A phenotypic characterization of Rarámuri Criollo cattle introduced into the Southwestern United States
Abstract
Our objective was to describe key phenotypic characteristics of a population of Rarámuri Criollo (RC) cattle introduced from the Copper Canyon of Chihuahua, México into the Southwestern United States almost two decades ago. We recorded 26 phenotypic traits of 37 RC individuals including mature cows, first-calf heifers, and mature bulls raised at the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range in southern New Mexico. This herd of RC cattle exhibited intermediate body sizes compared to the smaller Corriente and larger Texas Longhorn and Florida Cracker cattle. Coat colors were similar to those described for other Criollo biotypes but horn shape and size of RC appear to be different than that of other US-based Criollo breeds. Though smaller than commercial beef breeds, RC cattle appear to be well-matched to the Southwestern US environments as evidenced by previous studies that evaluated their grazing behavior, weight gains, and carcass quality. Rarámuri Criollo cattle are a genetic resource whose conservation could be critically important for climate change adaptation of ranches in the desert Southwest.
Downloads
References
Allred, B. W., S. D. Fuhlendorf, and R. G. Hamilton. 2011. The role of herbivores in Great Plains conservation: Comparative ecology of bison and cattle. Ecosphere, 2: 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1890/ES10-00152.1
Anderson, D. M., R. E. Estell, A. L. Gonzalez, A. F., Cibils, and L. A. Torell. 2015. Criollo cattle: heritage genetics for arid landscapes. Rangelands, 37: 62–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rala.2015.01.006
Camargo, A. H. A. 1990. Ganado criollo del Brasil: Origen y características zootécnicas. Animal Genetic Resources/Ressources génétiques animales/Recursos genéticos animales, 7: 11–18. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1014233900002959
Contreras, G., Z. Chirinos, S. Zambrano, E. Molero, y A. Paéz. 2011. Caracterización morfológica e índices zoométricos de vacas Criollo Limonero de Venezuela. Revista de la Facultad de Agronomía de La Universidad del Zulia, 28: 91–103. https://produccioncientificaluz.org/index.php/agronomia/article/view/26867/27493
De Alba Martínez, J. 2011. El Libro de los Bovinos Criollos de América. Mexico DF: Mundi Prensa Mexico. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2078633612000227
Enyinnaya, J. C. 2016. A case study of the economics of Criollo cattle production in the deserts of southern New Mexico [Thesis]. New Mexico State University, 167pp. https://books.google.ca/books/about/A_Case_Study_of_the_Economics_of_Criollo.html?id=n-U8ngAACAAJ&redir_esc=y
Ginja, C., L. T. Gama, O. Cortés, I, M, Burriel, J. L. Vega-pla, C. Penedo, P. Sponenberg, J. Cañón, A. Sanz, A. Alves, L. A. Alvarez, G. Giovambattista, and S. Agha. 2019. The genetic ancestry of American Creole cattle inferred from uniparental and autosomal genetic markers. Sci Rep 9, 11486 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-47636-0
Halloran, A. F., and C. A. Shrader. 1960. Longhorn Cattle Management on Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 24: 191. https://doi.org/10.2307/3796745
Havstad, K. M., J. R. Brown, R. Estell, E. Elias, A. Rango, and C. Steele. 2018. Vulnerabilities of Southwestern U.S. Rangeland-based animal agriculture to climate change. Climatic Change, 148: 371–386. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-016-1834-7
Hawkes, J. M., J. M. Lillywhite, and J. D. Libbin. 2006. A sporting alternative. Rangelands, 28: 15–17. https://doi.org/10.2111/1551-501X(2006)28[15:ASA]2.0.CO;2
Hernández Sandoval, R. M. 2012. Tipificación del Ganado Criollo Mexicano. Asociación de Criadores de ganado Criollo Mexicano. 1: 1-139. https://biblioteca.uaaan.mx/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=34651&shelfbrowse_itemnumber=62371
Huson, H. J., E. S. Kim, R. W. Godfrey, T. A. Olson, M. C. McClure, C. C. Chase, R. Rizzi, A. M. P. O’Brien, C. P. Van Tassell, J. F. Garcia, and T. S. Sonstegard. 2014. Genome-wide association study and ancestral origins of the slick-hair coat in tropically adapted cattle. Frontiers in Genetics, 5: 1–12. https://dx.doi.org/10.3389%2Ffgene.2014.00101
Long, J. A. 2008. Reproductive Biotechnology and Gene Mapping: Tools for Conserving Rare Breeds of Livestock, 43: 83–88. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0531.2008.01146.x
Marquardt, S., D. Soto, and N. Joaquin. 2018. Foraging behavior of Criollo vs. Brahman × Criollo crossbreds in the Bolivian Chaco: Case Study. Rangeland Ecology & Management, 71: 757–761. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2018.06.002
Martínez, R. D., E. N. Fernández, E. R. Género, y F. J. L. Rumiano. 2000. El Ganado bovino criollo en Argentina. Archivos de Zootecnia, 49: 353–361. https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/495/49518706.pdf
McIntosh, M. M. 2018. Weight gain and behavior of criollo vs crossbred steers developed on chihuahuan desert rangeland [Thesis]. New Mexico State University. 1-82.
Méndez Mendoza, M., J. Serrano Palapa, R Avila Benítez, M. Rosas García, y N. Méndez Palacios. 2002. Caracterización morfométrica del bovino Criollo Mixteco. Archivos de Zootecnia, 51: 217–221. https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/495/49519425.pdf
NACA, B. of D. 2010. North American Corriente Association Judging Guidelines for Corriente Cows. North American Corriente Association, 7. Available < https://corriente.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/NACA_JUDGING_GUIDELINES_5-13-2010.pdf>. Accessed: October 1, 2020.
Nyamuryekung’e, S. 2020. Foraging Habits, Heat Tolerance, and Maternal Behavior of Heritage Vs. Improved Beef Cattle Grazing Desert Rangeland [Dissertation]. New Mexico State University. 1-148
Nyamuryekung’e, S., A. F. Cibils, R. E. Estell, D. VanLeeuwen, C. Steele, O. R. Estrada, F. A. R. Almeida, A. L. González, and S. Spiegal. 2020. Do Young Calves Influence Movement Patterns of Nursing Raramuri Criollo Cows on Rangeland? Rangeland Ecology and Management, 73: 84–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2019.08.015
Ossa, G., Y. Abuabara, J. E. Pérez García, y G. Martínez. 2011. El ganado criollo colombiano Costeño con Cuernos (CCC). Animal Genetic Resources/Ressources génétiques animales/Recursos genéticos animales, 48: 101–107. https://doi.org/doi:10.1017/S2078633611000014
Pauler, C. M., J. Isselstein, T. Braunbeck, and M. K. Schneider. 2019. Influence of Highland and production-oriented cattle breeds on pasture vegetation: A pairwise assessment across broad environmental gradients. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 284: 106585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2019.106585
Peinetti, H. R., E. L. Fredrickson, D. P. C. Peters, A. F. Cibils, J. O. Roacho-Estrada, and A. S. Laliberte. 2011. Foraging behavior of heritage versus recently introduced herbivores on desert landscapes of the American Southwest. Ecosphere, 2: 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1890/ES11-00021.1
Perezgrovas-Garza, R. 2017. Catálogo ilustrado de los bovinos criollos de México: razas locales y sistemas empíricos de manejo. Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas, Instituto de Estudios Indígenas-UNACH. https://bibliotecasibe.ecosur.mx/sibe/book/000058863
Pitt, D., M. W. Bruford, R. Martínez, N. Sevane, and M. B. P. Orozco-terWengel. 2019. Demography and rapid local adaptation shape Creole cattle genome diversity in the tropics, 105–122. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111%2Feva.12641
Polley, H. W., D. D. Briske, J. A. Morgan, K. Wolter, D. W. Bailey, and J. R. Brown. 2013. Climate change and North American rangelands: Trends, projections, and implications. Rangeland Ecology and Management, 66: 493–511. https://doi.org/10.2111/REM-D-12-00068.1
Rook, A. J., B. Dumont, J. Isselstein, K. Osoro, M. F. WallisDeVries, G. Parente, and J. Mills. 2004. Matching type of livestock to desired biodiversity outcomes in pastures - A review. Biological Conservation, 119: 137–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2003.11.010
Russell, N. D. J. Rios, G. Erosa, M. D, Remmenga, and D. E. Hawkins. 2000. Genetic differentiation among geographically isolated populations of Criollo cattle and their divergence from other Bos taurus breeds. J. Anim. Sci., 78: 2314–2322. https://doi.org/10.2527/2000.7892314x
Scasta, J. D., D. L. Lalman, and L. Henderson. 2016. Drought Mitigation for Grazing Operations: Matching the Animal to the Environment. Rangelands, 38: 204–210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rala.2016.06.006
Spiegal, S., A. F. Cibils, B. T. Bestelmeyer, J. L. Steiner, R. E. Estell, D. W. Archer, B. W. Auvermann, S. V. Bestelmeyer, L. E. Boucheron, H. Cao, A. R. Cox, D. Devlin, G. C. Duff, K. K. Ehlers, E. H. Elias, C. A. Gifford, A. L. Gonzalez, J. P. Holland, J. S. Jennings, A. M. Marshall, D. L. McCracken, M. M. McIntosh, R. Miller, M. Musumba, R. Paulin, S. E. Place, M. Redd, C. A. Rotz, C. Tolle, and A. Waterhouse. 2020. Beef Production in the Southwestern United States: Strategies Toward Sustainability. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2020.00114
Spiegal, S., R. E. Estell, A. F. Cibils, D. K. James, H. R. Peinetti, D. M. Browning, K. B. Romig, A. L. Gonzalez, A. J. Lyons, and B. T. Bestelmeyer. 2019. Seasonal divergence of landscape use by heritage and conventional cattle on desert rangeland. Rangeland Ecology and Management, 72: 590–601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2019.02.008
Sponenberg, D. P., and T. A. Olson. 1992. Colonial Spanish Cattle in the USA: History and Present Status. Archivos de Zootecnia, 41: 401–414. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=278744
Tagle, E. C., y D. Inchausti. 1946. Raza Criolla. In: CAP Razas Productoras de Carne. El Ateneo: pp. 370–385.
TLC. 2020. The Livestock Conservancy: Ankole-Watusi Cattle. The Livestock Conservancy: Cattle. https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/ankole-watusi
Ulloa-Arvizu, R., A. Gayosso-Vázquez, M. Ramos-Kuri, F. J. Estrada, M. Montaño, and R. A. Alonso. 2008. Genetic analysis of Mexican Criollo cattle populations. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics, 125: 351–359. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0388.2008.00735.x
Urick, J. J., B. W. Knapp, J. S. Brinks, O. F. Pahnish, and T. M. Riley. 1971. Relatioships Between Cow Weights and Calf Weaning Weights in Angus, Charolais, and Hereford breeds. J. Anim. Sci., 33: 343-348. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas1971.332343x
Copyright (c) 2020 Matthew McIntosh, Alfredo Gonzalez, Andres Cibils, Rick Estell, Shelemia Nyamuryekunge, Felipe Rodriguez Almeida, Sheri Spiegal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
