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Bos taurus

Linnaeus, 1758

Aurochs

G5Secure Found in 43 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101991
Element CodeAMALE10010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderArtiodactyla
FamilyBovidae
GenusBos
Other Common Names
Aurochs (EN) Domestic Cow (EN) Vaca (ES) Vache domestique (FR)
Concept Reference
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Taxonomic Comments
Bos taurus, B. primigenius, and B. indicus have treated as separate species and as conspecific. The American Society of Mammalogists (ASM) includes indicus in taurus, as both domestic forms originate from a single wild species and are therefore considered a single taxon (ASM 2025).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-04
Change Date1996-11-19
Range Extent Comments
Distributed worldwide in domestication. Feral populations occur on Kauai, Molokai, and Hawaii, Hawaiian Islands; see Tomich (1986) and Kramer (1971) for extensive accounts of historical and current status in Hawaii; Spain; France; Australia; New Guinea; U.S.; Colombia; Argentina; Galapagos; Hispaniola; Tristan da Cunha; New Amsterdam; and Juan Fernandez Islands (Grubb, in Wilson and Reeder 1993). The Eurasian-North African progenitor of domestic cattle is extinct.
Ecology & Habitat
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodWoodland - HardwoodShrubland/chaparral
Other Nations (2)
CanadaNNA
ProvinceRankNative
SaskatchewanSNANo
United StatesNNA
ProvinceRankNative
WyomingSNANo
HawaiiSNANo
IdahoSNANo
Roadless Areas (43)
California (1)
AreaForestAcres
Lake EleanorShasta-Trinity National Forest397
Idaho (2)
AreaForestAcres
Italian PeakCaribou-Targhee National Forest141,158
SeceshPayette National Forest248,088
Montana (4)
AreaForestAcres
Dixon MountainBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest3,674
Freezeout MountainBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest97,305
Italian PeakBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest90,401
Tash PeakBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest61,312
Nevada (3)
AreaForestAcres
Georges CanyonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest108,551
Grant - BrunoHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest4,828
QuinnHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest62,459
New Mexico (7)
AreaForestAcres
Grass MountainSanta Fe National Forest3,254
Nichols ReservoirSanta Fe National Forest1,518
Pecos WS RiverSanta Fe National Forest5,396
Peloncillo (NM)Coronado National Forest43,339
Rio MedioSanta Fe National Forest2,844
Ryan HillCibola National Forest34,201
Willow CreekSanta Fe National Forest1,477
North Dakota (2)
AreaForestAcres
Long X DivideDakota Prairie Grasslands10,099
WannaganDakota Prairie Grasslands6,026
Utah (18)
AreaForestAcres
418014Uinta National Forest9,683
418015Uinta National Forest17,289
418016Uinta National Forest35,240
418028Uinta National Forest34,002
418029Uinta National Forest15,673
Boulder MountainWasatch-Cache National Forest8,852
Boulder Mtn. / Boulder Top / Deer LakeDixie National Forest110,690
Casto BluffDixie National Forest87,466
High Uintas (UT)Wasatch-Cache National Forest102,398
Horse Mountain - Mans PeakManti-Lasal National Forest22,159
Long Neck Mesa / Steep Creek / Oak Creek - Steep Creek / OakDixie National Forest55,489
Mahogany RangeWasatch-Cache National Forest11,409
Mcgath Lake - Auger HoleDixie National Forest8,334
Mt. Logan NorthWasatch-Cache National Forest18,930
Mt. Logan SouthWasatch-Cache National Forest17,014
Mt. NaomiWasatch-Cache National Forest41,922
Oak CreekFishlake National Forest54,053
Temple PeakWasatch-Cache National Forest24,081
Washington (1)
AreaForestAcres
Long SwampOkanogan National Forest66,344
Wyoming (5)
AreaForestAcres
French CreekMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest5,928
Grayback RidgeBridger-Teton National Forest295,113
Gros Ventre MountainsBridger-Teton National Forest106,418
Libby FlatsMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest11,107
Snowy RangeMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest29,660
References (21)
  1. American Society of Mammalogists (ASM). 2025. Mammal Diversity Database (Version 1.13) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10595931. Online. Available: https://www.mammaldiversity.org/
  2. Baldwin, P. H., and G. O. Fagerlund. 1943. The effect of cattle grazing on koa reproduction in Hawaii National Park. Ecology 24:118-122.
  3. Bradley, R.D., L.K. Ammerman, R.J. Baker, L.C. Bradley, J.A. Cook. R.C. Dowler, C. Jones, D.J. Schmidly, F.B. Stangl Jr., R.A. Van den Bussche and B. Würsig. 2014. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 2014. Museum of Texas Tech University Occasional Papers 327:1-28. Available at: http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/publications/opapers/ops/OP327.pdf
  4. Cuddihy, L. W. 1984. Effects of cattle grazing on the mountain parkland ecosystem, Mauna Loa, Hawaii. Botany Dept., Univ. Hawaii. CPSU/UH Tech. Rep. 51. 135 pp.
  5. Gentry, A., J. Clutton-Brock, and C. P. Groves. 2004. The naming of wild animal species and their domestic derivatives. Journal of Archaeological Science 31(5):645-651.
  6. Georgiadis, N. J., P. Kat, H. Oketch, and J. Patton. 1991. Allozyme divergence within the Bovidae. Evolution 44:2135-2149.
  7. Hawaii Ecosystems at Risk Project. 2005. Information index for selected alien vertebrates in Hawaii. Internet resource available at http://www.hear.org/alienspeciesinhawaii/InfoIndexVertebrates.htm. Downloaded 31 March 2005.
  8. Kie, J. G. 1991. Foraging behavior by mule deer: the influence of cattle grazing. J. Wildl. Manage. 55:665-674.
  9. Kochert, M. N., B. A. Millsap, and K. Steenhof. 1988. Effects of livestock grazing on raptors with emphasis on the southwestern U.S. Pages 325-334 in Glinski et al., eds. Proc. Southwest raptor management symposium and workshop. Nat. Wildl. Fed. Sci. and Tech. Ser. No. 11.
  10. Kramer, R. J. 1971. Hawaiian land mammals. Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc., Rutland, Vermont, and Tokyo, Japan. 347 pp.
  11. Lever, C. 1985. Naturalized mammals of the world. Longman Group Limited, England.
  12. Loft, E. R., et al. 1987. Influence of cattle stocking rate on the structural profile of deer hiding cover. J. Wildl. Manage. 51:655-664.
  13. Oldemeyer, J. L., and L. R. Allen-Johnson. 1988. Cattle grazing and small mammals on the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada. Pages 391-398 in B88SZA01NA.
  14. Samson, F. B., F. L. Knopf, and L. B. Hass. 1988. Small mammal response to the introduction of cattle into a cottonwood floodplain. Pages 432-438 in B88SZA01NA.
  15. Telfer, E. S. 1994. Cattle and cervid interactions on a foothills watershed in southwestern Alberta. Can. Field-Nat. 108:1860194.
  16. Tirira, D. 1999. Mamíferos del Ecuador. Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito.
  17. Tomich, P. Q. 1986. Mammals in Hawai'i. A synopsis and notational bibliography. Second edition. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 375 pp.
  18. Uresk, D. W., and D. D. Paulson. 1988. Estimated carrying capacity for cattle competing with prairie dogs and forage utilization in western South Dakota. Pages 387-390 in B88SZA01NA.
  19. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
  20. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 2005. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Third edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Two volumes. 2,142 pp. [As modified by ASM the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) at https://www.mammaldiversity.org/index.html]
  21. Woodward, S. L., and D. P. Sponenberg. 1992. Feral livestock in America: identification of populations important for the conservation of genetic diversity. Abstract, 6th Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology, p. 148.