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Cow
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Cow Facts
Kingdom: Five groups that classify all living things | Animalia |
Phylum: A group of animals within the animal kingdom | Chordata |
Class: A group of animals within a pylum | Mammalia |
Order: A group of animals within a class | Artiodactyla |
Family: A group of animals within an order | Bovidae |
Genus: A group of animals within a family | Bos |
Scientific Name: Comprised of the genus followed by the species | Bos Taurus |
Type: The animal group that the species belongs to | Mammal |
Diet: What kind of foods the animal eats | Herbivore |
Size (L): How long (L) or tall (H) the animal is | 1.5m - 1.8m (5ft - 6ft) |
Weight: The measurement of how heavy the animal is | 400kg - 800kg (881lbs - 1,760lbs) |
Top Speed: The fastest recorded speed of the animal | 40km/h (25mph) |
Life Span: How long the animal lives for | 12 - 20 years |
Lifestyle: Whether the animal is solitary or sociable | Herd |
Conservation Status: The likelihood of the animal becoming extinct | Threatened |
Colour: The colour of the animal's coat or markings | Brown, Black, White |
Skin Type: The protective layer of the animal | Leather |
Favourite Food: | Grass |
Habitat: The specific area where the animal lives | Forest and grassland |
Average Litter Size: The average number of babies born at once | 1 |
Main Prey: | Grass, Seeds, Flowers |
Predators: Other animals that hunt and eat the animal | Human, Bears, Wolves |
Distinctive Features: Characteristics unique to the animal | Thick leathery skin and complex digestive system |
Cow Location

Cow
Cows are raised in many different countries around the world, mainly for the cow's natural resources such as milk, meat and leather. In India, the cow is seen as a sacred animal.There are thought to be nearly 1.5 million cows worldwide, most of the cows are sadly kept by farmers but there is sure to be the odd rouge escaped wild cows somewhere!
Cows spend their days in herds of around 40-50 cows, grazing on the grasslands and shrubbery. There is an old English tale which claims that cows will always sit down when it's going to rain.
The cow is known well amongst farmers for its ability to interbreed with species that are closely related to the cow. These can include yaks and bison, where these animals have been successfully bred with the cow to produce hybrid cattle. Oddly enough though, the cow is unable to successfully breed with buffalo or water buffalo.
The cow has just one stomach (not four) but the cow's stomach contains four separate compartments that work with the complex digestive system of the cow which allows the cow to control substances that are difficult and near impossible for many other animals to digest.
It is commonly thought that cows, mainly male cows called bulls, are aggravated by the colour red. This is in fact not true as cows are colour blind and cannot distinguish between different colours. This common misconception has come about from the days of bull fighting where trainers were typically seen using a red flag. It is not the colour of the flag that would spur the cow on but in fact, the waving of the material itself.
It is thought that around 18% of the greenhouse gases that are currently being released into the atmosphere are coming from livestock such as cows. This is due to the methane that cows expel through burping and flatulence.
Cow Translations
Bosanski
Krava
Krava
Català
Bou
Bou
Cesky
Tur domácí
Tur domácí
Dansk
Tamkvæg
Tamkvæg
Deutsch
Hausrind
Hausrind
English
Cattle
Cattle
Español
Bovinos
Bovinos
Esperanto
Bovo
Bovo
Suomi
Nauta
Nauta
Français
Taureau
Taureau
Galego
Vaca
Vaca
עִבְרִית
פרה
פרה
Magyar
Szarvasmarha
Szarvasmarha
Bahasa Indonesia
Sapi
Sapi
Italiano
Mucca
Mucca
日本語
ウシ
ウシ
Bahasa Melayu
Lembu
Lembu
Nederlands
Rundvee
Rundvee
Norsk
Storfe
Storfe
Polski
Krowa
Krowa
Português
Bos taurus
Bos taurus
Slovenščina
Krava
Krava
Svenska
Ko
Ko
Türkçe
Sığır
Sığır
中文
家牛
家牛
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First Published: 5th November 2008, Last Updated: 17th April 2018 [View Sources]
Sources:
1. David Burnie, Dorling Kindersley (2008) Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 05 Nov 2008]
2. David Burnie, Kingfisher (2011) The Kingfisher Animal Encyclopedia [Accessed at: 01 Jan 2011]
3. David W. Macdonald, Oxford University Press (2010) The Encyclopedia Of Mammals [Accessed at: 01 Jan 2010]
4. Dorling Kindersley (2006) Dorling Kindersley Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 05 Nov 2008]
5. Richard Mackay, University of California Press (2009) The Atlas Of Endangered Species [Accessed at: 01 Jan 2009]
6. Tom Jackson, Lorenz Books (2007) The World Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 05 Nov 2008]
1. David Burnie, Dorling Kindersley (2008) Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 05 Nov 2008]
2. David Burnie, Kingfisher (2011) The Kingfisher Animal Encyclopedia [Accessed at: 01 Jan 2011]
3. David W. Macdonald, Oxford University Press (2010) The Encyclopedia Of Mammals [Accessed at: 01 Jan 2010]
4. Dorling Kindersley (2006) Dorling Kindersley Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 05 Nov 2008]
5. Richard Mackay, University of California Press (2009) The Atlas Of Endangered Species [Accessed at: 01 Jan 2009]
6. Tom Jackson, Lorenz Books (2007) The World Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 05 Nov 2008]
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