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Springbok and wildebeest herds on an open plain

Cattle family

Bovidae is the mammal family that contains all the cattle, goats, sheep, antelopes and gazelles. All male bovines have horns, though some hornless domestic cattle have been bred by man. In some species the females also have horns.

Scientific name: Bovidae

Rank: Family

Common names:

  • Bovids,
  • Bovines

Distribution

Map showing the distribution of the Cattle family taxa

The shading illustrates the diversity of this group - the darker the colour the greater the number of species. Data provided by WWF's Wildfinder.

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When they lived

Discover the other animals and plants that lived during the following geological time periods.

About

A bovid (family Bovidae) is any of almost 140 species of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals with characteristic unbranching horns covered in a permanent sheath of keratin in at least the males.

The family is widespread, being native to Asia, Africa, Europe and North America, and diverse: members include bison, African buffalo, water buffalo, antelopes, gazelles, sheep, goats, muskoxen, and domestic cattle.

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