Bovidae is a family of some 130-odd species of cows and cow-like animals. Bovids are defined as cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals with unbranching horns covered in a permanent sheath of keratin (in males).

The family ranges widely across Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. Oddly there are no bovids native to South America, however. Prominent members of family Bovidae include bison, water buffalo, antelope, gazelles, sheep, goats, yaks, and domestic cattle.

The largest bovid is the Guar, which is over 7 feet tall and weighs more than one ton, while the smallest is the royal antelope, which weighs about 7 pounds and is the size of a housecat.


Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Suborder: Ruminantia
Family: Bovidae