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133 Examples of Ruminants (A to Z List with Pictures)

Examples of Ruminants

Ruminants are a type of herbivore animal that has a four-chamber stomach. They chew their food, regurgitate it back up, and then chew it again.

This digestive process is called chewing the cud. The word ruminant comes from the Latin word “rumen,” which means “to chew over.”

These include Chevrotains, Deer, Moose, Giraffe, Okapi, Pronghorn, Musk Deer, Cattle, Goats, Sheep, and Antelope.

Ruminant Examples: Bovine and Cattle Species

1. Anoa

Scientific NameAnoa
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeSulawesi
DietHerbivore

The Anoa is a rare type of antelope that lives in the rainforests and swamps of western Africa. They are also known as dwarf cows due to their similar appearance to bovines, but much smaller size.

The largest males can grow up to three feet tall at the shoulder and weigh around 330 pounds – roughly half the size of a full-grown cow.

Their legs are also approximately half the length, which gives them an awkward gait that can be mistaken for clumsiness by predators. The adults have horns just like cows do, but calves’ horns are barely visible to the untrained eye.

2. Addax

Scientific NameAddax nasomaculatus
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeNiger
DietHerbivore

Addax is an antelope that lives in the Sahara Desert. They prefer to live alone and rely on their camouflage for protection from predators like lions, cheetahs, and hyenas.

3. Banteng

Scientific NameBos javanicus
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeBali and many eastern Indonesian islands
DietHerbivore

A Banteng is a type of animal that belongs to the subfamily Bovinae. They are closely related to bison and cattle, but they look like wild bulls. The word “Banteng” comes from Indonesia where it was first discovered by Dutch naturalist Karel Schuver in 1879. In English, Banteng is also known as “Bos Javanicus.”

4. Bison

Scientific NameBison Bison
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeUnited States
DietHerbivore

A bison is a mammal and part of the Bovidae family. It has shaggy, dark brown fur with lighter underbellies. Male bison are called bulls, while females are referred to as cows or heifers if they have never had a calf before. Baby bison are known as calves. The American bison is a ruminant mammal. It eats grass and leaves from trees, shrubs, bushes, and other plants.

5. Bongo

Scientific NameTragelaphus eurycerus
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeWest Africa
DietHerbivore

A bongo, sometimes called the lechwe or black lechwe antelope has an unusual habit of eating its food twice. This ruminant will regurgitate vegetation they have eaten and eat it again to access more nutrients from their diet. Because they are so large in size, they can eat large quantities of vegetation at one time.

6. Cape Buffalo

Scientific NameSyncerus caffer
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeAfrica
DietHerbivore

Buffalos are ruminants that live in Africa and Asia. They have two horns on their head, with the larger one being called a scimitar horn because of its curved shape. Buffalos weigh about 660-2,200 pounds.

A buffalo is a large animal, capable of reaching up to five feet in height. The largest species are the water buffalos which live in Asia and Africa, but there are also smaller breeds found throughout Europe and North America. They have shaggy hair covering their body though they do not have horns like bison or cows.

7. Eland

Scientific NameTaurotragus oryx
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeAfrica
DietHerbivore

The eland, which is also known as the African antelope, is one of many types of herbivores with four chambers in their stomachs. The other main group that includes this type of digestive system is called foregut fermenters.

Elands are ruminants, meaning they chew the cud like cows, sheep, and goats do. The male eland can grow up to six feet tall at the shoulder with an eight-foot stride length. Female elands are usually about five feet tall at the shoulder with a seven-foot stride length. Eland’s calves are born with a reddish-brown color that quickly changes to a light brown, and then finally darkens into the adult coat by six months of age.

Ruminant Examples: Ovine and Sheep Species

8. Argali

Scientific NameOvis ammon
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeKazakhstan and China
DietHerbivore

Argali is a type of wild sheep that live in the mountains. They can grow to be more than five feet tall, and their wool can weigh up to thirty-five pounds! The females are usually larger than males. Males have curved horns while females’ aren’t as curved.

Read Also: Do Argali Chew Cud?

9. Bighorn Sheep

Scientific NameOvis canadensis
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeNorth America
DietHerbivore

A Bighorn sheep is a type of ruminant. It is known for its massive, curved horns and the male’s habit of head-butting other males in battle during mating season. The bighorn also has a tough hoof that allows it to live at high altitudes where there aren’t many plants for food.

10. Domestic Sheep

Scientific NameOvis aries
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeWorld
DietHerbivore

A sheep eats grass, hay, and grains. A few kinds of ruminant animals are cattle, bison, goats, and deer. These four types of animals can regurgitate their food from a special stomach called the rumen back up to the mouth for more chewing when they have had enough to eat in one feeding session.

11. Mouflon

Scientific NameOvis aries musimon
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeCorsica, Sardinia and Cyprus
DietHerbivore

The mouflon is a type of animal that falls into the category of animals that are ruminant. A Mouflon eats plants, grasses, and leaves found in mountainside meadows.

12. Snow Sheep

Scientific NameOvis nivicola
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeSiberia
DietHerbivore

A snow sheep in one of the world’s most famous denizens. It is a large part of its life spent high up on mountains, where it finds food to eat and shelter from predators.

They eat vegetation such as grasses and other types of leaves that grow in these regions.

13. Thinhorn Sheep (aka Dall Sheep)

Scientific NameOvis dalli
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeNorth America
DietHerbivore

A thinhorn sheep eats grass, leaves, and other kinds of vegetation. They live in the mountains of North America and are also known as Dall sheep.

14. Urial

Scientific NameOvis vignei
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeHimalayas, Karakoram, Hindu Kush
DietHerbivore

The Urial lives in semi-arid areas, hills, and mountains. They feed on grasses, forbs, shrubs, leaves, and plant residues. The diet depends upon the location of the animal. In some regions, it is mainly bushy plants, while in other places grasses are more abundant.

Ruminant Examples: Caprine and Goat-Antelope Species

15. Alpine Ibex

Scientific NameCapra ibex
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeAsia, Europe, and Northeastern Africa
DietHerbivore

Alpine ibexes live in the mountains of Eurasia and they eat grass, herbs, and sometimes shrubs. Their main predators are gray wolves and brown bears.

16. Arabian Tahr

Scientific NameArabitragus jayakari
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeMountains in Oman and the United Arab Emirates
DietHerbivore

Arabian tahrs are herbivores that feed on grasses, leaves, and fruit. They live in herds and live on large, steep slopes that other animals cannot climb for protection.

17. Bharal

Scientific NamePseudois nayaur
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeHimalayas
DietHerbivore

Bharals are found in the Himalayan mountains, Ladakh, Uttar Pradesh, and Kashmir regions.

It is an herbivore that typically eats grasses. They can also be found eating leaves, shrubs, or trees if they cannot find enough grass to eat.

18. Barbary Sheep

Scientific NameAmmotragus lervia
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeNorth America
DietHerbivore

A Barbary sheep eats grasses, leaves, fruit, and bark. Barbary sheep live in the mountains of North Africa in places like Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, northern Chad, and Egypt.

19. Chamois

Scientific NameRupicapra rupicapra
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeEurope and the Middle East
DietHerbivore

A Chamois is a mountain goat-antelope native to the European continent. It lives in mountainous regions of Southern Europe, Northern Africa, and Western Asia. They are very social animals who live in groups of 4-8 members. The diet of a chamois consists mostly of grasses, leaves.

20. Chinese Goral

Scientific NameNaemorhedus griseus
Type of AnimalMammal
Rangesoutheastern Asia
DietHerbivore

Chinese goral lives on leaves, young shoots, fruits, grasses, and bamboo sprouts found at different elevations.

21. Chinese Serow

Scientific NameCapricornis sumatraensis
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeChina, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos
DietHerbivore

A serow is a wild goat-antelope. A Chinese serow eats leaves, grasses, twigs, and bark of shrubs, bamboo shoots, fruits, and tree barks. It lives in forests in the mountains of Southeast Asia.

Ruminant Examples: Deer Species

22. Elk

Scientific NameCervus canadensis
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeNorth America
DietHerbivore

An elk is a ruminant animal, which means it has four stomachs. It eats grasses, leaves, berries, and twigs in the summertime to build up fat for winter or mating season.

23. Barasingha

Scientific NameRucervus duvaucelii
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeIndia and Nepal
DietHerbivore

The Barasingha or Swamp Deer are antelopes that are found in the dense tropical region of India. They have a distinct way of life by forming herds and living on wet marshy regions, browsing for leaves, stems, roots, grasses, and aquatic plants which they like to search for.

24. Bawean Deer

Scientific NameHyelaphus kuhlii
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeIndonesia
DietHerbivore

A Bawean deer’s diet and habitat are they live in tropical and subtropical regions and eat leaves, grasses, fruits, lichens, and moss. They live in wet mountain forests or lowland swamps where they can avoid predators.

25. Brocket

Scientific NameMazama
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeCentral and South America
DietHerbivore

A Brocket is a type of deer that lives in Central America, North America, South America, Asia, and Africa. A Brocket eats grasses and other types of vegetation.

26. Calamian Deer

Scientific NameAxis calamianensis
Type of AnimalMammal
RangePhilippines
DietHerbivore

A Calamian deer lives in the forest of Palawan, Philippines. It feeds on leaves, flowers, and grasses.

The internal anatomy of this animal includes chewing cuds, four stomach chambers, and bacteria in its gut which aids digestion.

27. Chital

Scientific NameAxis axis
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeIndia
DietHerbivore

A Chital can be described as a medium-sized ungulate that is ruminant. It eats grasses, leaves, and fruits, which are found in the jungle. This means it has to live in the jungle, specifically India.

28. Eld’s Deer

Scientific NameRucervus eldii
Type of AnimalMammal
RangeSoutheast Asia
DietHerbivore

Eld’s deer can live on a variety of plants, like shrubs and grasses. They eat about 0.5-1 kg (1-2 pounds) of food each day.

They are found throughout Southeast Asia in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

More Examples of Animals that Are Ruminant

• Auroch• Lechwe• Rusa deer
• Antelope• Long-tailed goral• Saiga
• Beira• Maral deer• Sambar deer
• Blackbuck• Markhor• Saola
• Bluebuck• Marsh deer• Siberian ibex
• Bontebok• Mindanao mountain deer• Sika deer
• Chevrotain• Mindoro deer• Sitatunga
• Dibatag• Moose• Spanish ibex
• Dik-dik• Mountain goat• Springbok
• Duiker• Mule deer• Steenbok
• Dwarf blue sheep• Muntjac• Sumatran serow
• Eurasian elk• Musk deer• Suni
• Fallow deer• Muskox• Swamp deer
• Four-horned antelope• Nildai• Taiwan serow
• Gaur• Nilgiri tahr• Takin
• Gayal• Nubian ibex• Tamaraw
• Gazelle• Nyala• Taruca
• Gerenuk• Okapi• Thamin
• Giraffe• Oribi• Thorold’s deer
• Goa• Oryx• Topi
• Grey goral• Pampas deer• Tsessebe
• Grysbok• Père David’s deer• Tufted deer
• Hartebeest• Philippine sambar• Walia ibex
• Himalayan serow• Prince Alfred’s deer• Water buffalo
• Himalayan tahr• Pronghorn• Water deer
• Hog deer• Pudú• Waterbuck
• Huemul• Puku• West Caucasian tur
• Imbabala• Pyrenean chamois• White-tailed deer
• Impala• Red deer• Wild goat
• Japanese serow• Red serow• Wild yak
• Kéwel• Reedbuck• Wildebeest
• Klipspringer• Reg goral• Wisent
• Kob• Reindeer or caribou• Yak
• Kouprey• Rhebok• Zebu
• Kudu• Roe deer• Zeren

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