What is Cattle?
[[File:Two cattle near Wantastiquet Mountain.jpg|thumb|250px|Dairy cattle grazing (eating grass) in a field.]] '''Cattle''' is a word for certain [[mammals]] that belong to the genus ''Bos''. Cattle may be cows, bulls, oxen, or calves. Cattle are the most common type of large [[domesticated]] [[ungulate|hoofed]] animals. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily [[Bovinae]]. Cattle are large [[Grazer|grazing]] [[animal]]s with two-toed or [[Artiodactyl|cloven hooves]] and a four-chambered stomach. This stomach is an [[adaptation]] to help digest tough [[grass]]es. Cattle can be horned or hornless, depending on the breed. The horns come out on either side of the head above the ears and are a simple shape, usually curved upwards but sometimes down. Cattle usually stay together in groups called ''herds''. One male, called a ''bull'' will usually have a number of ''cows'' in a herd as his mates. The cows usually give birth to one ''calf'' a year, though twins are also known to be born. The ''calves'' have long strong legs and can walk a few minutes after they are born, so they can follow the herd. Cattle are native to many parts of the world except the Americas, Australia and [[New Zealand]]. Cattle have been [[Domestication|domesticated]] for about 9,000 years. They are used for milk, meat, a source of money, transport, and [[Pet|companions]]. == Word use == [[File:Aaaacattle.jpg|thumb|200px|Watusi cattle are herded in Africa.]] The word ''cattle'' has been used in English for about 1,000 years and the meaning has changed. In books such as the [[King James Version]] of the [[Bible]], the word is used for all sorts of [[farm]] animals, including horses, sheep and goats. The word comes from the ''Old French'' word,'chattels', meaning all the things that a person owns. The word ''cattle'' is used for some wild animals as well as for [[Domestication|domesticated]] cattle. Wild cattle include the [[water buffalo]] from South [[East Asia]], the [[musk ox]] and [[yak]] from Central Asia, the [[bison]] of Nor