cattle
Cattle are large, domesticated, quadrupedal bovids typically raised for milk, meat, and hide, or as a beast of burden. Different breeds of cattle have become common across Aetheria based on the quantity and flavor of their milk, and have in the past been used as currency in bartering.
While the term cow is frequently used to refer to the species as a whole, technically speaking only the females are cows; intact males, which tend to be larger and more aggressive, are bulls, and castrated males are steers, while steers kept as beasts of burden are oxen (singular ox).
Basic Information
Anatomy
Cattle are quadrupedal, herbivorous bovids with cloven hooves. Like other bovids, most breeds of cattle have horns. A cow has a thick, sturdy body and stocky legs, and the head tends to be broad, with a blunt muzzle, side-facing eyes, and mobile ears at the sides. A cow's teeth are well-suited for grazing and grinding up plant material, and the beast possesses four stomachs to digest the tough fiber. A cow's tail is long and ends in a brush of hair, allowing the animal to shoo away biting flies.
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