Aurochs - Habitat, Ecology and Behaviour

Habitat, Ecology and Behaviour

There is no consensus concerning the habitat of the aurochs. While some authors think that the habitat selection of the aurochs was comparable to the African Forest Buffalo, others describe the species as inhabiting open grassland and helping maintain open areas by grazing, together with other large herbivores. With its hypsodont jaw, the aurochs likely was a grazer and had a food selection very similar to domestic cattle. It was no browser like deer or a semi-intermediary feeder like the wisent. Comparisons of the isotope levels of Mesolithic aurochs and domestic cattle bones showed that aurochs likely inhabited wetter areas than domestic cattle. Schneeberger describes that, during winter, the aurochs ate twigs and acorns in addition to grasses.

After the beginning of the Common Era, the habitat of aurochs became more fragmented because of the steadily growing human population. During the last centuries of its existence, the aurochs was limited to hideaway regions, such as floodplain forests or marshes, where there were no competing domestic herbivores and less hunting pressure.

Like many bovids, aurochs formed herds for at least one part of the year. These probably did not number much more than thirty, and likely were composed of cows with their calves and some young bulls. Older bulls probably wandered solely or in small bull herds outside the mating season. Assuming that the social behaviour between aurochs and descended domestic cattle is roughly the same, social status was gained through gestures and fights, which cows engage in as well as bulls. As in other ungulates that form unisexual herds, there was a considerable dimorphism. Selection forced especially large bulls as those that can survive alone can feed themselves better than within a herd. Ungulates that form herds containing animals of both sexes, such as horses, have weakly developed sexual dimorphism.

During mating season, which likely took place during the late summer or early autumn, the bulls had severe fights. From evidence in the forest of Jaktorów, deaths could occur. During autumn, aurochs fed for the winter and got fatter and shinier than during the rest of the year, according to Schneeberger. During spring, the cows gave birth to the calves, for which they went into the forest. The mother stayed at the calf's side until it was strong enough to join and keep up with the herd on the feeding grounds.

Calves were vulnerable to wolves, while healthy adult aurochs probably did not have to fear these predators. In prehistoric Europe, North Africa and Asia, big cats, like lions and tigers, and hyenas were additional predators that likely preyed on aurochs.

Historical descriptions, like Caesar’s De Bello Gallico or Schneeberger, tell that aurochs were swift and fast, and could be very aggressive. According to Schneeberger, aurochs were not concerned when a man approached. But, teased or hunted, an aurochs could get very aggressive and dangerous, and throw the teasing person into the air, as he described in a 1602 letter to Gesner. But basically, the aurochs appeared to have been a peaceful animal to humans, as it was chosen for domestication.