A bovid is any of almost 140 species of cloven-hoofed mammals belonging to the family Bovidae. The family is widespread, being native to all continents except Australia and Antarctica, and diverse: members include buffalo, bison, antelopes, gazelles, and both wild and domesticated cattle, sheep, goats, and water buffalo.

The largest bovids weigh well over a ton and stand 2 metres high at the shoulder; the smallest weigh about 3 kg and stand no taller than a large domestic cat. Some are thick-set and muscular, others lightly built with small frames and long legs. Many species congregate into large groups with complex social structures, but others are mostly solitary. Within their extensive range, they occupy a wide variety of habitat types, from desert to tundra and from thick tropical forest to cliff-faces.

All members of the family are herbivorous and have a four-chambered stomach which allows most of them to digest foods that are too low in nutriment for many other animals, notably grasses. No animal is able to directly digest cellulose: like (for example) kangaroos and termites, bovids rely on stomach bacteria to break down cellulose by fermentation.

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Ferris Bueller's Bovidae Off #cowfilms (yeah, how'd ya like me now?)
Jon_W_Turner (Jon Turner) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:42:26 -0000
Ferris Bueller's Bovidae Off #cowfilms (yeah, how'd ya like me now?)

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