Details
Bos primigenius
Aurochs is the extinct wild ancestor of domestic cattle that survived in Eurasia into historical times. The last known individual died in 17th-century Poland, leaving specimens and records as evidence.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It once ranged through forests, wetlands, and grasslands of Europe, North Africa, and western Asia. Main habitat types in this guide are forest, grassland.
Typical height 155-190 cm, weight 700 kg-1.5 t. A huge body, long forward-curving horns, and dark bulls distinguished it.
It is diurnal and a herd-forming species. It likely moved in herds between woodland and open feeding areas.
It is herbivorous. It grazed and browsed on grasses, wetland plants, leaves, and shoots.
Cows likely bore single calves that were protected within the herd.
It is extinct, so ecology is reconstructed from specimens and historical records. The last known individual died in 17th-century Poland, leaving specimens and records as evidence.
