Bovinae (bison, buffalos, cattle)
The animals in this subfamily are all medium to large sized ungulates (hoofed animals.) Many of the species in this subfamily have been domesticated, including domestic cows, yaks, and water buffaloes. Both the males and females in this group have horns. Some, but not all, of the species in this group live in herds. They are used by humans for meat, milk, leather, and as beasts of burden. They are found on all the continents, except for Antarctica. Some species in this group are vulnerable or endangered in the wild due to loss of habitat and overhunting. |
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World Status Key
 Least Concern  Near Threatened  Vulnerable  Endangered  Critically Endangered  Extinct in the Wild  Extinct
Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status.
US Status Key
 Threatened in US  Threatened in NH  Endangered in US  Endangered in NH  Breeds in NH  Introduced
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game
New Hampshire Species |
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North/Central American Species |
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Additional Information
Key:  Profile  Photos  Video  Audio
American bison - Bison bison 
American bison wallow or roll around in the dirt on hot days. This helps keep them cool and repels insects.
Source: National Geographic Kids Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary School
American bison - Bison bison
The bison's thick shaggy fur protects it from cold.
Source: National Geographic Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Middle School
American bison - Bison bison
The American bison is the largest land mammal in North America.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
American bison - Bison bison
Both male and female bison have horns.
Source: Wind Cave National Park Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
American bison - Bison bison
For the first few months of their lives, bison are orange/brown in color.
Source: National Zoo Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
American bison - Bison bison
American bison run at speeds up to 35 miles per hour.
Source: Bronx Zoo Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
American bison - Bison bison
American bison have long, tufted tails and a hump on their shoulders.
Source: Oakland Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary School
American bison - Bison bison
American bison are very large animals. They weigh between 700-1,980 pounds and are 7-12 feet in length!
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: N/A
European Bison - Bison bonasus  
The European bison looks like the American bison, but it is smaller.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
European Bison - Bison bonasus
The European bison is also known as the wisent. Learn more!
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
European Bison - Bison bonasus
European bison are the largest land mammals in Europe. They are found in Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan.
Source: World Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Aurochs (Domesticated Cows)
Domesticated cows are found throughout the world. They come in different colors and patterns. They have short hair, a short neck, and a long, tufted tail.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Banteng - Bos javanicus
The banteng looks like a cow and is found in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Banteng - Bos javanicus
Bantengs have white stockings on their legs, a white muzzle and rump, and a white spot above their eyes. Males are dark brown and females are reddish-brown. Learn more.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Banteng - Bos javanicus
Bantengs are found in forests and grasslands. Learn more.
Source: St. Louis Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary School
Gaur - Bos gaurus
The gaur is is also known as the Indian bison. It is found in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Gaur - Bos gaurus
The gaur is a large ox with a brown coat. Its lower legs are a lighter tannish or white color. Both the male and female have thick curving horns. The gaur has a large shoulder hump and a dewlap under its chin.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Kouprey - Bos sauveli
The kouprey was once found in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. It was last seen in 1988. It lives in open forest and savannah grassland near monsoon forests.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Kouprey - Bos sauveli
The kouprey has a large, narrow body, longs legs, and a humped back. Males are dark brown and females are grayish brown.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Wild Yak - Bos mutus
The wild yak has is found in the tundra and cold desert regions of the Tibetan plateau to the north of the Himalayas.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Wild Yak - Bos mutus
The wild yak has long, shaggy fur, a big head, humped shoulders, and curving horns. Learn more.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Nilgai -
Boselaphus tragocamelus
The Nilgai antelope is found in India and Pakistan. They have a large, stock body, a thick neck, and a small head. The male has a bluish-gray coat. The female has a yellowish-brown coat. They both have a white bib on their throat.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Nilgai -
Boselaphus tragocamelus
The Nilgai antelope was brought into Texas as a game animals in the early 1900s and now there are groups of free-ranging nilgai on ranches in south Texas. Learn more!
Source: Mammals of Texas Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Lowland Anoa - Bubalus depressicornis
The lowland anoa. It is only found in northern region of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Lowland Anoa - Bubalus depressicornis
The lowland anoa is the smallest species of wild cattle. They are mostly nocturnal and feed at night on grasses, ferns, young banana trees, bark, and fallen fruit.
Source: Los Angeles Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Lowland Anoa - Bubalus depressicornis
The lowland anoa has a stocky body, thick, dark skin and a light covering of brown hair. Both the male and female have pointed, backwards-facing horns.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Mountain Anoa - Bubalus quarlesi
The mountain anoa is also known as the dwarf water buffalo. It is the smallest living bovine. It is found on the island Sulawesi in Indonesia.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Mountain Anoa - Bubalus quarlesi
The mountain anoa has a dark brown, stocky body; small, pointed ears; and backwards-facing, pointed horns.
Source: World Association of Zoos and Aquariums Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Mountain Anoa - Bubalus quarlesi
The mountain anoa lives singularly or in pairs, except when the female is ready to give birth when they may form small herd.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Water Buffalo - Bubalus arnee
The water buffalo or Asian buffalo has been domesticated and can be found in many locations throughout Asia. It is also found in Africa and even Australia. There are thought to be true wild populations in India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Thailand.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Water Buffalo - Bubalus arnee
Water buffalo live in wet habitats ranging from riverine forests, woodlands and grasslands, to marshes and swamps. They spend a good part of their time wallowing in the water and mud.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Water Buffalo - Bubalus arnee
The water buffalo is 5-6 feet tall from shoulder to feet. Males have large, backward curving horns that can stretch 5 feet across. Learn more and print out a fact sheet.
Source: National Geographic Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Mindoro Dwarf Buffalo -
Bubalus mindorensis
Mindoro Dwarf Buffalo is a small, brown buffalo with backwards-facing cone-shaped horns.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Mindoro Dwarf Buffalo -
Bubalus mindorensis
The tamaraw is found only on the island of Mindoro in the Philippines. It is the largest mammals in the Philippines.
Source: Animals Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Saola - Pseudoryx nghetinhensis
The saola was first discovered by scientists in 1992. It is found in a few mountainous areas of Vietnam and Laos. Scientists estimate that there may be a few hundred in the wild.
Source: WWF Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Saola - Pseudoryx nghetinhensis
Little is known about the saola in the wild.
Source: Smithsonian Magazine Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Saola - Pseudoryx nghetinhensis
The saola is found in a few mountainous areas of Vietnam and Laos.
Source: Animals Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School African Buffalo - Syncerus caffer 
The African buffalo is Africa's only wild cattle species. It is one of the "big five" mammals that were popular with trophy hunters.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
African Buffalo - Syncerus caffer
The African buffalo is also known as the Cape buffalo. It is found from just south of the Sahara to just north of South Africa.
Source: African Wildlife Foundation Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
African Buffalo - Syncerus caffer
The African buffalo is a large animal and can be dangerous if it is cornered or injured
Source: Animals Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Common Eland - Tragelaphus oryx
Is it a cow? Is it an antelope? It looks a little like both!
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Common Eland - Tragelaphus oryx
The eland is one of the animals that is often depicted on early rock art in Africa.
Source: African Wildlife Foundation Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Common Eland - Tragelaphus oryx
The eland is found from Ethiopia and southern Zaire to South Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Commmon Eland - Tragelaphus oryx
The eland stands six feet tall at the shoulders and can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds!
Source: Honolulu Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Common Eland - Tragelaphus oryx
The eland is very agile and can jump a 1.5 meter (4.9 ft.) fence from a standing position! Learn more.
Source: Brevard Zoo Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Common Eland - Tragelaphus oryx
The eland has a reddish-brown coat with thin light white stripes; medium-sized, pointed horns; a medium-size dewlap; and a shoulder hump.
Source: Oakland Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Giant Eland - Tragelaphus derbianus
The giant eland is about the same size as the eland, but its long, spiral horns and dewlap are much larger!
Source: Los Angeles Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Giant Eland - Tragelaphus derbianus
Learn more about the giant eland and see one being born!
Source: Honolulu Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Giant Eland - Tragelaphus derbianus
The giant eland is found from Senegal through southern Sudan.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Four-horned Antelope - Tetracerus quadricornis
The four-horned antelope is found in Nepal and India.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Bongo - Tragelaphus eurycerus
The bongo is has a chestnut-red coat with 10-15 thin white stripes that run vertically from its shoulders to its rump.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Bongo - Tragelaphus eurycerus
The bongo has a brush-like crest of stiff hair the runs along its spine, white spots on each of its cheeks, a tan mask on its eyes, and a dark brown snout.
Source: African Wildlife Foundation Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Bongo - Tragelaphus eurycerus
The bongo lives in lowland forests of West Africa and Zaire to southern Sudan.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Bushback - Tragelaphus scriptus
The bushbuck is found throughout central Africa, from south of the Sahara to north of the Kalahari deserts.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Greater Kudu - Tragelaphus strepsiceros
The greater kudu is found in savanna woodlands in in southern and eastern Africa.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Greater Kudu - Tragelaphus strepsiceros
The male greater kudu has impressive spiraling horns that can grow six feet long!
Source: African Wildlife Foundation Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Greater Kudu - Tragelaphus strepsiceros
The greater kudu has a brown coat with thin white stripes that run from its shoulders to its rump.
Source: Nature Conservancy Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Greater Kudu - Tragelaphus strepsiceros
The greater kudu has large ears, a white chevron-shaped patch of fur between its eyes, and a white stripe on its jaw. It has a brush-like crest of stiff fur that runs along its its spine.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Lesser Kudu - Tragelaphus imberbis
The male lesser kudu has a smoky gray coat and the female has a reddish-brown coat. It has thin white stripes running vertically from its shoulders to its rump and a white stripe running down its back. It has a white patch at the base of its throat and another white patch at the top of its neck. .The male has large spiraling horns.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Lesser Kudu - Tragelaphus imberbis
The lesser kudu usually remains hidden in thick vegetation or thickets during the day.
Source: St. Louis Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Lesser Kudu - Tragelaphus imberbis
The lesser kudu is found in northeast Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Mountain Bongo - Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci
The mountain bongo is a subspecies of the bongo. It is found only in a few pockets of mountain forests in Kenya.
Source: St. Louis Zoo Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Mountain Nyla - Tragelaphus buxtoni 
Mountain nyla are found in the mountains of Ethiopia.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Nyla - Tragelaphus angasii
Nyla are found in southeastern Africa. They are found in savannah woodlands.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
Sitatunga - Tragelaphus spekii
The sitatunga has a shaggy reddish-brown coat with white stripes that run from its shoulders to its rump.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Sitatunga - Tragelaphus spekii
Female sitatungas sometimes form small herds, but male sitatungas are solitary.
Source: Maryland Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Sitatunga - Tragelaphus spekii
The sitatunga spend a lot of its time in the water. It is a good swimmer and can paddle for several miles.
Source: African Wildlife Foundation Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Sitatunga - Tragelaphus spekii
The sitatunga is found in muddy swamps and marshes in central Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School
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Australia/Oceania 
South America 
NH Species