MillenniumPost
Insight

All for food

Q. What is the difference between cows, bulls, buffaloes, and ox?

A. Cows, bulls, buffaloes and oxen all belong to the biological subfamily bovinae and are called bovines.

Cow: A mature female bovine that has given birth.

Bull: A mature, intact (testicles present and not removed) male bovine.

Ox: A male bovine also known as bullock that has been castrated after maturity.

Buffalo: Buffaloes are also bovines but they are a different species from cows, bulls or oxen. They have a larger physique and they are almost always black in color. There are different species of buffalo like the water buffalo, African buffalo, Eurasian buffalo but the word buffalo is normally used for water buffaloes or domestic buffaloes. Most buffaloes have horns with varying shapes and sizes. They don't have sweat glands on their skin and therefore like to stay in the water to stay cool.

Q. What is the need for birds to migrate?

Birds migrate to move from areas of low or decreasing resources to areas of high or increasing resources. The two primary resources being sought are, food and nesting locations.Birds that nest in the Northern Hemisphere tend to migrate northward in the spring to take advantage of burgeoning insect populations, budding plants and an abundance of nesting locations. As winter approaches and the availability of insects and other food drops, the birds move south again. Escaping the cold is a motivating factor but many species, including hummingbirds, can withstand freezing temperatures as long as an adequate supply of food is available.

Q. Can cats and dogs survive on a vegetarian diet?

Cats are obligate carnivores. Obligate means by necessity. It has to do with the amino acid profile in animal tissue. Cats aren't designed to eat carbohydrates. Their bodies don't produce the enzymes required to digest carbs. If you want to keep your cat on a vegetarian diet then you need to put a pinch of enzyme in the food so that the cat does not go blind. Dogs are omnivores. The canine body has the ability to transform certain amino acids, the building blocks or protein, into others, meaning that dogs can get all the amino acids they need while avoiding meat. Even veganism — consuming a diet that does not include any animal products — though a little trickier, is possible for dogs. The right balance of different plant-based sources of protein (eg, beans, corn, soy and whole grains) can still provide the needed amino acids.

(Send your questions to manekaanimallove@gmail.com)
Next Story
Share it