Indicine cattle
- Some zebu breeds yield more than 1500 kg of milk in a single lactation.
- An experimental herd of zebu cattle reached 4,000 heads by the end of the 1980s. One such cow produced an average of 9,000 kg of milk per year in 2014.
- The fatty hump and large dewlap help the zebu regulate body temperature in hot climates.
- The zebu has high tolerance to heat and many tropical diseases, including tick-borne illnesses and trypanosomiasis.
- A large number of sweat glands and loose skin allow the zebu to cool itself efficiently.
- In Hinduism the zebu is regarded as a sacred animal.
- Feral populations of zebu exist in Australia.
Age
Indicine cattle typically live from fifteen to twenty-two years, with a maximum lifespan of thirty years, and a theoretical lifespan of seventeen to nineteen years and eleven months. The species reaches sexual maturity from one year and three months to two years of age; the eyes open at birth, and the young begin walking at birth. The embryo develops inside the mother for approximately nine months. The calf drinks its mother’s milk and rapidly gains weight during the calf stage, which lasts from one day to eight months. The species enters the adult stage, which is an adult animal capable of producing offspring, and this stage lasts from two to twenty years.
Phenotype
The young indicine cattle have a small hump beginning to appear on their shoulders, while adult indicine cattle possess a large fat hump on their shoulders that aids in storing energy and water during hot weather. Adult bulls and cows have horns of medium size, which serve as protection from predators. The species’ skin contains a large number of sweat glands, helping the animal avoid overheating.
Physiology
The indicine cattle’s body height ranges from 1.21 to 1.4 meters, and its body length varies from 1.1 to 1.5 meters; the species' mass falls between 0.29 and 0.34 metric tons. During the embryo stage, the body mass is from 0 to 30 kilograms. The young, in the calf stage, have a body mass ranging from 20 to 150 kilograms and a body length of 60 centimeters to 1.1 meters. Adult indicine cattle have a body mass between 0.4 and 0.8 metric tons, with a body length from 1.2 to 1.5 meters.
Habitat
Indicine cattle inhabit altitudes up to 2.5 kilometers; the species prefers steppe or meadow habitats. They are found in biomes including temperate steppes, characterized by abundant grass and few trees, with frequent rainfall, and steppes. The climate is consistently hot throughout the year, with frequent rains but occasional dry periods; summers are very hot, exceeding +25 to +30 degrees Celsius, and winters are not very cold.
Shelter
Indicine cattle inhabit arid pastures and semi-deserts, and the species does not have a permanent or long-term shelter. The animals do not utilize fixed shelters, and they use grass and hay for resting and protection from the sun.
Geography
Humped cattle are found within the biogeographical realms of Afrotropics and Indomalaya.
Feeding
Indicine cattle are herbivores that consume grass, leaves, and coarse plants; they can eat dry grass where other cows would starve. The species obtains food by grazing and their diet includes grass, leaves, shrubs, hay, and plants. Daily food requirements range from 7 kilograms to 25 kilograms. Indicine cattle employ a grazing strategy for feeding. In some cultures, the animal is consumed as food, but in Hinduism, cows are sacred, and beef is typically not eaten.
Reproduction
The species reproduces sexually, with a litter size of one; the female carries one calf and cares for it after birth. Gestation lasts approximately nine months. The young develop in a pouch or mouth of the parent on land. Reproduction occurs through live birth on land, without hatching from eggs or larvae. The interval between reproduction is from 1 year 1 month to 1 year 6 months. The species inhabits and develops on land, away from bodies of water. Eggs, larvae, or young develop in a nest built on the ground or near it, with the nest located directly on the surface of the ground. Maturity occurs from 2 years to 4 years 5 months. Reproduction is always with fertilization, without generation shifts, and involves homogamy.