I have already paid attention to home bulls and cows. Therefore, finally, I would like to look around their wild relatives. And we will start with the buffaloes - the thermal-loving inhabitants of the tropics of Asia and Africa.
In addition to heat, the buffaloes are scary to love water (especially Asian, which were called "water"). With each convenient case, they bathe (so as not to overheat) or take mud baths (to protect the skin from bloodsowing insects and parasites). With the last problem also help to cope with herons and fiber, which constantly "drive" on the backs of buffaloes, providing themselves with food, and gibe - hygiene.
It is interesting that African buffalo-resistant to local diseases turned out to be defenseless to the plague, brought together with domestic cattle in the 1890s, and almost died out ...
Distinguish Asian buffalo from African even a child. The Asian size is smaller, and the horns are more (sometimes they reach almost a two-meter length!).
By the way, the most colossal horns still possesses African Vatussi's homemade cattle: just imagine a horn, which at the base reaches a half-meter in the coverage!
About the 3rd millennium BC. Many Asian buffaloes are also domesticated (just do not confuse them with sacred zebuvid cows - this is another). The buffalo became an indispensable assistant man, especially when plowing flooded rice fields. Well, the boiling milk is much more nutritious than that of the cow - it has up to 81% fat. In 1825, Asian buffaloes were even delivered to Australia, while the part of them escaped and re-otherwise ...
At African buffalo horn a little smaller, but very remarkable. Their bases on the forehead get together so much that they resemble the horned helmet of Baiker, or a female hairstyle with a traffic in the middle and zadorly gripped pigtails.
In addition, Africans are record holders among bulls by weight, which can reach 1200 kg.
Wild buffaloes are fully supported by the image of the bulls as the creatures of hot-tempered and dangerous. They can attack, even if nothing threatens them. What to say about the wounded bull! Especially cunning wounded African buffalo, who first runs away and hides in the ambush, and then suddenly attacks his offender.
Like many bulls, the buffaloes live with herds (the African appearance of the herd may include up to thousands of individuals). Avalanche running bulls - terrible force! Usually, Asian buffaloes are chasing such clinted ranks with their enemy enemy - a tiger if you have time to teach it on time. How do you remember, it was thus Tiger Cher Khan died from a kingling fairy tale about Mowgli:
- Ha, ha, shouted Mowgli, sitting on it (buffalo - S.K.) back, - Now you know! - and the flow of black horns, foaming muffin, was rummaged by the Rives, exactly stones during flooding; Weaker buffaloes were pushed back to the walls, and broke through the veil of Lian. They knew what business was to be - a terrible attack of the herd of buffaloes, an attack, to which no tiger could hope to confront. Cher Khan heard the roar of hoofs, rose and, chrome, beat heavily, looking around and looking for a means of salvation; But on both sides of the RVA raised the cliffs. The tiger rustled from food and drinking a tiger was ready for everything, just to avoid the struggle ...
But buffaloes expelled from her old rivals walked the most bad temper. Such bachelors are often leaving home buoyvolits, behave brazenly and do not retreat even in front of Indian elephants.
Not all buffaloes are so large and mighty. For example, in the jungle of the island of Sulawesi, a dwarf buffalo Ana is hiding - the smallest of bulls. In the withers, he is not more than a meter, and his horns are short (up to 30 cm) and almost straight.
From other wild bulls, Indochina and Indonesia, you can mention Bantang and Gaura. The latter has particularly impressive dimensions (about 2 m in the withers). In battle Gaur behaves unusual. He never goes to a frontal attack, and comes to the enemy sideways, trying to pick up one of the meter horns. The domesticated form of Gaura is called Gayal. Gayala smaller her ancestor, their horns are shorter, and the temper is much calmer.
Another wonderful bull - Yak - purely formally lives in a subtropical belt. However, you should not forget that the climatic explanation is not only a latitudinal, but also high. And Yak is a mountain bull that lives on Tibet and is able to rise to the mountains to a height of up to 5,200 meters. As you understand, the climate is harsh there, so our hero acquired the black rude wool, hanging almost to the hooves (it seems that the bull covered with a woolen blanket). The cold is nipple - they can relax in the snow and even swim in icy alpine lakes.
Find the way where the grass is very difficult sometimes. Bulls can not, but Yaki yes ... from the parody of Sergei Minaev to the song "Yaki-Da"
Wild Yak, like his relatives, the creature is aggressive. But it did not prevent people to tame him and domesticated. Homemade Yak Something resembles a domesticated reindeer. He does not require much care, he is grazing himself, and a lot of benefits from him. For residents of Tibet, Yaki is a fabric animal, and a permanent source of meat, milk and wool.
Anecdote: - What are you drinking? - The name consists of 2 animals: "horse-yak". - How much do you drink? - Change animals in places ...The end follows ...
Author - Sergey Kuriy
Source - Springzhizni.ru.