ThePantaneiro is a Brazilianbreed ofCriollo cattle from thePantanal wetland region of Brazil, where it has been raised for more than four hundred years. In the twenty-first century it is considered to be at risk of extinction.
The Pantaneiro derives from Spanish cattle brought to the Americas by theconquistadores at the time of thecolonisation of theRío de la Plata basin.[3]: 1610 Cattle were first brought to theMato Grosso in the 1540s; in 1568 a herd of more than seven hundred head was carried off by local indigenous people and taken to the extensivewetlands of thePantanal, where they raised them for some two hundred years.[4]: 267 From the eighteenth century, when agreement was reached with the colonists, the stock was influenced by breeds of Portuguese origin such as theCurraleiro andFranqueiro.[4]: 267 [3]: 1610 DNA studies have shown that there has been contamination of the breed through the use of bulls ofzebuine breeds such as theNelore, introduced to the Pantanal region during the twentieth century;[3]: 1610 approximately one quarter of thegenome is of Nelore origin, while themitochondrial DNA was found to be entirelytaurine.[4]: 267 [3]: 1610
The Pantaneiro was the principal breed of the Pantanal for several centuries. It is now considered to be at risk of extinction.[5]: 67 In 2003 a population of less than 1000 was reported.[2]
The Pantaneiro is a small breed; the coat is short, and brown or reddish-brown in colour, with a tendency to lighten on the back.[3]: 1610 [6] It is well adapted to the extreme climatic conditions of the Pantanal region, which is characterised by high temperatures and periods both of flooding and high humidity, and of drought. The cattle are rustic and hardy, capable of surviving periods of food scarcity, and resistant to some diseases.[7]: 2
^abcdefghBreed data sheet: Pantaneiro/Brazil. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed May 2016.
