The story of the buffalo and cattleWater buffaloes and cattle were common domestic animals with many differences and connections. The following are some stories about them:
** 1. Appearance and habits **
1. ** Appearance **
- Water buffaloes were large and could grow to more than 1000 kilograms or even heavier. Some could reach more than 1600 - 1800 kilograms. Its fur was sparse and long, basically black, and its horns were long and curved, as if there was a large disc on its head. Yellow cattle were relatively small, weighing 600 to 800 kilograms, with a few weighing more than 1,000 pounds. Their fur was soft, their body color was yellow, and their horns were straight and short.
2. ** Habit **
- Water buffaloes were docile, calm, and not easily frightened. They liked water and were good at swimming. In summer, they liked to bathe in ponds and rivers because their skin was thick and their sweat glands were not developed. They needed to bathe in water to dissipate heat when they worked or when the weather was hot. On the other hand, Yellow Ox had a lively personality, was easily frightened, and was more resistant to heat.
** 2. Usage **
1. ** Cultivate the land **
- Water buffaloes had great strength, but they were not as fast as cattle. Water buffaloes were large and not flexible enough, while yellow cattle were more robust and could plow the land quickly. However, if they were plowing paddy fields, the buffaloes had an obvious advantage in strength. However, in hot weather, the buffaloes might soak in the paddy fields and delay farm work. Although the cattle did not plow as deeply as the buffaloes, they were more heat-resistant. Therefore, when some farmers did not have much land, the cattle's endurance could meet the demand for farmland and were more popular.
2. ** Farming **
- Yellow cattle ate less than buffaloes, so it was a lighter burden for farmers. Moreover, when they did not want to use cattle to farm, they could sell them. Yellow beef was more delicious than buffalo meat, and the price was higher.
3. ** Edible **
- The beef fiber was relatively fine and the meat was tight. The meat was brownish-red, the soft tissue was white, and the fat was light yellow or dark yellow. It was warm and suitable for winter consumption. It could be cooked in a short time during daily household cooking such as boiling, stewing, frying, and rinsing. It tasted smooth and tender, and the meat fragrance was sufficient. The buffalo meat had thick fiber and loose meat. The meat was dark red and the fat was white. It was cold in nature and suitable for summer and autumn. It was not easy to cook. It tasted firewood and had a light meat fragrance. It was more suitable for making dried meat and meat floss.
** 3. Reproduction **
- Yellow cattle belonged to the Bos, and water buffaloes belonged to the Bubalus. They were not animals of the same species, and there was a significant reproductive isolation. Under natural conditions, they would not attract each other. Even if someone interfered to make them combine, the embryos formed would die in the early stages and could not produce offspring. There was no reproductive isolation between cattle, zebu, and yaks in the Bos family, and they could crossbreed with each other to produce fertile offspring. Different buffaloes in the Water buffalo family, such as swamp buffaloes and river buffaloes (East Asian buffaloes were domesticated from swamp buffaloes, and European buffaloes were domesticated from river buffaloes), could crossbreed with each other to produce fertile offspring.
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