03 Nov,2023
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The Texas Longhorn Cow is descended from a mix between an Iberian breed and an Indian one. They were some of the first cattle brought to North America by Europeans.
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Not to be outdone on the subject of large horns, the Ankole-Watusi is a spectacular breed of cow native to Africa. It's believed they originated "over 2,000 years ago from a combination of the Egyptian Longhorn cattle and the Zebu Longhorns originally from India."
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Moving from the heat of Africa to the cold of Scotland, we find another cow breed that has adapted to its environment. The highland cow has a thick, shaggy coat that keeps it warm and protected from wind and rain.
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Winning the trophy for one of the most bizarre-looking outcomes of experimentation with beef cattle breeding is the Belgian blue. The strangely lumpy appearance is called double-muscling—a genetic trait that creates an increased number of muscle fibers.
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Lumpy and bumpy in a different way is the zebu cow. Zebus are a type of cattle originating from South Asia. They have been developed into more specific breeds (more on one of those soon), but the umbrella breed is the Bos indicus.
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The American Brahman cow is one specific breed of zebu that was developed in the United States from zebu cattle imported from India and Brazil, so it has the characteristic shoulder hump and prominent dewlap, but is colored either red or gray.
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Just as there are miniature horses, there are miniature cows. The Dexter cow, originally from Ireland, is one of those breeds. These tiny cows stand only about three to four feet tall at the shoulder, making them great for small farms in all climates.
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Another adorable and unusual cattle breed is the mini belted Galloway, or mini beltie. These little cows sport a black coat with a belt of white around their middle.
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Jersey cows are common enough, but what about miniature Jerseys? These cows stand a mere three to 3.5 feet tall at the shoulder. Like the other smaller breeds, they were developed to be more manageable for small farms that don't need as much milk or meat or don't want to invest as much space or feed into livestock.
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And finally, we have a particularly rare cow. The miniature panda cow is known for its markings that are just like those of giant pandas, right down to the dark eye patches.
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