1. Cows have a complex digestive system, which they need to process grass into carbohydrates. 2. Cows produce methane when they digest food, which they release as flatulence. Twenty-five percent of the methane polluting the atmosphere in the United States comes from cows. 3. Scientists are currently trying to alter the genetic makeup of the basic cow, in an attempt to lower the amount of methane gas they produce during digestion. 4. In America, cowboys were originally called 'cowherds.' Australians and New Zealanders call them “jackaroos” or “jillaroos”; and, in Latin America, they are called 'vaqueros' or 'gauchos.' 5. In Africa, cattle are bred and raised by nomadic herders who have no home base; they roam in small groups and use their herds for their own subsistence as well as for trading. 6. 'Cow' technically refers to a female that has had at least one calf; males are called 'bulls' or 'steer,' and a female who has yet to have a calf is called a 'heifer.' 7. Cows have a hard time seeing things that are directly in front of them, so they normally turn their heads to the side when they want to look at something. 8. The beef from the Japanese Wagyu breeds of cattle is typically graded two degrees higher than the best prime beef produced in the United States. 9. There are over 800 different breeds of cows in the world. 10. Cows raised for meat are typically of a different breed than those used to produce milk. 11. Some beef companies put “vegetarian fed” on their labels as a sales tactic, but all cattle are vegetarian fed—cows mainly eat grass or grain. 12. Cows have near-panoramic vision, meaning they can see in almost every direction of a 360-degree circle. 13. Cows can smell things that are up to six miles away. 14. Cows do not have teeth on the upper front part of their mouths; they cut grass by pressing their bottom teeth against their hard top palate. 15. The typical cow chews cud for up to 8 hours a day, moving its jaws around 40,000 times in the process. 16. Although cows can sleep while standing, they usually spend around 10 hours a day lying down. 17. Wagyu beef, generally held to be some of the best beef in the world, usually comes from cows raised in Japan with such luxuries as massages, a better diet, and longer life spans before being butchered. 18. Contrary to popular belief, a bull charges a matador not because of the red color of the flag he holds but because of the way the matador moves it. 19. The first cow in North America was brought over with the settlers of Jamestown in 1611. 20. In the United States, there are around 98 million cows. 21. Cows fall into the category of “ruminant mammals,” which are animals that chew cud. Other ruminants include sheep, goats, deer, and giraffes. 22. The average cow’s stomach holds up to 50 gallons—about the same amount as most bathtubs—of partially digested food. 23. A cow’s stomach has four different compartments, each serving a different digestive function. 24. The hamburger was first introduced to the world at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. 25. The meat from a single cow can be ground into 2,000 quarter-pound hamburger patties. 26. In the mid-19th century, almost every single American family owned at least one cow. 27. Cows originated in the British Isles and Europe. Humans domesticated cows between 8,000 and 10,000 years ago. 28. Jersey cows are a breed of cattle that is particularly valued and guarded for their purity. 29. The curled horns of the Ayrshire breed of cows can grow to over 12-inches long, although the impractical horns are usually removed when the calf is still young. 30. 'Kobe' beef is often bought at exorbitant prices by unsuspecting consumers who assume they are buying prime Japanese Wagyu beef. 31. One important parameter that determines the primeness of a piece of beef is the amount of marbling; more marbling means more veins of fat that will then melt into the beef when cooked, making the meat soft, moist, and more tasty.