Interesting Cow Facts and Pictures

Interesting Cow Facts and Pictures | Animal Wildlife | Cows (Bos taurus) are raised in many different countries around the world, mainly for the cows 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!

Interesting Cow Facts and Pictures

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 its 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 successful bred with the cow to produce hybrid cattle. Oddly enough though, the cow is unable to successfully breed with buffalo or water buffalo.

Interesting Facts About Cows

The cow has just one stomach (not four) but the cows 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.

Cow Facts and Information

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.

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Genus:	Bos
Scientific Name:	Bos Taurus
Type:	Mammal
Diet:	Herbivore
Size (L):	1.5m - 1.8m (5ft - 6ft)
Weight:	400kg - 800kg (881lbs - 1,760lbs)
Top Speed:	40km/h (25mph)
Life Span:	12 - 20 years
Lyfestyle:	Herd
Conservation Status:	Threatened
Colour:	Brown, Black, White
Skin Type :	Leather
Favourite Food:	Grass
Habitat:	Forest and grassland
Average Litter Size:	1
Main Prey:	Grass, Seeds, Flowers
Predators:	Human, Bears, Wolves
Distinctive Features:	Thick leathery skin and complex digestive system

Cow Milk Nutrition Facts

Processed cow's milk was formulated to contain differing amounts of fat during the 1950s. One cup (250 ml) of 2%-fat cow's milk contains 285mg of calcium, which represents 22% to 29% of the daily recommended intake (DRI) of calcium for an adult. Depending on its age, milk contains 8 grams of protein, and a number of other nutrients (either naturally or through fortification) including: biotin, iodine, magnesium, pantothenic acid, potassium, riboflavin, selenium, thiamine, vitamin a, vitamin b12, vitamin k, vitamins d.

The amount of calcium from milk that is absorbed by the human body is disputed. Calcium from dairy products has a greater bioavailability than calcium from certain vegetables, such as spinach, that contain high levels of calcium-chelating agents, but a similar or lesser bioavailability than calcium from low-oxalate vegetables such as kale, broccoli, or other vegetables in the Brassica genus.

Milk as a calcium source has been questioned in media, but scientific research is lacking to support the hypothesis of acidosis induced by milk. The hypothesis in question being that acidosis would lead to leeching of calcium storages in bones to neutralize pH levels (also known as acid-ash hypothesis). Research has found no link between metabolic acidosis and consumption of milk.