Morphological characterization of the Uruguayan Criollo Bovines of San Miguel Park

Paper presented at the III Ibero-American Symposium on the Conservation of Local Animal Genetic Resources and Sustainable Rural Development

Abstract

In Uruguay, Creole cattle are not characterized as a breed, and their population is restricted to a small area. One of them is located in Parque de San Miguel, department of Rocha. In order to characterize the population morphologically, the Animal Genetic Improvement Area of the Veterinary School has worked on the morphological-corporal and phaneroptic aspects, the first step in the implementation of a conservation program. For this study we worked with a sample of 112 animals, belonging to the Reserve. The following were recorded: coat, hoof and mucous membrane coloration, type (shape) of horns, the animals were weighed and eight zoomometric parameters were measured. For the animals as a whole the averages and standard deviations were: height at withers: 119±6.5 cm, chest width: 33.6±5.85 cm, thoracic depth: 59.9±4.75 cm, thoracic perimeter: 159.5±14.2 cm., body length: 139.9±12.8 cm., rump width: 41.1±3.8 cm., rump length: 31.9±2.9 and cane perimeter: 16.8±1.5 cm. For the coloration of the coat 54% presented as basic pigmentation of chestnut, 38% white, and 8% black. The average weights were 290.6 kg. for females and 473.2 for males. All the animals presented lyre horns. All animals had pigmented mucous membranes and 93% had black hooves. It was concluded that the population was homogeneous from a morphometric point of view, with characteristics of mucous membranes, hooves and horns, but heterogeneous in their coats, with a marked sexual dimorphism.