Unclassified common name for bovids. Animal of the bovid family - artiodactyl of the bovid family

The bovid family includes 140 species ranging from the 5 kg dikdik to the 1000 kg bison. An important difference is the horns: they are almost always one pair (an exception is the genus of four-horned antelopes), and the length can be from 2 cm to 1.5 meters. Some species have horns only in males, but most have them in both sexes. These are bony structures firmly connected to the skull. Unlike deer and pronghorns, bovids never have branched horns.

The largest representative of the family is the gaur (up to 2.2 m tall at the withers and weighing more than a ton), and the smallest is the pygmy antelope (weighs no more than 3 kg and is as tall as a large domestic cat).

The main part of the bovids lives in open areas. The African savannahs are an ideal living space for many species. There are also species that live in mountainous areas or in forests.

Digestive system

Most members of the family are herbivores, although some antelopes may eat animal food as well. Like other ruminants, bovids have a four-chambered stomach, which allows them to digest plant foods, such as grasses, that cannot be used as food by many other animals. Such food contains a lot of cellulose, and not all animals are able to digest it. However, the digestive system of ruminants, which are all bovids, is able to digest such food.

Horns

The horns are attached to a protruding frontal bone. The length and width are different (girth of argali horns, for example, is 50 cm). The horns of the bovids grow all their lives, but never branch. Consist of a substance of epidermal origin. Basically, the horns are used by males in skirmishes with relatives.

Evolution

Historically, bovids are a relatively young group of animals. The oldest fossil that can be safely attributed to the bovids is the genus Eotragus (English) Russian from the Miocene. These animals resembled modern crested duikers, were no larger than roe deer and had very small horns. Even during the Miocene, this genus split, and in the Pleistocene all the important lineages of modern bovids were already represented. In the Pleistocene, bovids migrated along the then existing natural bridge from

Suborder: Ruminantia = Ruminants

Family: Bovidae (Cavicornia) = Bovids

Characteristics of the POLOR family.

Sizes from small to large. So, Neotragus pygmaeus has a height at the withers of about 25 cm and a weight of 2-3 kg, and a bison has a height at the withers of up to 200 cm and a weight of up to 1000 kg. General build from light and slender to heavy and massive. Limbs are usually high. Males, and in many species also females, have a pair of unbranched horns (Tetracerus has two pairs). The horns are permanent, non-replaceable bone outgrowths of the frontal bones, covered on the outside with a horny sheath of epidermal origin. The growth of the horn, in contrast to deer, comes from its base. Thus, the top of the horn represents its oldest part. Periodic intensification and deceleration of the growth of horns is characteristic, as a result of which peculiar rings form on its horny surface. The shape of the horns is extremely varied - from completely straight, long and thin to short, thick and strongly curved or spirally twisted. If the direction of the bend or twist of the horn is inward, towards the horn of the opposite side, then such horns are called homonymous, if the right horn is folded or curved to the right, and the left horn to the left - heteronymous. In cross section, the horns are round, oval or triangular. On their surface there are often protrusions, transverse folds and rings or longitudinal ribs.

The coloration is very diverse - from white to almost black, usually without sharp color patterns. Many species have a white field on the thighs - a “mirror”. There are usually many specific glands in the skin: preorbital, interhorn, inguinal, interdigital, caudal and etc. Nipples 1-2 pairs.

There are 4 (rarely 2) fingers on the limbs, but the lateral (II and V) fingers are greatly shortened and, although they have small hooves, they usually do not touch it when walking on hard ground. From the metacarpal bones of the lateral fingers, only the proximal and distal parts are preserved.

The frontal bones are strongly developed in the skull. The parietal bones are shifted back. The lacrimal bone has a strongly developed facial part with or without a fossa for the preorbital gland. Usually there is only one opening of the lacrimal canal. Ethmoid openings are absent or poorly developed. The bones of the skull are strongly pneumatized. The premaxilla is usually relatively small, the maxillary is very large. Sometimes the second premolars in the lower, and occasionally in the upper jaws do not develop or fall out early. The cheek teeth are hypselodont and tetraselenodont (four-lunar).

The stomach is complex, clearly divided into 4 sections: scar, mesh, book and abomasum. gallbladder usually available. The placenta is policoti-icy.

Widely distributed across the globe. The restored range covers Africa (without Madagascar), Europe (except for the British Isles), goes north to the south of the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Gulf of Finland, the Upper Volga, Samarskaya Luka and the south of the Urals. Beyond the Urals, the range includes the south of Western Siberia and most of Central and Eastern Siberia and the Far East. In the southeast and south of Asia, the range covers the entire southern part of the Asian mainland with most of the adjacent islands. In the New World, the range covers most of North America south to California, Florida and northern Mexico, the Arctic archipelago, and the northern and eastern coasts of Greenland. As a result of excessive fishing or for other reasons, the ranges of most species have been significantly reduced.

They live in a wide variety of places - from dense forests to steppes, semi-deserts and deserts on the plains, in the foothills and high in the mountains - above almost all other mammals (up to 5500 m above sea level). However, the largest number of species inhabits open spaces. They live in herds, sometimes very large - up to several thousand heads. Much less common in small groups or alone. They feed on plants, mainly herbs.

Most species are polygamous, although some are monogamous. Males of some bovids during the breeding season have a harem of females. The inhabitants of the tropics, as a rule, have no seasonality in reproduction. The duration of pregnancy is 4-11 months. In the litter from one to 4-5 cubs.

Many species of bovids are of significant importance as game animals from which meat and skin are obtained. A number of species served as the ancestors of the most important domestic animals.

(Bovidae)**

* * The family of bovids, or bulls, is the most extensive and diverse group artiodactyls, includes 45-50 modern genera and about 130 species.

Bovids form a natural, clearly defined group. No matter how close deer are to bovids, they differ from them in the structure and development of antlers, which tend to fall off annually, grow again and branch out more and more. "The bovids," says Blasius, "have cone-shaped sharpened bone outgrowths on their foreheads, which are surrounded by a horn case; these bone outgrowths grow constantly in length, and at the base and in width. When growing on this bone stump, new horny layers are constantly formed, for which the old layers serve as a case, and in the hollow horns, the new horny mass separates the old layers of the horns from the bone outgrowth, but these old layers do not fall off, as in deer, since the conical appearance of the surface of the old horny layers prevents this. grooves. The horny substance does not grow in the same way all year. The annual increase also varies, depending on age; the older the animal, the smaller the annual increase "***.

* * * Due to the seasonal unevenness of growth, "annual rings" are noticeable on the horns of some artiodactyls, allowing you to find out the age of the animal.

The dental system can serve as other signs of this family: all animals belonging to the bovids have six incisors and two canines only on the lower jaw; the upper jaw has no front teeth; on each side of the jaws above and below we find six molars. The zygomatic arch is very dense.
Except the dental system and horns are hard to find common features, characteristic of all bovids. The structure of their body is very diverse, this family includes both thick and massive animals, as well as light and graceful ones. The shape of the horns and hooves, the length of the tail, hairline and color are very different; lacrimal dimples sometimes meet, sometimes not; the tip of the muzzle is covered with hair or naked - in a word, upon closer examination of these animals, you notice many distinctive features *.

* Unlike deer, bovids never have upper canines, molars have a higher crown and a more complex chewing surface. The number of fingers is sometimes reduced to two.

The lifestyle of bovids is as diverse as appearance. They are distributed throughout the earth, with the exception of South America and Australia **; m number of species found in all belts the globe and in the most varied localities: in waterless deserts and in rich vegetation tropical forests, in marshy plains and in high mountains.

* * Being numerous and diverse in Africa and Eurasia, bovids penetrated North America in limited numbers only in the Pleistocene, overcoming the Beringian land. Now only 5-6 species from 4 genera (subfamilies Caprinae and Bovinae) are found here. Bovids never reached South America and Australia, as well as many islands and archipelagos. In Russia, there are 12 wild species of bovids from 8 genera.

Most live in herds. Almost all have well-developed mental abilities. Many species are smart, but some, on the contrary, are naturally very stupid. They breed quite quickly, although the female brings one cub at a time, less often two, as an exception - three, and only in rare cases - four. Young animals in growth and development do not differ from other ruminants. They are born developed and for the most part a few hours after birth, they can follow their parents to the most dangerous places. In many species, growth continues for several years, but in most of the young, after a year, they themselves are capable of reproduction, and this explains the rapid increase in the number of individuals in individual herds of ruminants.
Bovids have more for a person importance than all other ruminants. Between them, man has chosen for himself the most necessary domestic animals; from them we get a large part of food and material for clothes; without them it would be impossible for a person to live today. Even the wild, free-ranging species of this family do far more good than harm. Almost without exception, they provide us with tasty meat, skin, wool and horns. All wild living bovids are considered hunting animals. In addition to humans, these animals also have other enemies, but even more often than from violent death, they die from hunger and various diseases that are very common in them.
Bulls are large, strong and clumsy ruminants, the main characteristics of which are more or less round and smooth horns, a broad muzzle with nostrils far apart from each other, a long tail reaching the heel joint, with a brush at the end, the absence of lacrimal fossae and interhoof glands; females have an udder with four teats. Most have a pendulous dewlap or skin fold at the top of the neck. The skeleton consists of very coarse and thick bones. The skull is broad at the forehead and slightly narrowed towards the muzzle; round eye sockets located on the sides of the skull far from one another; the frontal processes, on which the horns sit, extend laterally from the back of the frontal bone. The device of the teeth is nothing special. On each jaw, the largest are the internal incisors, the anterior ones are usually small, while the posterior ones are very developed. The horns at the root expand and therefore can cover almost the entire forehead, but in most they leave it open. The horns are smooth, rounded and have transverse wrinkles only at the base; bend differently: outward or inward, backward or forward, up or down, or have a lyre-shaped shape. The hairline is short and lies smoothly against the skin, but on some parts of the body it can elongate in the form of a mane.
The homeland of bulls should be considered all of Europe and Africa, Central and South Asia, as well as North America; currently domesticated species are distributed in all parts of the globe. In the wild, bulls inhabit a wide variety of localities; some live in dense forests, others among the free steppes, some on the plains, others in the mountains, where they reach heights of up to 6000 m. Some species prefer swampy areas and swamps, others prefer drier places. Those who live in the mountains go down to the valleys in winter; those living in the north move south; in other areas they move from one place to another, richer in vegetation. Without exception, all species live in societies and gather in herds under the leadership of strong and experienced animals. Old males usually separate and live as hermits.
Although bulls appear clumsy and sluggish, they are able to move quickly and display much more agility than one might expect. Usually they move at a slow pace, but they run at a trot and sometimes go into an extremely clumsy gallop, which greatly speeds up their movement. Mountain species are expert climbers. All bulls swim easily and well, some cross the widest rivers without fear. They have extraordinary strength, and their endurance is admirable. Of the sense organs, the sense of smell is highly developed, hearing is also good, vision is not particularly strong. Wild ones show much more intelligence than domestic ones, who do not need to strain their mental strength. They are meek and trusting towards animals that are not dangerous to them and do not bother them. But they are extremely fierce, stubborn and in the highest degree courageous. Annoyed, they rush, despising death, at predatory animals, even at the strongest, and with such dexterity they know how to use their terrible weapon- horns and hooves, which often remain victorious. In general peaceful with each other, at certain periods, especially during mating, they enter into battles, showing great ferocity. Their voice is a clear or dull lowing, or else it resembles grunts and grunts, which are heard mainly when they are excited.
The food of bulls is made up of plants. They eat leaves and tender buds, shoots and branches of the most different trees, grasses and cereals, tree bark, mosses and lichens, marsh and water plants, even sharp cutting sedge and reed plants. In captivity, they also feed on plant matter. Salt is a delicacy for everyone, water is an urgent need; many enjoy wallowing in muddy swamps or lying in rivers and ponds for hours.
The mating is preceded by fierce battles between bulls; 9-12 months later, the cow calves one calf, very rarely two. The calf is born fully developed and is able to follow its mother almost immediately. She treats him with great tenderness, feeds and cleans, licks and caresses him, and in case of danger protects him from any attack with great courage; in some species, the males also guard the young.
All types of bulls can be tamed and obey, more or less willingly, a person, get used to their masters, love and recognize them, follow their call and obey even a weak child.
Hunting wild bulls is dangerous. A particularly formidable adversary is an irritated bull, whose blind fury knows no bounds. But it is precisely because of the danger that this hunt seems attractive to many, some peoples value it especially highly. Hunting for wild bulls brings an important income, people use not only their skin, but also meat, which, despite its often musky smell, serves as an excellent food.
Bulls living in the wild harm a person, except by gnawing trees and bushes in the forests, destroying grasses in meadows and various plantations on plantations; tamed ones, on the contrary, benefit from their strength, meat and bones, skin and horns, milk, wool and even dung. In the west of Russia there is a kind of treasure. This is the famous Belovezhskaya Pushcha, a real northern primeval forest with an area of 2000 square kilometers. It is isolated and, like an island, surrounded by fields, villages and moorlands. There is only one village in the forest, which has the same name as Pushcha, but is inhabited not by cultivators, but by foresters and huntsmen. About four-fifths of the forest area is made up of pines, which retain exclusive dominance over a large area. In more damp places, spruces, oaks, lindens, hornbeams, birches, alders, poplars and willows appear. B. the greatest European mammal lives in this forest - bison(Bison bonasus). Only here and in some forests of the Caucasus, as well as in Mezertsitz in Silesia, has this powerful animal survived at the present time; on the rest of the earth's surface it has already been exterminated. It is guarded in Belovezhskaya Pushcha strict laws and, if for many centuries the changing owners of this amazing menagerie had not provided such protection to the bison, then by our time the bison could be found only in the Caucasus.
In former times it was, of course, otherwise; it can be proved that the bison was distributed throughout Europe and a large part of Asia. During the prosperity of ancient Greece, he often came across in present-day Bulgaria; in middle Europe was found almost everywhere. Aristotle calls it "bonassus" and makes an accurate description, Pliny gives it under the name "buffalo" and considers Germany to be its homeland. Ancient written monuments mention him in the 6th and 7th centuries after the birth of Christ, and the Nibelungenlied says that he lives in the Vosges. In the time of Charlemagne, the bison was found in the Harz and Saxony, around the year 1000, according to Ekkegaard, this wild animal came across at St. Gallen. Around 1373, he lived in Pomerania, in the 15th century in Prussia, in the 16th century in Lithuania, in the 18th century in eastern Prussia, where the last representative of this species was killed by a poacher in 1755.
The kings and magnates of the Commonwealth were zealously engaged in the protection of bison. They were kept in special gardens and parks, for example, near Ostroleka, Warsaw and Zamoysk. Increasing population and cultivation of the fields made such protection impossible in the course of time; the bison held out for some time in Prussian Lithuania, where the foresters protected them, arranging open sheds with fodder in winter. They were then usually caught for gifts to foreign courts. So, in 1717, two bison were delivered to the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, the same number to the English King George. A widespread rinderpest at the beginning of the 18th century destroyed most of these herds. There is no doubt that the bison living in Belovezhskaya Pushcha would have suffered the same fate if the Polish kings, and then the Russian emperors, had not guarded an animal rare in the modern world.
According to information that came to me through the late Count Lazar, the bison lived longer than in Prussia in Hungary, in wooded Transylvania. This is also indicated by the fact that the names of some mountains, streams and even villages contain the word "bison". In the Turech chronicle, which was printed under King Matthew I, there are richly decorated initial letters, on one of these decorations we see the Hungarian king on horseback, with a crown on his head; he swings a highly raised spear at a furiously rushing bison. During the time of the Transylvanian princes, the bison was often found there, and it is fully confirmed that as early as the 17th century, its skin was used for various products. It has been proven that as early as 1729 he lived in the mountain forests of Hungary and at the end of the last century he met in the mountain forests of Sekler, not far from the area of Füle *.

* The range of bison in the Middle Beks covered the Central and Eastern Europe from Germany and Hungary to the Don basin and the Caucasus. The longest wild bison survived in the Caucasus and in the area of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. By the 20s of the XX century, he disappeared from nature. 45 heads of the nominate subspecies have been preserved in zoos, mainly in Poland. As a result of restoration work in captivity (including absorption crossing with bison), the bison managed to be saved as a species and returned to some of its former habitats in the reserves of Poland and former USSR. In the Moscow region there is a nursery at the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve, groups of bison have been reacclimatized in the Caucasus, in the Carpathians, and brought to the Tien Shan. Now there are about 1.5 thousand animals in the world.

Although it can be safely admitted that the bison has decreased in stature, he is still a powerful animal. The bison, killed in Prussia in 1555, was 7 feet high and 13 feet long, while weighing 19 centners and 5 pounds. At present, the largest bison rarely reaches a height of 1.7 m, a length of 3.4 m, and a mass of 500-700 kg*.

* The height of the bulls at the withers - up to 2 m weight - up to 850 kg. Cows can be half as light.

The bison seems to us a model of primitive strength and power. His head is moderately large and not only not clumsy, but rather slender, the forehead is high and very wide, the bridge of the nose is slightly arched, the front part is evenly narrowed towards the end. The muzzle is broad and ugly; it occupies all the space between the large, round, oblique nostrils; the ears are short and rounded, the eyes are rather small, the edges of the eye sockets protrude above the cheeks; very strong, short and raised neck forms a dewlap. On strong, but not short legs, equipped with large oval hooves and rather small calloused fingers, a massive body rests: the back rises significantly from the back of the head to the middle, from where it falls to the sacrum; the tail is short and thick. The horns are set far apart, not too thick, round and sharp; they bend a little forward, then inward and backward. The body is covered with thick fur, consisting of long, mostly curled hairs of the awn and an undercoat knocked down like felt. This fur lengthens at the back of the head into a wide bang, consisting of smooth hair and falling over the forehead and temples; on the back, the hair forms a high comb; on the chin, a long and rather thin beard hangs down. Neck and dewlap covers big mane. All face covered thick hair; auricles furry at the edges; at the end of the tail is a wide and long brush, descending almost to the heel joint. The general color of the fur is light brown, the beard and tail brush are black, the legs are dark brown, and the bangs are light brown. The cow is noticeably smaller and thinner in physique than the bull, her horns are weaker, her mane is less developed; the coloration, however, is the same. A newly born calf is lighter in color**.

* * The bison differs from the bison in a larger size. but at the same time lighter body. He has a not so big head, planted much higher, longer and thinner horns, a curved back profile, and a more developed back of the body. The legs are noticeably higher, the tail is longer. The coat is more even in length and a solid brown. Branches and leaves are of greater importance in the diet (more than 200 plants are consumed in total by bison).

Until recently, the question of whether the wild bull living in the Caucasus Mountains belongs to the same species as the bison remained unresolved. We have received little information about this animal so far. More than 200 years ago, Archangelo Lamberti only mentioned, albeit rumored, the existence of a "wild buffalo" on the border of Mingrelia. At the end of the last century, Guldenshtedt found 14 bison skulls in a cave in the Caucasus. Eichwald at the beginning of our century collected news about the whereabouts of wild bulls that were still alive. But only Baer could, on the basis of the skin sent to him in 1836 by Baron von Rozan, make sure that the Caucasian wild bull and bison belong to the same species. Since then, there have been many reports of the wild bull of the Caucasus. And in 1868, a young male bison was caught there and taken to the Moscow Zoological Garden. Thus, it has been established that our European wild bull - the bison - has yet another location and can be considered insured against extermination, at least for the near future.
Nordman, Tornau and Rudde, meanwhile, reported further information about the existence and lifestyle of the Caucasian bison, as well as hunting for them. Nordman testified at the end of the thirties that the bison is no longer found near the mountain road from Taman to Tiflis, but that it is often found inside the mountain ranges of the Caucasus, its permanent habitat is an area of at least 200 kilometers along the coast of the Kuban to the sources of the Bzyb. Based on Tornau's oral reports, he tells about one Caucasian hunt for bison in the Bolshoi Zelenchuk valley and notes that these animals are found not only on the indicated river, but also in the rocky valleys of the Urup and Bolshaya Laba, rich in gorges, as well as in the coniferous forests of the Main ridge below the line of eternal snow. Rudde informs Brandt, from whose work I borrowed the following news about bison, that back in 1865, in extensive pine forests to the west of the Marukhi glacier, bison huddled, which came across there in herds of 7-10 animals. Tornau, who lived for three years in the mountains as a prisoner of the mountaineers and was present at the hunt for bison, often saw the encampment of these animals and the paths laid by them even on the steepest cliffs in order to go from a rocky valley to a stream where one can quench one's thirst. Once on Zelenchuk, he heard a loud noise coming from the clatter of a herd of bison and breaking branches, and soon saw up to 20 cows and calves that followed a huge bull, striding importantly with his head down; they were all heading for the usual watering place*.

* The last bison of a special Caucasian subspecies (B. b. caucasicus), distinguished by a very dark curly coat and some other features, were exterminated by poachers in 1925-1927 in the Teberda region. Now in Teberdi Iskom and other parks and reserves of the Caucasus live herds of bison, of Belovezhskaya origin, as well as bison. Sedentary on the plains, in the mountains, bison make vertical migrations, rising up to 2000 m above sea level in summer.

The number of bison in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, according to the census, reached 711 heads in 1829, among which there were 633 old bulls, the next year the herd increased to 772 heads, but then decreased again to 657 due to the Polish rebellion that took place in these years. Subsequently, the strengthening of protective laws favored their reproduction so much that in 1857 the number of all bison living in Belovezhskaya Pushcha was 1898. But according to other sources, in 1863 there were only 874 bison in the herd, and since then their number has constantly fluctuated from 800 to 900 heads; according to Friz, there are currently up to 1,500 bulls.
In 1865, Prince von Plöse made an attempt to settle bison on the Plös estate in Silesia, in a park of more than 600 hectares. One bull and three cows were brought from Belovezhye by rail, which got along well and even multiplied in the new place. Later, in 1871, the animals were transferred to the forest of Mecertsica. According to Friese, in 1889 there were already 11 bison there, although during this time nine bulls were shot.
In summer and autumn, the bison lives in damp places of the forest, usually hiding in the thickets; prefers drier and higher forest in winter. Very old bulls live alone, younger ones roam in small herds, in summer at 16-20, and in winter at 30-50 heads. Each herd has its permanent camp and always returns to it.
Bison are active both day and night, grazing most readily in the morning and evening, sometimes even at night. Their food consists of various herbs, leaves, buds and bark of trees: they gnaw the bark from trees as much as they can and bend young flexible trunks to the ground in order to get the crown, which they completely destroy. Their favorite tree seems to be the ash, whose succulent bark they prefer to all others; coniferous trees, on the contrary, do not touch. In winter, they eat almost exclusively the bark and branches available to them. deciduous trees in addition, lichens and dry grass. In Belovezhskaya Pushcha, hay cut in the meadows is stored for them in haystacks; but they are not satisfied with this, raiding the stacks of neighboring villages, breaking down the fences in the process. They need fresh water to drink.
At first glance, the bison's movements seem heavy and clumsy, but looking closely, you can see that they are quite agile.
Bison walk with a quick step, run at a heavy, but fast gallop, and lower their heads to the ground, and raise their tail up and stretch out *.

* Bison can jump up to 3 m in length and up to 2 m in height.

They easily ford or cross swamps and rivers. Among the external senses, the first place is occupied by the sense of smell; sight and hearing are less developed, and taste and touch are only mediocre. The nature of bison changes over the years. Young animals are cheerful, lively, playful creatures; although they are not very meek and peaceful, yet they are not evil. The old ones, on the contrary, have a gloomy, even ferocious disposition; they become irritable and indisposed to any kind of games. Although bison usually do not touch people who do not bother them, but the slightest reason can arouse anger in them and make them extremely dangerous. In the summer they try to avoid people, in the winter they don’t give way to anyone, and it happened more than once that the peasants had to wait a long time until the bison liked to leave the path he had occupied, along which no one could pass. Wildness, stubbornness and irascibility - distinctive features these bulls. The younger ones are more fearful and fearful than the old ones. Old animals living as hermits can become a true scourge of the country. They seem to take particular pleasure in teasing people. One old bull-leader for some time took possession of the road passing through the Belovezhsky forest, overturned carriages more than once and caused many other misfortunes. Horses show fear and horror in front of the bison from a distance, and, sensing it, try to run away.
The period of mating, which usually begins in August, and sometimes only in September, lasts two or three weeks. Around this time, the bison are in the best condition, fat and strong. Before mating, they amuse themselves with peculiar games, and there are serious battles between bulls. The animal, mad with love, seems to take special pleasure in pulling not very thick trees out of the ground and felling them. Then they begin to fight, at first, perhaps only jokingly, then more and more seriously, finally rushing furiously at each other and clashing with their horns so much that one can only wonder how both do not get hurt from such a strong blow. Little by little, the hermits gather in herds, and the fights are now even more terrible, the younger and weaker bull must either retreat or die. In 1827, a dead three-year-old bull with a crushed leg and a horn beaten off at the root was found in the Belovezhsky forest. Not only bulls were found dead at this time, but also cows*.

* During the rut, a "harem" of 2-6 females is with the bull.

Immediately after the end of the mating period, the old bulls again separate from the herd and return to their former quiet, hermit life. Cows calve nine months after mating, usually in May or early June. Before that, they retire, find a comfortable place somewhere in the depths of the forest and hide here with the calf for several days. In case of danger, they protect their offspring with extraordinary courage. The calf clings to the ground, raises its ears and rolls them over, opens its nostrils and eyes wide and looks timidly at the enemy, towards which the mother hurries. Then it is dangerous for both man and animal to approach the female bison - she bravely goes against any enemy. For several days after birth, the calf follows its mother, who treats it with extraordinary tenderness. While he still does not know how to walk properly, she gently pushes him forward with her head and tries to protect him from cold and danger, placing between his front legs; licks it clean every day; during feeding, it stands on three legs, so that it is more convenient for the calf to get the udder, and while he sleeps, he protects his safety. Calves are sweet, graceful animals, although from their youth they show the makings of character. They develop very slowly and reach full growth probably only by the eighth or ninth year**.

* * The weight of a newborn is about 22 kg, lactation lasts 5-6 months (sometimes up to a year), but the calf starts eating grass from 2-3 weeks. Sometimes the calf stays with its mother up to 2 years, despite the fact that under favorable conditions the next spring the female brings new offspring. Puberty occurs at 1.5-2 years, but the animals reach their final size by 5-8 years. The maximum life expectancy is about 40 years.

The age to which bison can live is determined at approximately 30-50 years. Cows die 10 years earlier than bulls, but the latter usually go blind or lose their teeth in old age, then they are no longer able to eat properly, cannot bite young branches, quickly weaken and finally die.
Compared to other bulls, bison breed slowly. An observation was made in Belovezhskaya Pushcha and it was found out that cows are pregnant once every three years, and at an older age they remain infertile for several years in a row. In 1829, out of 258 cows, only 93 calved; of the rest, most were already sterile, while others were still too young.
These strong animals perfectly protect themselves from enemies. Bears and wolves can only be dangerous to calves, and then if for some reason the mother is not alive and the cub is defenseless. However, it happens when deep snow falls, hungry wolves drive adult bison to exhaustion and finally overcome them.
Even in the time of Julius Caesar, a hunter who killed one aurochs or aurochs gained great fame; all ancient songs praise such heroes. In the Middle Ages, knights and barons fought valiantly against bison and aurochs. Some hunted on horseback, others on foot, but always chose a spear as a weapon of attack. They went out to the beast together: one approached the rabid beast, the other, shouting and waving a red scarf, tried to divert the attention of the bison from the attacker and attract it to himself; at this time the first plunged a spear into the animal's body. Simple hunters, in order to master the mighty animal, built a deep hole on its path and killed the bison that fell into it.
According to the legends with which the history of Hungary and Transylvania is so rich, bison hunting was the most militant occupation of the Magyar chivalry and the nobility of neighboring countries. During the time of the first Hungarian kings, hunting became the exclusive right of the king or sovereign prince. There are many posts on this subject. “In the same year (1534), says one German manuscript, wild bulls, known in Hungary under the name "begin" or "beogin", who lived in herds in the Zhurzhevo mountains in the country of the Seklers, caused a lot of harm and attacked men and women who went into the forest. Therefore, Moylar Isstvan, according to ancient custom, called together on the day of St. Fabian for a great hunt of the old governors. Then many gentlemen and nobles gathered, who hunted successfully, and also decently feasted. "And after 100 years they hunted with the same splendor, as can be seen from the letter of George Rakocha I, Prince of Transylvania to Paul Bornemisser in 1643.
In Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the rulers of the past centuries appeared with a large retinue, called the foresters and forced the surrounding peasants to become beaters. A detachment of 200-300 people had to drive the bison to the place where the hunters stood on a safe platform. One brilliant hunt, organized by the Polish king August III in 1752, is still evidenced by a six-meter white sandstone pyramid with an inscription in German and Polish; on one day 42 bison, 13 elk and two roe deer were killed; only one queen shot 20 bison without missing. On October 18 and 19, 1860, the Russian emperor arranged a hunt: the sovereign himself shot six bison bulls and one calf, two elks and six fallow deer, three roe deer, four wolves, one badger, one fox and one hare. The Grand Duke of Weimar and Princes Karl and Albrecht of Prussia killed eight more bison. This hunt was described in detail in a special essay in Russian.
DV Dolmatov, chief forester of the state forests of the Grodno province, tells how these animals were caught. The sovereign emperor promised Queen Victoria two bison for the menagerie and therefore ordered to catch several heads. It was in July. At dawn, 300 beaters and 80 hunters with guns loaded with one gunpowder gathered and surrounded the hunted herd. Dolmatov and his companion, Count Kiselev, who brought the royal order, saw a herd that was located on a hill. The calves jumped merrily, tossing the sand high with their nimble legs, returned from time to time to their mothers, rubbed against them, licked, and then hopped merrily again. Suddenly the sound of a horn interrupted this idyll. In fear, the herd jumped up, the calves shyly clung to their mothers. When the dogs barked, the herd hurriedly gathered in the usual order, the calves in front, and the adults formed a rearguard, guarding them from the attack of the dogs. The old bison broke through the chains of beaters and rushed on, ignoring people, screams and shots. Immediately I was lucky to catch two young bison: a calf about three months old was mastered without much difficulty; another, about fifteen months old, knocked eight people to the ground and ran away, but, pursued by dogs, was caught in the garden of a forester. Four calves, one male and three females were caught later, one female was only a few days old.
I saw bison in the menagerie at Schönbrun. They lived for many years in the same barn, in front of which was a courtyard fenced with thick logs. Very strong oak fence posts, dug a meter into the ground and, moreover, reinforced with props, were fastened with crossbars. During my visit, the cow had a suckling calf, she expressed her care for him with all her behavior. In order to get a better view of rare animals, I went closer to the hedge, when suddenly the cow lowered her head and rushed at me, lowing and sticking her long tongue far, and threw her head on the beams with such force that even the oak pillars trembled. Another creature would have crushed its skull with such a blow: the bison, without the slightest difficulty, repeated his exercises three or four times in a row.
In our zoological gardens, with favorable care, bison survive perfectly, mate without difficulty and multiply even more than in freedom. According to Shepf's observations, the period of pregnancy lasts 270-274 days. A mother treats her newborn very tenderly, unless it has been touched by a human hand; she becomes furious and takes out on the defenseless calf every uninvited touch of the overseer. The bull should be separated from the pregnant cow, since the family life of these animals is impossible in a cramped room. In Dresden, on May 22, 1865, a newly born calf was picked up by its parent on the horns and thrown over the fence; here he again rose to his feet and was brought to the barn to his mother, separated from the bull. A cow sniffing her calf and probably noticing that it has already been touched human hands, threw him up and trampled him to death. Many weeks before calving, the meekest bison cow becomes wild and vicious, and having calved and begun to feed the calf, she behaves in most cases as I described above.
The taste of bison meat is something between the meat of domestic bulls and venison; the meat of cows and calves is especially famous. The Poles considered salted bison meat to be an excellent delicacy and used it as gifts to the courts of sovereigns. The skin gives a strong and durable, but soft and squashy skin, which is used for dressing belts and trims.
Horns and hooves are attributed medicinal properties. Our ancestors made drinking vessels from beautiful strong horns. In the Caucasus, even now they are used instead of goblets. At a dinner with which one Caucasian prince honored General Rozan, instead of glasses, 50-70 bison horns, separated by silver, were used.
The same fate that the bison suffered for centuries befell its only relative - bison (bison bison)*, in an incredibly short period of time, one might say, in one decade.

* Bison entered America from Eurasia in ice Age. Their different forms will replace each other in the tundra-steppes, forests and prairies, some species far exceeded the modern steppe bison (Bison bison) in size; the span of their long horns reached 2 meters or more. Despite everyday American name(Buffalo), bison, like bison, are related to bulls rather than buffaloes.

A few decades ago, millions of these powerful animals roamed the vast expanses of North America; at present there are no more than a few hundred bison. History does not know, and will not continue to record on its pages, another example of such a systematic extermination, such a ruthless mass extermination for the insignificant benefit of harmless and useful animals. And the government did nothing to protect them. Now, only whitening bones scattered across the distant deserts point to the once-countless herds of North American bison.

The number of surviving bison reached, according to William Gornedey's accurate information, as of January 1, 1889, up to 835 heads, including those 200 bulls that live under government protection in Yellowstone Park. This extermination of bison began in the seventies, when the railways were built.

- This is the most extensive family of artiodactyls both in terms of the number of species and the diversity of biological types: from tiny dik diks, almost the size of hares, to huge bulls, from light, slender ...
Biological Encyclopedia
- taxonomic category in biol. systematics. S. unites close genera that have a common origin. The Latin name of S. is formed by adding the endings -idae and -aseae to the base of the name of the type genus.
Dictionary of microbiology
- family - One of the main categories in biological systematics, unites genera that have a common origin; also - a family, a small group of individuals related by blood relationship and including parents and their offspring ...
Molecular biology and genetics. Dictionary
- family, taxonomic category in the taxonomy of animals and plants ...
Veterinary Encyclopedic Dictionary
- A highly productive group of breeding queens descended from an outstanding ancestor and descendants similar to her in type and productivity ...

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Family POLOROGIE
(Bovidae)

/ / Bovid /
/ / Bovidae /

Family POLOROGIE (Bovidae) This is the most extensive family of artiodactyls both in terms of the number of species and the diversity of biological types: from tiny dik diks, almost the size of hares, to huge bulls, from light, slender gazelles to massive rams. The most clear and constant sign of the bovids is the structure of the horns, although their shape and size are extremely diverse. The horn is a bone rod that develops on the outgrowths of the frontal bones. This rod is dressed in a horn sheath that grows with the rod, never branches and is not completely replaced throughout life. The growth of the horny substance occurs from below, from the base. In most bovids, both males and females have horns, but in females they are usually smaller. There are also hornless females.

In the dental system of bovids, the absence of upper incisors and canines is characteristic. They have very strongly developed skin glands on the head, at the base of the tail, in the groin, between the hooves and on some other parts of the body. Bovids are geologically one of the youngest families. The earliest finds of their remains date back to the Lower Miocene of Eurasia. Representatives of the genera Archaeomeryx and Geolocus from the Eocene of Southeast Asia are usually considered as initial forms; they were small hornless ungulates, close to deer. In Europe, bovids appeared in the Miocene, and in Africa - modern center of its development - only in the Lower Pliocene. The geographical distribution of bovids covers Africa, Eurasia and North America. They are completely absent in South America and Australia (with the exception of domestic animals introduced by man). The ability of bovids to master a wide variety of landscapes, from tundra and high mountains to rainforest, steppes and even waterless deserts. This is one of the most progressive features of the family, which speaks of the evolutionary flowering of the group as a whole. There is no single, generally accepted view of the bovid system. Research recent years, conducted in Europe, Asia and especially in Africa, however, made it possible to get a fairly complete picture of the total volume of the family and the order of the subfamilies, genera and species. We subdivide the bovid family into 10 subfamilies with 53 genera and approximately 115 species. It should be noted that the widely used term "antelopes", which refers to the vast majority of ungulates in Africa, does not have the meaning of a systematic category and unites species that are very distant both in origin and in appearance. Almost all bovids are among the important game animals. True, some of them have now become rare and are under protection. The most important domestic animals belong to this family. DUKERS (Cephalophinae) (Subfamily) Duikers - medium-sized, typically African antelope; the largest of them reach the size of a roe deer, the smallest are slightly larger than a hare. Despite their small size and disproportionately thin legs, duikers have a rather dense build; their hind limbs are somewhat longer than the forelimbs, which makes the animal appear hunched. The horns are short, usually straight, rarely slightly curved, often absent in females. On the forehead is a crest of coarse hair, which partially hides the horns. Females are somewhat larger than males. The subfamily includes 2 genera: bush duikers (Sylvicapra) and crested or forest duikers (Cephalophus). Dwarf Antelopes (Neotraginae) (Subfamily) Like duikers, pygmy antelopes are among the smallest representatives of the bovid family. The subfamily includes 8 genera with 14 species, although such a division cannot be called completely established and generally accepted. ANTELOPES (Tragelaphinae) (Subfamily) Animals of medium and large sizes, their horns (with a few exceptions) are twisted into a more or less pronounced spiral. The subfamily contains 4 genera with 10 species distributed in Africa and South Asia. Cow Antelopes (Alcelaphinae) (Subfamily) Cow antelopes are animals with a very peculiar appearance. An elongated narrow head with strongly curved, more or less S-shaped horns, a sharply sloping back from the shoulders to the sacrum, and a long tail ending in a magnificent brush make it possible at first glance to distinguish representatives of this subfamily from all other African antelopes. Both males and females are armed with horns. The taxonomy of cow antelopes is complex due to wide geographical variability and only in recent times developed in detail by the German zoologist T. Haltenort. In what follows (with a few exceptions) we adhere to the system proposed by this researcher. The family of cow antelopes includes 3 genera and 6 species. Saber Antelopes (Hippotraginae) (Subfamily) Large, strong and at the same time slender, armed with long beautifully shaped horns, saber-horned antelopes are among the most beautiful animals in Africa. The subfamily contains 3 genera with 5 species. WATER GOATS (Reduncinae) (Subfamily) Large or medium-sized antelope with slightly curved or lyre-shaped horns (only males have horns). The subfamily includes 3 genera with 8 species distributed only in Africa. Despite their name, waterbucks have nothing to do with real goats. GAZELLES (Antilopinae) (Subfamily) With the word "gazelle" we associate the idea of a slender, graceful and graceful animal. Indeed, all the antelopes included in this subfamily are unusually slender and light in build, with a beautifully raised head, adorned with thin black lyre-shaped horns. Harmony and perfection are felt in the whole appearance of gazelles. At the same time, despite their apparent fragility, gazelles are strong and hardy animals that can endure the difficult conditions of deserts and semi-deserts. Gazelles are usually high-legged, and their growth reaches 100-120 cm at the withers with a mass of up to 70-85 kg; usually they are much smaller. In most species, both males and females have horns (in some species of gazelles, females have no horns). Coloration is usually uniform grayish-sandy or brownish with a lighter underside. Sometimes a dark stripe runs along the sides of the body, but there are no transverse stripes on the body. Often the head is decorated with the so-called facial pattern of longitudinal dark and light stripes. Representatives of the subfamily inhabit deserts, steppes, savannahs and dry light forests of Africa, Western, Central and Central Asia. Species belonging to this subfamily have been known in Asia since the Upper Miocene, and their cradle apparently lies in Western Asia. In Africa, where they are now the most diverse, gazelles appeared only in the Pleistocene, possibly at the end of the Pliocene. According to modern concepts, the subfamily includes 7 genera with 19 species. However, the taxonomy of gazelles is not sufficiently developed, and, probably, part of the species of the genus of gazelles proper (Gazella), which the latest reports about 12 will turn out to be only subspecies upon further study. The lifestyle of most gazelles is poorly understood. The exception is the goitered gazelle and some gazelles inhabiting East Africa. Saigas (Saiginae) (Subfamily) Animals united in this subfamily occupy an intermediate position between gazelles and goats. In addition to the saiga, this includes the orongo, a little-studied ungulate from Tibet. GOATS AND RAMS (Caprinae) (Subfamily) This subfamily unites the bovids, which are very diverse in appearance, belonging to 11 genera and 16-20 species. Despite noticeable differences in size, structure, and shape of the horns, the species included in this subfamily represent a single group, the extreme members of which are interconnected by a long chain of related forms. The subfamily consists of three groups, to which modern taxonomists attach the importance of tribes. According to the number of genera included in the subfamily, experts have no disagreements, but the number of species of true goats (Sarga) and rams (Ovis) remains unclear. Representatives of the subfamily are known from the Upper Miocene of Eurasia. Later, already in the Pleistocene, some species settled in Africa and America, but even now they reach the greatest diversity in Asia. This subfamily includes two species of important farm animals - goats and sheep. BULLS (Bovinae) (Subfamily) Bulls are the largest of the bovids. These are powerful and strong animals. Their massive body rests on strong limbs, a heavy, wide, low-set head in both males and females is crowned with horns, thick and short in some species, flattened and long in others. The shape of the horns is also very variable in different representatives: in some cases, the horns resemble a simple crescent, in others they are S-shaped. There are no interhoof glands. The tail is relatively thin, with a brush at the end. The coat is short, close to the body, or thick and shaggy. Representatives of the subfamily are distributed in Asia, Europe, Africa and North America. The subfamily includes 4 genera with 10 species, of which one in the wild was exterminated by man in historical time, but exists in the form of numerous breeds of domestic cows, which were also introduced in South America and Australia.

9.4. Bovid family - Bovidae

This family includes antelopes, goats, rams, bulls. All of them have horns without processes that do not change during life. The horn consists of a hollow horn sheath, impaled on a bony outgrowth of the skull, and grows from the base. Females have smaller or absent horns than males. On the tracks of bovids, there are almost never prints of additional hooves. Most of our bovids are inhabitants of the steppes, deserts and mountains, but there are also forest species and one arctic. In steppe species, the hooves are small and very hard; the inhabitants of the mountains have hooves with an elastic inside, which "stick" to the rocks, like the rubber shoes of climbers, and also absorb shock when jumping from stone to stone.

In Russia, there are bovids of eight genera.

- taxonomic category in biol. systematics. S. unites close genera that have a common origin. The Latin name of S. is formed by adding the endings -idae and -aseae to the base of the name of the type genus.
Dictionary of microbiology
- family - One of the main categories in biological systematics, unites genera that have a common origin; also - a family, a small group of individuals related by blood relationship and including parents and their offspring ...
- family, taxonomic category in the taxonomy of animals and plants ...
Veterinary Encyclopedic Dictionary
- A highly productive group of breeding queens descended from an outstanding ancestor and descendants similar to her in type and productivity ...
Terms and definitions used in breeding, genetics and reproduction of farm animals
- taxonomic. category in biol. systematics. In S., close genera are united. For example, S. squirrels include genera: squirrels, marmots, ground squirrels, etc....
Natural science. encyclopedic Dictionary
- Taxonomic category of related organisms, rank below the order and above the genus. usually consists of several genera ...
Physical Anthropology. Illustrated explanatory dictionary
- Thomas Nash had two sons - Anthony and John - each of whom Shakespeare bequeathed 26 shillings 8 pence for the purchase of mourning rings. The brothers acted as witnesses in some of the playwright's transactions...
Shakespeare Encyclopedia
- ...
Sexological Encyclopedia
- taxonomic category between order and genus. Contains a single genus or monophyletic group of genera sharing a common origin...
Ecological dictionary
- in biology - part of the CLASSIFICATION of living organisms above the KIND and below the GROUP. Family names are written with capital letter, for example, Feline - for a family that includes all types of cats ...
Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary
- Alu-family - A family of moderately repetitive DNA sequences known in many mammals and some other organisms...
Molecular biology and genetics. Dictionary
- a term very close, and for some authors coinciding with the term ore formation. According to Magaqian, “paragenetic ass. m-fishing and elements, formed in certain geol. and physico-chemical. conditions”...
Geological Encyclopedia
- or crested antelope - a species of antelope ...
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron
- Goat, artiodactyl ruminant animal of the bovid family. The ancestors of domestic K. are considered to be two existing wild species of goats - bezoar goats and markhor goats, as well as the extinct species C. prisca ...
- Mendez, artiodactyl mammal of the bovid family. The body length of males is up to 2 m, the height at the withers is about 1 m, they weigh up to 120 kg. Females are somewhat smaller. Males and females have long lyre-shaped horns with transverse rings...
Great Soviet Encyclopedia
- Jumper, artiodactyl mammal of the bovid family. Body length 120-140 cm, tail length up to 87 cm, weight 32-36 kg. The back and sides are yellow-brown, with dark stripes on the sides; head and underside of body are white...
Great Soviet Encyclopedia

"The Bovine Family" in books

Pine family

author

Pine family

Cypress family

From the book Gymnosperms author Sivoglazov Vladislav Ivanovich

Cypress family These are evergreen shrubs or trees belonging to the genera: cypress, juniper, microbiota. Cypress needles are very peculiar. These are tiny bluish or dark green leaves, sometimes with a bluish tint. On the shoots such leaf needles

Yew family

From the book Gymnosperms author Sivoglazov Vladislav Ivanovich

Family Yew Yew berry (Taxus baccata) Yew berry is one of the most interesting coniferous plants. It grows very slowly and lives for a long time - up to 4000 years, occupying one of the first places in the world among long-lived plants. Yew begins to form seeds quite late.

PUM FAMILY?

From the book The Most Incredible Cases author

PUM FAMILY?

From the book Incredible Cases author Nepomniachtchi Nikolai Nikolaevich

PUM FAMILY? Not for the first time without help, local farmers are trying to solve a sinister riddle on their own. In 1986, flocks of sheep in Cinco Villasda Aragon were attacked by some cruel beast. The newspaper "Diario de Navarra" reported the incident as follows:

Family

From the book Encyclopedic Dictionary (C) author Brockhaus F. A.

Family A family (famila) is a taxonomic group proposed in 1780 by Batsch and usually embracing several genera (genera.), although there are S. containing only one genus. Several (or even one) S. form a suborder or detachment (subordo and ordo). Sometimes S. contains

Family

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (CE) of the author TSB

Goat (animal of the family of bovids)

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (KO) of the author TSB

Jumper (mammal of the family of bovids)

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (PR) of the author TSB

Mendez (mammal of the bovid family)

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (ME) of the author TSB

bb) All family

From the book The Inscription of Christian Moral author Theophan the Recluse

bb) The whole family Under the head and the whole family - all its members. First of all, they must have a head, not remain without it, in no way allow there to be two or more of them. This is required by simple prudence and the good of themselves otherwise impossible, p) Then, when

ZIL/BAZ-135 FAMILY

author Kochnev Evgeny Dmitrievich

FAMILY ZIL / BAZ-135 The basis of the first production military program The Bryansk Automobile Plant made up a family of four-axle all-wheel drive vehicles ZIL-135 in several versions, which served primarily for the installation missile weapons average weight

MAZ-543 FAMILY

From the book Secret Cars of the Soviet Army author Kochnev Evgeny Dmitrievich

MAZ-543 FAMILY

FAMILY "IL-114"

From the book Planes of the World 2001 01 author author unknown

IL-114 FAMILY By the beginning of the 1980s, the An-24 aircraft, which was widely used on local air lines, became morally obsolete at the beginning of the 1980s. In addition, the fleet of these machines began to gradually decrease due to the development of their assigned resource. At the beginning of 1982, an experimental

Tu-14 family

From the book World of Aviation 1995 02 author author unknown