Domestic Animals

The Ameraucana Chicken is a North American derivative breed of the Chilean Araucana chicken, thus its name is a combination of “America” and “Araucana”. It is one of the few types of chicken that lays blue eggs.

The Andalusian is an old breed, dating to the 15th century, and has remained much the same since that time.

Originally known as Aberdeen-Angus for two of Scotland's northernmost counties where the cattle were first bred. The color black was chosen as dominant, although there seems no real reason for the choice. The first Angus in America was also the first polled (hornless) breed seen there. Four bulls were brought from Scotland to Kansas City, Missouri in 1873 by George Grant, who hoped to establish the breed and create a strong market. Though they were first called freaks, he was able to demonstrate their worth and crossbred them with Texas longhorns, with the black and polled genes being dominant.

The Arabian hails from a desert environment, and was a favorite horse of the Bedouin nomad people.

The Ayrshire is a dairy cattle breed originating in Scotland, known for its reddish splotching.

Originally bred as scent hounds, beagles are popular companion dogs, noted for their adorable “pleading” expression.

A black sheep is a rare color morph of the domesticated sheep (Ovis aries). As the dominant gene for coloration in sheep is one which shuts color off, most sheep are white. However, if two parent sheep are heterozygous for the black coloration gene, meaning they possess both dominant and recessive black genes, a black lamb will result about 25% of the time.

Known for their high intelligence, border collies are named for the area where the breed is said to have originated: the border between Scotland and England.

Known for its inquisitive large eyes and ears, the Boston Terrier is a friendly and intelligent breed.

The Boxer is a German breed of dog known for its strong jaws, short muzzle, powerful neck, and energetic personality.

Known for its compact form and pronounced underbite, bulldogs are patient and friendly, but also notably stubborn.

The chicken was first domesticated about 8,000 years ago. It is a common domestic animal throughout the world that is used for its meat and eggs, and is sometimes kept as a pet.

One of the most easily recognized breeds of draught horse, the Clydesdales originated in Scotland.

With their long sable-colored coats, Collies are one of the most recognizable dog breeds.

The dachshund, known for its short legs and elongated body, was bred for hunting animals in burrows.

Known for its striking spotted fur coat, the Dalmatian breed is named for Dalmatia, a historical region of Croatia.

The donkey is a domesticated member of the horse family, popularly used as a pack animal.

One of the oldest horse breeds in the world, the Fjord is small but strong.

Considered a companion or “toy” breed, the French bulldog was developed by breeding smaller English bulldogs with rat-catching dogs from France.

Known for their elegant black coats and flowing hair, it’s no wonder that Friesians are popular horses in film and television programs.

Originally bred for sheep herding (hence the name shepherd), this working dog is now used for a variety of tasks, including police work, search-and-rescue, and assisting the disabled.

While it is commonly believed that goats will eat anything even remotely edible, that is not the case. This belief in their broad appetite probably occurred due to their tendency to taste various items to see if they are edible. The children’s story “Three Billy Goats Gruff” tells the story of three brother goats trying to cross a bridge to graze in a field. Even that is not accurate as goats prefer other sources of food to grass. Perhaps due to their long history with humans, goats are often found in mythology and the most famous example is the mischievous Pan, the partial goat Greek god of nature.

This Scottish breed is one of the most popular dogs, known for being gentle and friendly.

The Great Dane is a breed of dog most well known for its size, as one of the tallest dog breeds ever. The tallest Great Dane ever was named Zeus, who stood 44 inches tall at the shoulder.

This dairy cow is named for the island of Guernsey where the breed first originated.

These horses were originally bred by Romani and Irish travelers to pull their caravans.

The Hampshire pig is sometimes referred to as the Saddleback due to its unique coloration.

The Hereford cow is a popular breed of beef cattle that originated in England.

Holsteins are one of the most recognizable breeds of dairy cow, with their iconic black and white coloration.

Originally bred for fox hunting, these small terriers are known for their exuberant energy and their general good health.

The Knabstrupper originates in Denmark and is known for its spotted coat coloration.

Originally bred for sport and hunting, the Labrador has gained much popularity as a companion dog due to its friendly and playful nature.

Llamas are more than just adorable creatures with a fun name, Llama Glama. These cuddly lamoids have been extremely helpful to humans throughout history. Llamas are a domesticated relative of camels and are native to the Andes Mountains in South America. Llamas are valuable livestock, prized for their sturdiness as pack animals and as a source of meat and wool. Recently, people have begun to keep llamas as pets, use them as therapy animals, and as protective guardians for herds of other grazing animals.

The Morgan Horse is one of the oldest United States horse breeds.

Mustangs are free-roaming feral horses descended from mostly Spanish stock but also from any other breeds of horse that either escaped captivity or were released.

The Ongole cow of India is a breed of zebu, a form of domestic cattle known for its distinctive hump. The Brahma cows of the United States are bred from Ongole cattle. These cows are named for the Ongole region of India, where the breed originated.

Persians are instantly recognizable, with their flattened faces and longhair coats.

The Phoenix chicken is a breed of domestic fowl known for its long tail. It is the result of cross-breeding different European chicken breeds with others from Japan including the Onagadori.

The Pomeranian is a toy dog breed named after Pomerania, a region in Poland and Germany where the breed was developed.

The poodle is an extremely popular dog breed known for its tightly curled fur and intelligent nature.

People are sometimes accused of 'sweating like a hog'. That would be quite a feat since pigs are incapable of sweating. There is also a tendency of accusing people who are dirty of being pig-like. This is also an unfair accusation since a healthy and happy pig is also a clean pig who has access to mud for cooling off.

Pugs are a small breed of dog that originated in ancient China. They are known for their compact bodies, wrinkled features, and short curled tails.

The Quarter Horse gets its name from its sprinting ability. It’s faster than most other horse breeds over a distance of ¼ mile.

Known for their long ears and soft fur, bunnies make appealing pets. However, they require specialized care and, like any pet, should only be cared for by those prepared for the responsibility.

The word “schnauzer” comes from the German word that means “snout” or “moustache”, referring to the long fur on the dog’s muzzle.

Sheep are bovids, meaning they’re related to cows and goats. They are some of the most widespread livestock in the world, and one of the oldest species of animal to be domesticated by humans.

Shiba Inus are a medium-sized breed of spitz dog from Japan. They are agile and bred to be able to traverse mountainous environments, and are known for their independent, almost cat-like nature.

A draught horse originating in Britain, the Shire is one of the largest horse breeds.

Siamese cats are easily recognizable and are one of the earliest recognized breeds of cats from Asia.

An active dog breed full of energy, Huskies were bred to pull sleds.

“Tabby” isn’t actually a breed; it actually refers to any domestic cat that has the distinctive striped pattern, and an “M” shape on its forehead. Many different breeds can be tabby patterned.

As its name implies, this horse breed is known for its distinctive walk and originated in the state of Tennessee.

Thoroughbreds are bred for speed. Known for being agile and “hot-blooded”, these horses are used most often in horse racing.

The domesticated turkey is a popular poultry animal, especially in North America. It is derived from the wild turkey.

Watusi cattle, also known as Ankole-Watusi, are known for their distinctively large horns.