{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "cow",
  "name": "Cow",
  "scientificName": "Bos taurus",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "Domestic cattle descend from the aurochs and number over one billion worldwide, providing milk, meat, leather, and draft power. Dairy and beef breeds vary enormously — from 400 kg Jerseys to massive Chianina bulls — and cattle farming shapes landscapes, economies, and climate debates globally.",
  "conservationStatus": "Domesticated",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Artiodactyla",
    "family": "Bovidae",
    "genus": "Bos"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 700,
    "lengthM": 2.5,
    "topSpeedKmh": 35,
    "lifespanYears": 20
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Bos taurus"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Herbivore — grass, hay, silage, and grain supplement"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Farms and rangelands on every inhabited continent"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "15–20 years (dairy cows often culled earlier)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "400–1,200 kg (880–2,650 lb) depending on breed"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to 35 km/h (22 mph) when frightened"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Domesticated (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Domesticated from the aurochs in the Middle East and South Asia; over one billion cattle on farms and rangelands on every inhabited continent.",
    "continents": [
      "Africa",
      "Asia",
      "Europe",
      "North America",
      "Oceania",
      "South America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Bos taurus.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Bos%20taurus&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Bos taurus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Bos_taurus/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/cow/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/cow/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}