Category: Mammals
These large ungulates have been domesticated for more than 10,000 years. All the 1.3 billion cattle in the world are thought to have originated from 80 progenitors in Turkey. Humans raise and use them for a variety of uses and products including meat, dairy products, leather, and as draft animals. Cattle are ruminants, which means they have a digestive system that allows them to eat poorly digestible plants as food. In addition to having a stomach with four specialized compartments, cattle regurgitate and chew their food, or “cud,”as an extra stage of digestion.
Wake me in 9 months…
There may be times when you are so tired you feel as if you could sleep for several days - but of course that is not possible without dying from dehydration. However, some mammals have such fine control over their metabolisms, they are capable of nodding off for days or even months, in a state called hibernation. This helps an animal survive during cold periods when food is scarce. A prime example is the alpine marmot who can hibernate for up to 9 months of the year: gathering food and adding about 50% more body weight (primarily fat) as summer ends, the alpine marmot seals itself in a deep burrow, heart rate slowing to five beats per minute, breathing as little as once per minute - emerging (far lighter!) in May, when food is once again available!
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Discover Animals is a web-based educational resource offered by the NAIA
