# Cattle (*Bos*) Cattle are large, gentle animals that live on farms. They provide us with milk, cheese, and meat. Cattle are social creatures and often like to stay in groups with their friends. - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate - **Habitat:** Grasslands - **Also known as:** Bovine ![Cattle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Schwarzer_Yakbulle.JPG&width=800) Photo: 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schwarzer_Yakbulle.JPG) ## Appearance The Cattle is a large, sturdy mammal with a powerful body supported by four legs. They can have coats of solid white, black, brown, red, or be patterned with spots or patches. Many breeds have distinct horns, though some are naturally polled (hornless). ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Artiodactyla - **Family:** Bovidae - **Genus:** Bos ## Interesting facts - A cow can drink a whole bathtub full of water every single day! - Cattle have nearly 360-degree vision, but cannot see directly behind their heads! - Cows can have best friends and get stressed when separated from them. - They can spend up to 8 hours a day chewing cud, like re-eating their lunch! ## Special abilities - **Quadruple Digestion:** Cattle has four stomach compartments that help them fully digest tough plants like grass and hay. - **Cud Chewing Master:** Cattle can re-chew partially digested food, called cud, to get even more nutrients from their plant diet. - **Super Sniffer:** Cattle has an excellent sense of smell that helps them find good plants to eat and recognize their calves. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 130-220 cm - **Weight:** 400-1100 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-20 years - **Speed:** 40 km/h - **Litter Size:** 1 - **Gestation:** 280-290 days ## Diet & Feeding Cattle are herbivores that eat tough plants like grass, hay, and other fibrous vegetation. - **Primary Foods:** Grass, Hay, Silage, Grains, Fodder - **Foraging Method:** Grazing ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Human](https://www.snappit.app/explore/human) (*Homo sapiens*) — Humans consume cattle for meat and dairy products. - **Eats:** [Kentucky Bluegrass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/kentucky-bluegrass) (*Poa pratensis*) — Cattle graze on this common pasture grass for food. - **Eats:** [Sorghum](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sorghum) (*Sorghum bicolor*) — Cattle are often fed sorghum seeds and foliage. - **Symbiotic with:** E. coli (beneficial strains) (*Escherichia coli*) — Many E. coli strains live harmlessly in cattle guts, aiding digestion. ## Traits - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Spotted](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spotted): Marked with spots or patches of a different color. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Domesticated](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/domesticated): Domesticated refers to species that have been selectively bred and tamed by humans for specific purposes. - [Giant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/giant): Giant describes organisms or objects of significantly larger size than average for their species or type. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate Always stay a safe distance from cattle and never try to touch them without an adult. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Cattle? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Cattle? 130-220 cm ### How much does Cattle weigh? 400-1100 kg ### How long does Cattle live? 15-20 years ### How fast can Cattle move? 40 km/h ### What does Cattle eat? Cattle are herbivores that eat tough plants like grass, hay, and other fibrous vegetation. ### Where is Cattle usually found? Grasslands ### How does Cattle hunt? Grazing ## Where to spot - [Woburn Safari Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/woburn-safari-park) — England, GB · Zoo ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Cattle: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cattle)