The Highland Cattle, Kyloe, Long-Haired Highland Cattle, Long-Haired Scottish Cattle, North Highland Cattle, Scottish Cattle, Scottish Highland Cattle or West Highland Cattle (Bos taurus) is a large European ungulate featured in the Barnyard Animal Pack DLC for Planet Zoo.
Zoopedia Description[]
General[]
Population In Wild: 40,000
The Highland Cattle is a breed of cattle (or Bos taurus) from Scotland. The name of the breed references the Scottish Highlands, where the breed originated. Highland Cattle are best known for their unique, long coats. Their fur is made up of a wavy outer layer of long guard hair, which protects the animals from the elements, and a downy undercoat keeping them warm. Most highlands have rusty red fur, thought they may also be blonde, brown, or black in colour. The Highland's head sports a characteristic "fringe" over the forehead and two long, angular horns. It is a rather small breed of cattle: Bulls stand 1.05 m to 1.02m tall and weight 600kg to 850 kg, while cows are slightly smaller, at a height of 0.9m to 1.05m and a weight of 400kg to 500kg
Humans domesticated cattle as early as 10,500 years ago, which were derived from the now extinct aurochs, and gave rise to two different domestic species of cattle: Bos taurus, the cattle of Europe, Africa and the Near East, and Bos Indicus, the cattle of Southeast Asia. The Highland is a breed of taurine cattle, developed to withstand exceptionally harsh weather while still yielding meat despise the poor pastures in the region. It is considered a domestic species at risk of extinction on a local level in the UK.
Social[]
Like other cattle species and breeds, Highlands are social animals living in herds if bachelor males, or solitary bulls living adjacent to female herds. Mature bulls will fight over access to females.
Reproduction[]
There is no specific breeding season in cattle. They can reproduce at any time of the year. In livestock management, breeders usually aim for births in spring to coincide with better climatic and nutritional conditions for mother and calf. Highland kept in semi-feral conditions also appear to calve more commonly around this time. A cow goes into heat roughly every 21 days unless she is already pregnant. Bulls with access to females will try to herd them into their harem and will fight rival males over the right to mate.
A Highland cow will be pregnant for around 280 days, or slightly over 9 months, before giving birth to a single calf. They will nurse from their mothers for up to 10 months before being fully weaned, although in dairy or beef farming, they will usually be weaned much earlier
Highland Cattle become sexually mature between 2 and 3 years of age.
Animal Care[]
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Hay · Herbivore Pellets · Fruit and Vegetables | |
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Trivia[]
Zoopedia Fun Facts[]
- There are two types of Highland Cattle - the mainland type is usually red or blonde, while the "Kyloe" type is smaller and usually black. These cattle were usually herded on the islands west of Scotland
- Despite being originated in Scotland, the majority of Highland Cattle today are kept in Finland and France.
- While all taurine breeds are adapted to the colder climates of Europe, the Highland demonstrates cold hardiness comparable to reindeer and other ungulates native to the Arctic.
- The taurine cattle includes African cattle breeds as a subspecies. Bos taurus africanus. However, some researchers suggest that African (or Sanga) cattle may have developed form a third independent domestication, alongside the Indian and taurine lines, and should be elevated into a separate species.
- Over 1,000 cattle breeds are registered worldwide and are all adapted to specific regional climates and production standards as meat, dairy, or dual-purpose cattle.
Gallery[]
