Venezuelan Criollo or Criollo Limonero, are a landrace breed of

Bos taurus Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...

that have adapted over the past 400 years to the tropical dry forests of

Zulia Zulia State ( es, Estado Zulia, ; Wayuu: ''Mma’ipakat Suuria'') is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Maracaibo. As of the 2011 census, it has a population of 3,704,404, the largest population among Venezuela's states. It ...

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

(and which gain their name from the

Limón River Limón (), commonly known as Puerto Limón, is a district, the capital city and main hub of Limón province, as well as of the Limón canton in Costa Rica. It is the seventh largest city in Costa Rica, with a population of over 55,000, and is ho ...

, there, and also likely due to their limón color).{{Cite web, url=https://portalmismascotas.com.ar/?accion=razas-det&anim=4&raza=7&descrip=CRIOLLO%20LIMONERO, title=Criollo Limonero, last=, first=, date=, website=Portal mis Mascotas, url-status=live, archive-url=, archive-date=, access-date= Criollo Limonero, like other Criollo cattle bio-types, have descended from

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a ...

n breeds of cattle brought to the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

by early explorers to the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...

. Criollo Limonero are prized for having good milk yields, high fertility, and a docile temperament. Criollo Limonero are considered

national patrimony National patrimony is the store of wealth or accumulated reserves of a national economy. In addition to monetary reserves and other financial holdings, national patrimony also encompasses a nation's non-monetary wealth or reserves, such as its natio ...

to Venezuela; some studies show a high genetic diversity among the breed which researchers view as a resource for conserving the sustainable, locally adapted

dairy breed Dairy cattle (also called dairy cows) are cattle bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cattle generally are of the species ''Bos taurus''. Historically, little distinction was ma ...

. Venezuelan Criollo Limonero have been selected since the late 1950s by private farmers seeking increased milk production, hence, they are larger than their desert counterparts (e.g. Raramuri or Corriente) and smaller than their sub-tropical counterparts (e.g. Romosinuano), and resemble modern dual purpose breeds (e.g. milking Devon) in their conformation suchlike possessing a sound udder, strong legs, wide hips, a feminine head (

dolichocephalic Dolichocephaly (derived from the Ancient Greek δολιχός 'long' and κεφαλή 'head') is a condition where the head is longer than would be expected, relative to its width. In humans, scaphocephaly is a form of dolichocephaly. Dolichocep ...

), and more color uniformity (than other Criollo types). Colors can range, however, from

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...

to yellow or redish, often with black smudge spots complementing their eyes. Mature cows average 404 kg (890 lbs). Efforts are being made to maintain pure Criollo Limonero genetics from becoming adulterated by mainstream dairy breeds; genetic tests have shown the breed possesses the CSN3 gene, suggesting that these cattle may be well equipped for high milk and cheese production given a genetic breeding improvement plan. Another reason Criollo Limonero seem well-adapted to the harsh tropical forests of Venezuela is due to their hair and blood flow morpho-physiology; the slick-hair gene has been favored in this breed, likely due to natural selection, and these animals possess a "high blood flow" leading to skin irrigation (e.g. fast heat dissipation) despite having few sebaceous glands like in the bos indicus subspecies.Landaeta-Hernández, A., Zambrano-Nava, S., Hernández-Fonseca, J.P., Godoy, R., Calles, M., Iragorri, J.L., Añez, L., Polanco, M., Montero-Urdaneta, M. and Olson, T. (2011). "Variability of hair coat and skin traits as related to adaptation in Criollo Limonero cattle". ''Tropical animal health and production'', 43(3), pp. 657–663. Like the zebu sub-species, Criollo Limonero have a black hide, and loose skin, which may also play a role in thermo-tolerance.

References

Cattle breeds originating in Venezuela