called banteng entered the world. 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 in length. Wild representatives of the species live on the islands of Borneo and Java, as well as in South-East Asia... Domesticated bantengs 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

Bison, belonging to the tribe of bulls, is one of the largest among its closest relatives. Males grow up to 2 meters, and up to 3 meters in length. Large individuals can weigh up to 1.2 tons. In the USA, 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 most large species bulls in the world. In Russia, the breed is also called sarlyk, which means "grunting bull". These are the only true bulls that can 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. Older males reach a length of over 4 meters. Long, widely spaced horns with bends, if spread out, will be almost 1 meter in length. The yaks look truly formidable. The artiodactyl is distinguished from its relatives by its long, shaggy hair, 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 weighs up to 1.5 tons. In length, the body of an animal usually does not exceed 3 meters. The horns curved in the shape of a crescent grow to an average of 90 centimeters. Gauras are widespread in dense forests India, Pakistan, Thailand and Bangladesh. Wild animals are usually active during the day, but if they settle near human dwellings, they prefer to lead night image life. The species is endangered: there are about 20 thousand individuals in the wild.