Physiological and Anatomical Adaptation Characteristics of Borana Cattle to Pastoralist Lowland Environments

Abstract

The Borana cattle are commonly found in Ethiopia and Kenya. They have their origin in Ethiopia and were initially introduced into Kenya by Oromo pastoralists migrating from the southern Ethiopia. The animals possess several adaptive mechanisms which are helpful for their survival in harsh environmental conditions but while doing so their productive performances are compromised. Adaptive characteristics to warm climates encompass a wide range of physiological functions, behavioral and morphological attributes. Therefore, the objective of this review is to provide the summarized information about physiological and anatomical adaptation characteristics of Borana cattle to pastoralist lowland environments. The animal shows several physiological adaptation mechanisms to cope up the adverse climate condition. To live and reproduce in a harsh environment, Borana cattle have developed physiological and anatomical adaptive traits of crucial importance for their survival. Some of these characters are ability to withstand periodic shortage of water through compensating higher water loss during periods of high heat load by concentrating urine, ability to withstand periodic shortage feed because they have physiologically adapted and develop lower maintenance requirements, ability to walk long distances in search of water and feed and ability to digest low quality feeds, tolerance to heat stress, some ticks and tick-borne diseases and other tropical diseases. . The ability to change blood flow to the periphery is a feature of all vertebrates and it is a part of their evolutionary process as one of the first physiological functions of thermoregulation. Borana cattle has white, brown or red-coloured, light grey and dark grey coats and thin and smooth coat that is advantageous as it reflects direct solar radiation and also facilitate evaporative cooling. Borana cattle are much better adapted to high temperatures and dry conditions than Bos taurus cattle of European origin due to their high skin pore density allows them to successfully regulate their body temperature.