Conservation status | |
---|---|
Country of origin | Brazil |
Use | beef |
Traits | |
Weight | |
Height | |
Coat | uniform red in any shade |
Horn status | horned, sometimes polled |
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The Caracu is a Brazilian breed of beef cattle. [4] It is a Criollo breed, derived from European cattle brought to Brazil by the conquistadors; it has little or no zebuine influence. [5] It was originally a triple-purpose breed, used for draught work and transport, for meat and for milk; in the twenty-first century it is reared principally for beef, but there are also dairy lines. It has contributed to the development of a number of other breeds, among them the Caldeano. [6] It is closely similar to the Mocho Nacional, a polled breed, and it is probable that the two will be merged.
The Caracu derives from cattle brought from Portugal to Brazil by the conquistadors from 1532 onwards. [3] : 149 It is not known of what type these were, but they may have been similar to the modern Alentejana, Arouquesa, Barrosã, Minhota or Mirandesa breeds. [5] : 170
The Caracu originated in the southern part of Minas Gerais, and later spread into the state of São Paulo. [3] : 149 An early description is that of Nicolas Athanassof in 1911. [5] : 170 A breed association, the Associação Brasileira de Criadores de Caracu, was formed in 1916. [7]
In 1913 an influential book by Eduardo Cotrim on cattle-rearing in Brazil, with many colour illustrations, was published in Brussels. [8] [9] It was highly critical of both Brazilian methods and Brazilian cattle, and may have initiated a decline in numbers of the Caracu, which fell steeply during much of the twentieth century as a result of cross-breeding with zebuine or other taurine breeds, coming close to the point of extinction. [3] : 149 [8]
In 1976 the Istituto de Zootecnia of Sertãozinho, in the state of São Paulo, added the Caracu to its research programme; in 1980 the breed association, which had been dormant since 1960, became active again. [8] Numbers increased rapidly: from 12,000 in 1979, the population rose to about 31,000 head in 1994, and to over 85,000 in 2010. [3] : 149 [2] In 2020 the total number reported was just over 162,000. [2]
The Brahman is an American breed of zebuine-taurine hybrid beef cattle. It was bred in the United States from 1885 from cattle originating in India, imported at various times from the United Kingdom, from India and from Brazil. These were mainly Gir, Guzerá and Nelore stock, with some Indu-Brasil, Krishna Valley and Ongole. The Brahman has a high tolerance of heat, sunlight and humidity, and good resistance to parasites. It has been exported to many countries, particularly in the tropics; in Australia it is the most numerous breed of cattle. It has been used in the creation of numerous taurine-indicine hybrids, some of which – such as the Brangus and Brahmousin – are established as separate breeds.
The Mangalarga Marchador is a Brazilian breed of riding horse. It is the national horse breed of Brazil, where there are more than half a million of them; it is among the most numerous breeds of riding horse in the world. It derives from cross-breeding of Portuguese Alter Real horses with local Criollo stock. It displays four gaits: the walk, the canter, and two ambling gaits, the marcha batida and the marcha picada; it does not trot.
The Corriente is an American breed of small cattle, used principally for rodeo events. It derives from Criollo Mexicano stock, which in turn descends from Iberian cattle brought to the Americas by the Conquistadores, and introduced in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to various parts of what is now Mexico.
Nelore or Nellore cattle originated from Ongole Cattle cattle originally brought to Brazil from India. They are named after the district of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh state in India. The Nelore has a distinct large hump over the top of the shoulder and neck. They have long legs which help them to walk in water and when grazing. The Nelore can adapt to all except very cold climates. They are very resistant to high temperatures and have natural resistance to various parasites and diseases. Brazil is the largest breeder of Nelore. Nelore have the shortest ears of most Bos indicus types. There is a naturally polled strain of the breed.
The Santa Gertrudis is an American breed of beef cattle. It is a taurine-indicine hybrid breed, descended from both zebu and European cattle. It was bred in the early twentieth century in Texas, and received official recognition in 1940. It has been exported to many countries including Australia, Brazil and South Africa, and has contributed to the development of a number of modern breeds, among them the Barzona and the Droughtmaster.
The Gir or Gyr is one of the principal Zebu breeds originating in India. It has been used locally in the improvement of other breeds including the Red Sindhi and the Sahiwal. It was also one of the breeds used in the development of the Brahman breed in North America. In Brazil and other South American countries the Gir is used frequently because, as a Bos indicus breed, it is resistant to hot temperatures and tropical diseases. It is well known for its milk producing qualities and is often bred with Friesian cows to make the Girolando breed.
The Southern Yellow is a group of cattle breeds distributed in southern China. It is one of the three principal groups within the overall Chinese Yellow cattle population, which includes all indigenous Chinese cattle of both Bos taurus and Bos indicus origin, as well as hybrids between the two species; Chinese people traditionally do not distinguish between these. The other two major groupings are the Northern Yellow and the Central Plains Yellow.
The Kankrej is an Indian breed of zebuine cattle. It originates from the arid region of the Rann of Kutch in the state of Gujarat, and in neighbouring Rajasthan. Under the name Kankaraj, it is also present in Tharparkar District, in Sindh, Pakistan. It is also known by the names Bannai, Nagar, Talabda, Vaghiyar, Wagad, Waged, Vadhiyar, Wadhiar, Wadhir and Wadial. It is a dual-purpose breed, used both for draught work and for milk production.
The Blonde d'Aquitaine is a modern French breed of large domestic beef cattle. It was created in 1962 by merging three blonde draught breeds of south-western France, the Blonde des Pyrénées, the Blonde de Quercy and the Garonnaise. Since about 1970, it has been selectively bred specifically for beef production. It is the third-most numerous beef breed of France, after the Charolais and the Limousin. It has been exported to many countries round the world.
The Indu-Brasil or Indo-Brazilian is a Brazilian breed of zebuine beef cattle. It was bred in the early twentieth century in the Triângulo Mineiro in the western part of Minas Gerais state, and particularly in the area surrounding Uberaba. It was originally known as the Induberaba. It derives from imported Indian zebuine cattle, principally Gir and Kankrej. It was formerly an important beef breed, but in the twenty-first century is an endangered breed. It is characterised by particularly large ears, perhaps the largest seen in any breed of cattle.
The Pantaneiro is a cattle breed from the Pantanal region of Brazil, where it has been raised for more than three hundred years. It is now considered to be at risk of extinction.
Crioulo Lageano longhorn beef cattle originated from cattle originally brought to Brazil from Portugal by the Jesuits 400 years ago. The breed was probably domesticated 4000 BC in Egypt, it came to the south of Spain from the North of Africa. The center of the rest population is the plateau of Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
The Maronesa is a traditional Portuguese breed of mountain cattle. Its name derives from that of the Serra do Marão, which lies in the Trás-os-Montes and Douro Litoral regions in the northern part of the country. Its primary use is for draught power.
The Minhota or Galega is a Portuguese breed of cattle. It is reared principally for beef; in the past it was used also as a draught beast and for milk.
The Campeiro is a breed of small horse from Brazil. It is thought to descend from horses brought to South America in the sixteenth century. Because it has an ambling gait and comes from the area of the Araucária forests of southern Brazil, it may also be known as the Marchador das Araucárias.
The Guzerá or Guzerat is a Brazilian breed of domestic cattle. It derives from cross-breeding of Indian Kankrej cattle, imported to Brazil from 1870 onwards, with local taurine Crioulo cattle of European origin. The name is a Portuguese spelling of that of the western Indian state of Gujarat.
Índio Gigante, also known as Indian Giant, is a breed of domestic chicken originally developed in Brazil. It is one of the largest chicken breeds in the world, especially in terms of height.
The Nordestino, also known as Crioulo Nordestino, Mourão, Pé Duro Nordestino or Sertanejo do Nordeste, is a breed of horses native to the Northeast Region of Brazil. The breed is near extinction due to the lack of interest in maintaining it. A stud-book was created and approved in 1987 by the Brazilian government; nevertheless in 2017 the authorization to carry out the genealogical records of the breed was revoked by the Ministry of Agriculture causing the loss of the breed's lines records. It is the first native horse breed of Brazil, and derived from the first horses brought by Portuguese settlers in the sixteenth century. Over time the horses have evolved into a small breed very well-adapted to surviving in the local semi-arid climate of the Northeast Region. Today around 500,000 horses survive in the region pulling horse carts or in cattle work.
The Criollo Mexicano is a Mexican breed or group of breeds of Criollo cattle – that is, cattle that derive principally from the Iberian cattle brought to the Americas by the Conquistadores from the time of the Second Voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1493.