Texas Longhorn

An American beef cattle breed known for its exceptionally long horns, which can span more than 8 feet (2.4 meters) from tip to tip, descended from cattle brought by Spanish colonists starting around Columbus's second voyage in 1493 and continuing to about 1512, first landed on Caribbean islands such as Hispaniola to feed colonists. Over the following centuries these cattle spread through Spanish territory in Mexico and north into Texas, and many escaped or were turned loose to live semi-feral on the open range for generations, a long period of minimal human management that bred into them a higher tolerance of heat and drought than most European cattle breeds; their coats vary widely in color, with roughly 40 percent some shade of red. The Texas Longhorn was named the state's official large mammal in 1995 and remains a symbol of Texas heritage, used today for beef production, conservation breeding and occasionally steer riding competitions, with elite bloodline animals selling at auction for premium prices, including a recorded sale above $380,000.