Cow Facts
A cow is a member of the cattle species Bos taurus, large domesticated hoofed mammals raised as livestock for meat, dairy and leather.
- Class
- Mammal
About the cow
Cattle come in a few broad types. Taurine cattle spread across Europe and temperate areas of Australia, Asia and the Americas. Zebus live mainly in India and tropical Asia, America and Australia, and Sanga cattle mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. Some experts treat these as separate species or subspecies, and together they include more than 1,000 recognized breeds. Some people keep small breeds, like the miniature Zebu, as pets.
Taurine cattle were domesticated about 10,500 years ago from wild aurochs in the Levant, western Iran and central Anatolia, and zebu came from a separate domestication in the Indian subcontinent. By 2022 the world had over 940 million cattle. Besides food, they pull carts and farm tools. Cattle farming produces about 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Did you know?
- Cattle were among the first domesticated animals to have their genome fully mapped.
- In Hinduism cattle are sacred, and some areas of the Indian subcontinent ban killing them.
- Cattle belong to the subfamily Bovinae.
Questions about the cow
How many cows are there in the world?
There were over 940 million cattle worldwide by 2022.
When were cows domesticated?
About 10,500 years ago, from wild aurochs, in western Iran, central Anatolia and the Levant.
Sources
- Wikidata Q830, checked October 8, 2026
- Wikipedia: Cattle, checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.