Is it true that the bull does not like the color red? Why don't bulls like red? Why do bulls react to red lights?



Bullfighting is a magnificent, exciting spectacle, like a pagan dance, so religious and at the same time aggressive, filled with beauty and grace, but cruel and bloody. Thousands of people freeze in anticipation of the amazing action and their hearts begin to beat in the same rhythm - after all, the culmination of this performance is death.

Here two rivals appear in the arena - a man and a bull. Another second, and a dangerous duel should begin between a beautiful, powerful, brave and proud animal, symbolizing primitive instincts, life’s difficulties, adversities and all that is dark in life, and a bullfighter, dressed in a magnificent snow-white “suit” reflecting the rays of the sun Sveta".

All spectators watch with bated breath a dangerous mortal duel of two symbolic forces - darkness and light, where a man skillfully dodges the blows of a bull with the help of a bright red muleta (a piece of fabric attached to a stick), which provokes the bull and hides the silhouette of the matador, and the inevitable culmination will be the victory of the magnificent bullfighter and the death of the bull.

Bullfight spectators are convinced that it is the red color that drives the bull into an uncontrollable rage and nothing can convince them of this - such are the traditions. But every bullfighter knows that bulls are colorblind by nature and do not distinguish colors, and the red muleta is just a tribute to tradition and a way to capture the attention of the stands excited by this magnificent spectacle.

The mammalian eye consists of two types of photoreceptors - cones, which allow us to distinguish colors, and rods, which allow us to see the size and shape of objects. In humans and primates, the number of cones in the retina of the eye is very large, which allows them to distinguish colors. But the colors in the life of ungulates of great importance do not have, and Mother Nature deprived the eyes of these animals, as an unnecessary element for them, of the number of cones that allow them to distinguish colors.

Why does a bull in a bullfight still rush at a red muleta? The thing is that for bullfighting they raise special bulls of the El Toro Bravo breed (translated as “the brave bull”), which are especially aggressive, angry, agile, but not particularly intelligent, stupid and therefore predictable in a duel with a bullfighter, which very important.

And then comes the climax - in the arena, a clever matador plays the last deadly game with an angry bull with the help of a red muleta, which with its movement drives the bull into an indescribable rage. The viewer freezes, watching every movement of the scarlet muleta, which is visible even in the last rows of the amphitheater. The flickering of red matter and the fury of the animal lead the viewer into indescribable delight - they long for the climax of the action, the viewer is waiting for the blood that is about to spill!

The red color of the material on the mulet is just a clever trick that brings the crowd of spectators into such ecstasy, making the spectacle bright and memorable. And the bull doesn’t care at all what color the muleta is - blue, red, yellow or white - he still doesn’t distinguish colors, and is only annoyed by the frantic movement of matter and the insane howl of the stands intoxicated by the bloody spectacle.

Everyone knows the expression “look like bulls at a red rag.” Until recently, people believed that bullfighting uses such flowers because they enrage the artiodactyls. Why does a bull react only to red and not to any other color? In fact, their eyes do not perceive the spectrum of shades available to the human lens. Bulls don't understand that they see red.

A little background on bullishness

Artiodactyls once looked different:

• Some weighed up to 1 ton.
• The horns were bigger.
• The skin is strong and impenetrable.

Such qualities are indispensable in wildlife, help protect against predators. Modern bulls have inherited these properties; herbivores have become more irritable. The need to fight for food develops a sense of competition and confrontation.

Why does a bull in a bullfight react to the color red? Zoologists managed to identify a misunderstanding: cattle do not distinguish the color spectrum. Why do matadors wear a red cape? Most of them have a pink rag with which they force the bulls to react. This is a traditional costume and is not related to psychological characteristics tours Sports competitions involving artiodactyls have been held for several hundred years, during which time the deceptive association of the color red and bulls has spread among people.

At bullfights they tease the horned ones, they try to make them angry; to do this, spikes with sharp tips are stabbed into their backs; the animals bleed and defend their lives. The color red has no meaning for an angry bull.

Using aggression for fighting purposes

The aggressive nature of the quadrupeds was often used by young men to play with danger. Hunting them requires courage, dexterity, and psychological stability. Bullfighting lovers do not hide in the bushes, fight bulls face to face, and hone their bullfighting skills. Finding himself locked in the ring with a horned one puts him in danger and faces a battle that could result in serious injury or death.

If bulls are color blind, what is this rag used for in a bullfight? The matador hides behind it, distracts the animal, waves a rag, standing motionless, the bull attacks. The animal does not distinguish what is in front of it; in a fit of rage, it attacks everything that moves. If you stand still and don’t move, the bull won’t attack. This is due to the fact that at the gene level he reacts to trees, understanding what will happen if he hits the trunk with his head from a running start.

A moving target is perceived as an object of aggression, which itself runs into pain and causes pain to the animal. After a wave of the red rag, the horned one attacks, the bullfighter stands motionless. You can understand this if you carefully observe his actions at the bullfight. People enjoy a fascinating spectacle; a brave hero alone fights a powerful, dangerous animal and defeats it.

Reasons for partiality to red objects

There are no such reasons; in the eyes of artiodactyls there are visual receptors:

1. Sticks.
2. Cones.

Rods respond to movement, cones help distinguish the color spectrum. People have enough such elements in their eyes for full perception. Bulls have fewer receptors; they can only distinguish between dark and light. Tours react not to the color red, but to movement. Scientists conducted an experiment; a girl in a red dress approached a bull and fed it grass from her hands. There was no aggressive reaction to this; the horned one was indifferent to her outfit. There are cases when an aggressive animal chose a victim in white clothes among many people standing nearby; those dressed in red were ignored.

In the eyes of artiodactyls there are 2 categories of light-sensitive proteins; bright tissue causes irritation; visual receptors do not distinguish it well. Anger and aggression are provoked by the movement of matter or people. If a person begins to rush around, run away, and wave his arms in front of his eyes, the aggressive animal will have a target and will distinguish an object to attack. In this case, he will not slip past and hit. A bullfighter in a bullfight without a cape cannot distract the bull. He would have to stand still; if he moved, the evil animal would not miss and would knock him to the ground.

The male's attention can be attracted by any moving object, a cow or a person. The reaction to the stimulus depends on his mood; the understanding that there is no danger comes later. Before this, the evil animal does not understand who is wrong and acts. The shepherds wear gray or black clothes before the tours, but this does not make sense. Aggression will appear after sudden movements, which the animal regards as an attempt to attack him.

It is believed that bulls react aggressively to scarlet shades. Actually this is not true. Along with all other representatives, they suffer from color blindness. Then why don't bulls like the color red if they don't actually distinguish it?

Destruction of the myth

In 2007, Discovery Channel's Mythbusters tested a live bull in three separate experiments. Their goal was to find out why bulls don’t like the color red and whether this is actually true. The essence of the first experiment was as follows: three stationary flags of red, blue and white. The animal attacked all three, regardless of shade. Next were three mannequins, and again the indiscriminate bull left no one unattended. Finally, the time has come for living people. There were three people in the arena, the one in red stood motionless, the other two cowboys moved in a circle. The bull began to chase the moving daredevils, but ignored the motionless “red” one.

Why don't bulls like

Spanish matadors began using a small red cape in bullfighting in the early 17th century. Since then, people have probably decided that it is this shade that turns a peaceful animal into a real beast. The fact is that scarlet shades can disguise blood, and sometimes there is a lot of it on the battlefield. Why don't bulls like red? Does he scare them, irritate them? Will they react so strongly to blue or e.g. green color? In fact, this is not a matter of psychology or physiology; animals don’t care: they only react to movements when they feel that something might threaten them.

Color doesn't matter

The color is what viewers pay more attention to than the bull. Firstly, richly embroidered costumes and red capes are considered an important part of the culture and tradition of bullfighting. Just as sports teams always wear the same colors, scarlet capes are seen as part of the bullfighting uniform, not because bulls don't like red. The reasons are also practical. Bullfighting is one of the most popular and controversial customs in Spain. Often this exciting action ends with the death of the bull, and the red color, although not much, masks the already cruel performance.

The bull attacks the one who moves

Question "Why do bulls react to the color red?" is not entirely correct, since they do not distinguish this color, and also green, at all. Movement makes them angry. Moreover, the bulls participating in bullfighting come from a very aggressive breed (El Toro Bravo). They are selected in such a way that any sudden movements can infuriate them and force them to attack. Even if the cape is a calm sky blue color, the bull will still attack if it is waved in front of his nose. Therefore, if a matador is dressed in red and stands still, and another matador is dressed in any other color (even white) and begins to move, the bull will attack the one in white (the one who is moving).

"Like a bull on a red rag"

Many people still believe that as soon as a bull sees something red, his eyes will immediately begin to fill with blood, he will begin to breathe heavily and scratch the ground with his hoof, and then, worst of all, a powerful beast will rush headlong towards the one who is killing him. annoys. There is even a saying: about someone who quickly becomes angry, they say that he reacts like a bull to a red rag. However, this is nothing more than a misunderstanding.

It doesn’t matter what color the rag is: if you move it and the bull notices it, then at first he will simply be wary, but if you start waving it in all directions, then expect trouble. This is a common defensive reaction. The animal perceives movement as a threat, and has no choice but to defend itself. By the way, if you wave a white cloth, the effect can be even more noticeable, since this color is brighter than red and the bull will see it faster.

Bullfighting is a magnificent, exciting spectacle, like a pagan dance, so religious and at the same time aggressive, filled with beauty and grace, but cruel and bloody. Thousands of people freeze in anticipation of the amazing action and their hearts begin to beat in the same rhythm - after all, the culmination of this performance is death.

Here two rivals appear in the arena - a man and a bull. Another second, and a dangerous duel should begin between a beautiful, powerful, brave and proud animal, symbolizing primitive instincts, life’s difficulties, adversities and all that is dark in life, and a bullfighter, dressed in a magnificent snow-white “suit” reflecting the rays of the sun Sveta".

All spectators watch with bated breath a dangerous mortal duel of two symbolic forces - darkness and light, where a man skillfully dodges the blows of a bull with the help of a bright red muleta (a piece of fabric attached to a stick), which provokes the bull and hides the silhouette of the matador, and the inevitable culmination will be the victory of the magnificent bullfighter and the death of the bull.

Bullfight spectators are convinced that it is the red color that drives the bull into an uncontrollable rage and nothing can convince them of this - such are the traditions. But every bullfighter knows that bulls are colorblind by nature and do not distinguish colors, and the red muleta is just a tribute to tradition and a way to capture the attention of the stands excited by this magnificent spectacle.

The mammalian eye consists of two types of photoreceptors - cones, which allow us to distinguish colors, and rods, which allow us to see the size and shape of objects. In humans and primates, the number of cones in the retina of the eye is very large, which allows them to distinguish colors. But colors in the life of ungulates are not of great importance, and Mother Nature deprived the eyes of these animals, as an unnecessary element for them, of the number of cones that allow them to distinguish colors.

Why does a bull in a bullfight still rush at a red muleta? The thing is that for bullfighting they raise special bulls of the El Toro Bravo breed (translated as “the brave bull”), which are especially aggressive, angry, agile, but not particularly intelligent, stupid and therefore predictable in a duel with a bullfighter, which very important.

And then comes the climax - in the arena, a clever matador plays the last deadly game with an angry bull with the help of a red muleta, which with its movement drives the bull into an indescribable rage. The viewer freezes, watching every movement of the scarlet muleta, which is visible even in the last rows of the amphitheater. The flickering of red matter and the fury of the animal lead the viewer into indescribable delight - they long for the climax of the action, the viewer is waiting for the blood that is about to spill!

The red color of the material on the mulet is just a clever trick that brings the crowd of spectators into such ecstasy, making the spectacle bright and memorable. And the bull doesn’t care at all what color the muleta is - blue, red, yellow or white - he still doesn’t distinguish colors, and is only annoyed by the frantic movement of matter and the insane howl of the stands intoxicated by the bloody spectacle.

Today there are many most different breeds bulls, among which there are no “bad” ones, since each variety is bred for a specific purpose, winning in comparison with the others in some parameters and inferior in other characteristics. Regardless of the direction of breeding, these animals are of great agricultural importance to humans.

All about the bull

A bull is a large horned animal, a representative of the bovid subfamily of artiodactyls. Representatives of the species differ from other subfamilies in size and massive build.

A bull is taller than a cow because of its live weight adult 60–70% larger, the head is coarser, and the neck is thicker. The shoulders of bulls are more rounded, the chest is wider. Young bulls reach sexual maturity on average at 7 months of life.

Primitive bull

The ancestor of domestic cows was the wild bull, in particular, its subspecies, extinct in the wild, the aurochs (also primitive bull). Wild and the first domesticated aurochs were used only for meat, but with the growing dependence of people on agriculture, they began to be used mainly as labor: For many centuries, aurochs were the main draft animals and remain so in many third world countries to this day.

Domestic bull

Domestic bull - domesticated subspecies wild bull, which is bred for meat and leather. Males of the species are called bulls, castrated males are called oxen.

The inseminating bull (or breeding bull, also a stud male) is the main value in livestock breeding, as it is used in breeding to produce purebred offspring through natural mating or through artificial insemination. Incorrectly selected breeding males (with low potential, high differentiation of traits) can significantly reduce the productive qualities of the offspring, even when using outstanding mothers.

Domestic bull

Bull breeds

The entire variety of bull breeds, depending on the economic orientation, is conventionally divided into 3 branches:

• Dairy breeds. Individuals of this direction are bred for the production of dairy products. Their thin build makes them unprofitable for beef production, but they are good-natured and even-tempered.
• Meat breeds are large in size. Unlike dairy breeds, the physiological processes of meat varieties are aimed at increasing muscle tissue under conditions of the most optimal consumption. Such cows only have enough milk to feed their calves.
• Combined, that is, universal breeds are characterized by the fact that they combine the qualities of both directions.

Note! Beef is highly prized today dietary nutrition, in connection with which breeding of bulls is of particular importance meat breed. Their meat is low in fat and cholesterol, making it healthy.

There are more than 1,000 purebred bull breeds in the world, as well as about 30 hybrid forms. This diversity is explained by the wide distribution of cattle and its special importance in agriculture. In addition to the usual traditional breeds, there are quite exotic and rare varieties that are not so easy to see on an ordinary farm.

Takin

Takin (lat. Budorcas taxicolor) - butane bull, very rare view, which looks like a large goat. The height of the animal at the withers is about 100 cm, the length of the body is 120-150 cm, and the body weight reaches 300 kg. The takin has a large mouth and eyes, but small ears. It is covered with a thick golden skin that darkens towards the underbelly. The horns of males and females resemble those of a buffalo.

Black bull

Aberdeen Angus bull (English: Aberdeen Angus) is a breed that originates from Scotland. Distinctive features of Black Angus bulls are polled and black in color. Their Aberdeen dogs are passed on to their descendants even when crossed with individuals of other breeds.

These small cows rarely reach 120 cm at the withers. Their skin is loose and thin. The bones of animals are thin and make up 15-18% of the carcass weight.

Black bull

Zebu

Zebu (lat. Bos taurus indicus) is an unusual subspecies of wild bull with a pronounced hump. This muscle-fat formation serves as a kind of “warehouse” nutrients and plays important role in the life activity of the animal body.

The weight of adult zebu reaches 300-350 kg. Satisfactory meat qualities, as well as high milk fat content and endurance, make humpback bulls one of the most valuable forms of cattle in areas with hot climates.

Muskox

The musk ox, or musk ox (lat. Ovibos moschatus) is a large stocky mammal with a large head and short neck. Musk oxen are covered with unusually thick hair and have rounded horns with a massive base on the forehead.

Average height at the withers of an adult musk ox is 135 cm, weight varies from 260 to 650 kg.

Bull Gaur

Gaur (lat. Bos gaurus), or Indian bison - largest representative a kind of real bulls that were bred in India.

The body length of an adult gaur reaches an average of 3 m, height - 2 m. This bull from India weighs from 600 to 1500 kg. The gaur's horns are curved upward and resemble crescents in shape, the color of the coat is brown, approaching black.

The domesticated form of the gaur bull is gayal.

Watussi bull

Watussi (English: Ankole-Watusi) - African bull with a very exotic appearance. Characteristic feature The species has huge horns (up to 1.8 m in width), which serve as a kind of air conditioner for the animal. They are permeated with blood vessels and regulate the body's temperature in extreme heat.

Watussi are considered sacred bulls among African tribes, and only members of the nobility and the wives of chiefs can own them. These bulls are raised primarily for meat.

For your information! The weight of adult bulls reaches 600-730 kg.

Tibetan bull

Tibetan bull, also yak (lat. Bos mutus) or sarlyk - artiodactyl mammal originally from the Tibetan mountains. This species is difficult to confuse with another because of its memorable appearance. This is a massive, long-haired animal with a sloping back and long, upward-curved horns. The height of an adult at the withers reaches 2 m, weight - 1000 kg. Distinctive feature Yaks have rather short legs with a long body.

American bull

Bison (lat. Bison bison), or American bison- a large, massive animal with thick brown fur. The head is massive, broad-browed. The ends of the horns are wrapped inward.

The back of the American bull's body is not as developed as the front. The height of an adult individual is 2 m, length - 3 m.

Since ancient times, bulls have occupied an important place in human life, however, despite such close “neighborhood”, there are many so-called “false” myths about these animals, and some features of their content are incomprehensible to many.

Why do bulls react to the color red?

It is believed that during a bullfight, the bull attacks the matador's red cape because the color red irritates him. This is nothing more than a myth, since bulls and cows do not distinguish colors well. Moreover, they do not perceive the color red at all. The animal is irritated by something else - movement.

Bulls are very short-sighted, so the flickering of matter is perceived by them as a threat, but the red color for bullfighting was not chosen by chance. It is designed to calm, not irritate, not the bull, but the audience. The blood of an animal is not so noticeable on red fabric, and therefore its killing is perceived more calmly.

Are bulls able to distinguish colors?

Color blindness (also color blindness) is a hereditary feature of vision in humans and primates, which is expressed in the inability to distinguish all or some colors, but most often color blind people are people who are unable to see the color red. In this regard, it is difficult to give a definite answer to the question of whether bulls are color blind.

The fact is that bulls and cows have only two color receptors in their eyes, and not three, like in humans, and in general, most animals distinguish only the spectrum of colors that is important for their life. For them, this is a feature of vision, while for people, limited color recognition is a disease. While humans recognize shades of red, blue and yellow, and their various combinations, cattle are most sensitive to yellowish-green and blue-violet colors. And although bulls cannot distinguish between red tones, this does not make them color blind.

Bull and red

Why does a bull need a nose ring?

On a farm, bulls are usually kept with a nose ring. The reason is simple - these are large, strong animals that are difficult to control, but there are points on the animal’s body with increased pain sensitivity. These are ears, eyes and nose. That is why quite often the partition between the animal’s nostrils is used to attach a ring, with the help of which the obstinate animal is kept “in check” without much difficulty.

Ancient Egypt

The ancient Egyptians revered bulls as sacred animals. In particular, the Egyptian bull Apis (or Hapis), dedicated to the gods Osiris and Ptah, from ancient Egyptian mythology even had its own temple in Memphis.

Initially, Apis was considered the embodiment of part of the soul of Ptah, the patron saint of the city of Memphis, and acted as a symbol of the power of the pharaoh. It was believed that Apis existed in the body of an ordinary bull living at the temple, and with his death acquired a new incarnation.

When the previous incarnation of Apis died, the priests of Ptah began searching for a new “vessel” for the soul of their god. Once a new animal was found, it was fattened for a month, after which it was taken to the temple.

Breeding and keeping yaks at home

Domestic yaks are bred primarily for meat and wool, since the average annual milk yield of this breed is insignificant - about 500 liters per year, no more, but the milk is very fatty. The meat is coarse and is mainly used in the manufacture of sausages and canned food. In addition, about 3 kg of wool can be obtained per year from one adult individual.

Keeping and breeding yaks does not present any difficulties. Even domesticated cattle prefer to get food on their own, climbing high into the mountains. You can feed them with black bread, turnips, carrots and oats. The main thing is not to overdo it, since these products are a treat for yaks, and not daily food. Salt and bone meal are added to the feeders as a mineral supplement.

The yak pen is a simple fence made of metal structures, the height of which does not exceed 2.5 m. A small canopy is built inside the pen, under which the animals can shelter from the rain.

Important! Yaks are rather unsociable animals. This trait is especially noticeable during the rutting period, so it is recommended not to disturb them during this time.

Yaks can be crossed with domestic cows, and the resulting hybrids, khainaki, are convenient not only as draft animals, they are distinguished by good fertility and produce up to 3.5 tons of milk per year.

When choosing a bull for your estate, experts recommend paying attention to the following characteristics animal:

Important! In order not to spend a lot of time caring for animals at home, it is recommended to purchase young animals at the end of April so that they can be immediately put out for grazing.

The business of raising calves for meat can bring significant profits if you know not only the numerical parameters: milk productivity, meat yield, etc., but also some features of the nature of the breed and its content. It is equally important to pay attention to appearance animals upon purchase. And then the farmer will not go broke!