Texas Longhorn and American Bison
by Catherine Sherman
Title
Texas Longhorn and American Bison
Artist
Catherine Sherman
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
"Texas Longhorn and American Bison" by Catherine Sherman
An American bison and a Texas longhorn cow, icons of the Old West of America, hang out together at a children's zoo.
The American bison (bison bison) and the European wisent are the largest terrestrial animals in North America and Europe. Bison are good swimmers and can cross rivers over half a mile (1 km) wide. Bison are also fast runners, and can run up to 35 miles an hour.
The Texas Longhorn is a breed of cattle known for its characteristic horns, which can extend to over 70 inches (1.8 m) tip to tip for bulls, and up to 100 inches (2.54 m) tip to tip for steers and exceptional cows. They are descendants of the first cattle in the New World, brought by Christopher Columbus and the Spanish colonists, and have a high drought-stress tolerance. Texas Longhorns are known for their diverse coloring, and can be any color or mix of colors, but dark red and white color mixes are the most dominant. Over the next two centuries the Spanish moved the cattle north, arriving in the area that would become Texas near the end of the 17th century. The cattle escaped or were turned loose on the open range, where they remained mostly feral for the next two centuries. Over several generations, descendants of these cattle evolved high feed- and drought-stress tolerance and other "hardy" characteristics that have gained Longhorns reputation. They are intelligent and gentle.
Featured in "Our 4-Legged Friends" group (07/05/2019); "ABC Group" (07/10/2019)
Uploaded
June 21st, 2019
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