Tauros | Miltank
Corniger domesticus
Nomenclature
Tauros and miltank farming is an insular profession with a great many terms specific to it. Some of these make it difficult to refer to the species in general. A mixed population of tauros and miltank is referred to as 'tauros.' The species in general is also commonly known as tauros, unless specifically referring to females. Tauros is also a specific term for the males, with females being known as miltank. While tauros and miltank are historically classified as two different evolutionary stages, they could just as easily be described as a single type of pokémon with significant gender differences.
The scientific name could ordinarily be used to clear up any confusion that could result from referring to both tauros and miltank as 'tauros.' The most widely expected scientific name, C. domesticus, is heavily disputed. Tauros consist of at least three subspecies (C. d. taurine, C. d. zebu, C. d. sanga) that have heavily interbred with each other, as well as specialized breeds that arguably qualify for subspecies status in their own right. The feral tauros of Alola are also distinct enough from other breeds that some scientists have proposed a separate subspecies for them (C. d. vancouver). All three of the most widely accepted subspecies are regularly kept as livestock, pets, or battling companions in Alola.
To resolve these issues C. domesticus will be used when referring to the species as a whole. Tauros will be used to refer exclusively to males while miltank will be used to exclusively refer to females and freemartins. "Calves" will be used to refer to young specimens instead of the still-disputed Calfpint. The three subspecies will be referred to by their trinomial nomenclature. Breeds will be referred to by the breed name (i.e. hecks for the heck tauros). The one exception is the Alolan wild tauros which will be described as 'feral specimens.'
More specific industry terms to refer to age and castration status will not be used.
Overview
C. domesticus was one of the earliest large pokémon species to be domesticated. It is still a mystery how this was achieved as tauros can smash through most fences and routinely defeat the most common domesticated pokémon of the time. What is even more surprising is that this unlikely sequence of events happened independently three separate times. This gave rise to three subspecies. C. d. taurine, the tauros of East European origin, are best known for the ferocity of the males and volume of milk created by the females. C. d. zebu are the smallest and gentlest of the three subspecies. They were first domesticated in Pakistan and are still widely kept in South Asia. They share a common ancestor with C. d. aurochs. C. d. sanga were domesticated in the savannahs of Southeast Africa. They are descended from a larger and more aggressive ancestor than the Eurasian subspecies, although selective breeding throughout the millennia has made most breeds more docile than their European counterparts. African miltank produce the least milk relative to their size and food requirements.
The first tauros to arrive in Alola were gifted by European explorers. Because actual European breeds do not handle boats well, the gifted specimens were actually C. d. zebu. These founders would later interbreed with African and European subspecies to create the modern Alolan feral population. The feral population were originally protected by the monarchs of Alola. Even post-annexation hunting has failed to significantly reduce their numbers outside of Melemele.
The residents of Paniola Town became internationally famous for their skills working with imported C. domesticus. They established a major agriculture and tourism industry in the region that persists to this day.
All three subspecies are regularly kept in Alola. Tauros are powerful battlers that need very little coaxing to journey and fight. They are also kept on some farms for their meat and hides. Miltank are more regularly kept by farmers for their milk.
The species can be a good choice for most serious trainers. Those that want a challenge can attempt to raise a tauros, especially from the European breeds. Trainers more interested in having a ready source of milk may be more drawn to miltank. Most breeds of miltank (but especially the Asian breeds) can also make for good companions during and after the journey.
Physiology
Both tauros and miltank are classified as pure normal-types. The designation is not controversial.
Tauros are quadrupedal bovines with cloven hooves and three tails. Most breeds have long horns extending from the sides of their heads, although hornless breeds do exist. The size of the horns varies significantly between breeds with African breeds having longer horns than European ones. Asian breeds typically have the smallest horns. Most breeds also have three bony horns going up the forehead from between the eyes to the top of the skull. The Eurasian breeds often have manes of thick fur around their neck and upper torso. African breeds rarely do.
Miltank have several key differences from tauros. One of the most puzzling is their tails, or lack thereof. The vast majority of miltank only have a single tail compared to the three tauros have. Some breeds are also capable of briefly standing on their sturdy hindlegs, although they spend most of their time with all four legs on the ground. Selective breeding has also given adult miltank very large udders. Their ears are also longer than those of tauros. Finally, miltank usually have very small horns, although some breeds of miltank can rival those of tauros.
Coloration varies widely by breed. White and black are the most common colors for C. d. taurine. Red and brown are equally common for C. d. sanga and C. d. zebu.
Feral tauros are known for their comparatively small size and manes. They are typically black or dark brown in color. Feral miltank have smaller udders than their domesticated counterparts. Ferals of both sexes have longer necks and tongues than most breeds. The tauros have longer legs than most breeds. The miltank have very sturdy hind legs and are unusually good at standing upright on them. These adaptations help them survive as browsers in the forests and marshes of Alola. Most domesticated breeds are better adapted for life on plains.
C. domesticus are ruminates with a four-chambered stomach. Once food has been partially digested it will be transferred back to the mouth for more mastication. This can occur multiple times for particularly tough foodstuffs. As a side effect the species burps often. The methane they burp up has become a problem in mitigating climate change. There are some solutions, such as mixing seaweed into the diet, but these have yet to be accepted at an industrial scale.
Tauros weight and height varies dramatically by breed. The largest sanga breeds can be six and a half feet tall at the top of the hips. The heaviest taurine breeds can weigh up to two tons. More typical specimens will be five to six feet tall and weigh around one ton. Alolan feral tauros are usually around five feet tall at the withers and weigh about fifteen hundred pounds. Miltank are usually about 80% the height as tauros when standing on four legs, although they can be nearly as heavy. Some breeds can live for up to forty years in ideal conditions when not culled early. Feral specimens usually live about twenty years. Hormonal treatments that cause quicker growth and more milk yield typically reduce lifespan, although agricultural tauros are so seldom allowed to reach the end of their natural lifespan that data on the subject is mixed.
Behavior
Feral C. domesticus live in herds of up to twenty individuals. The strongest tauros is dominant over the herd and has his choice of mate. Outside of mate choice and occasional displays of submission, dominance does not actually appear to confer tangible benefits. Some miltank have even been documented rejecting the advances of the dominant tauros in favor of a lower-ranked male.
Dominance displays between tauros typically involve locking horns and attempting to overpower the other. This can result in cosmetic damage. Older dominant tauros often have large and badly damaged horns as a testament to the many challenges they have withstood. Miltank social hierarchy is based on the relative status of their mates. The most common submissive display is neck licking. Children will often lick their parents, mates will lick each other, and lower-ranked tauros will lick the dominant one. Captive specimens of both sexes will of repeatedly lick a respected trainer's neck and face as a show of submission and affection.
For most of the year tauros are actually quite docile towards conspecifics and other species. The exception is when nursing tauros and miltank are present. Tauros and even miltank will lash out at anyone, be they pokémon, human, or animal, who comes to close. Usually they will warn off trespassers by whipping their paws around, bellowing, or stomping the ground. Sometimes tauros will not extend this curtesy before charging. Even tauros' famed dominance contests rarely result in anything more than superficial damage. Intentionally harming an opponent leads to ostracization from the herd.
Tauros have earned their reputation from the circumstances they find themselves in on most farms. Tauros are often kept in small, frequently changing groups away from miltank and nursing calves. They seldom have the ability to wander where they please or have regular access to a mate. These situations cause stress and result in intra and interspecies aggression from tauros. The lack of socialization in a stable herd may also contribute to the problem. Tauros that are frequently battled with will also come to view any nearby pokémon as a potential rival and a threat that must be intimidated or injured.
Wild-born tauros that are treated well and battled with infrequently can be perfectly pleasant companions. Specimens raised in mixed-species herds are also usually calmer than those raised in more artificial conditions.
Feral specimens tend to be rather shy. When humans approach they will retreat deeper into the forest and attempt to avoid detection. This is a selectively bred-for response to the hunts of the last few decades of the Twentieth Century. Only the most reclusive individuals survived. Feral specimens may lash out if cornered, but can be gentle with lone travelers in their woods who do not cause them trouble.
The feral population may also play the role of a keystone species within some of their forests. They are large and strong enough to move away any small trees that block their paths. C. domesticus are also not the cleanest feeders, resulting in some of their food falling down to the ground where it can be eaten by creatures that could not reach or climb to it. Their droppings may also help fertilize the soil, helping alleviate the problem rainforests tend to have with low soil quality. Studies are currently underway to assess the ecological impact that the species may be having on Alola's cloud forests.
Husbandry
Tauros and miltank are large pokémon with a calorically sparse diet. Lactating miltank must also dedicate energy towards producing milk. As a result the species tends to have higher care requirements than many traveling trainers are used to. Adults of the larger breeds can require thirty pounds of food and thirty gallons of water per day. Smaller breeds can require half or a third as much at the cost of power in battle. Tauros and miltank can be taught to act as pack pokémon carrying some of their food, but this can still be difficult to manage on extended trips in the backcountry.
What food is needed varies by breed and individual tastes. Alolan ferals prefer fruit, leaves, and some bark. Grazing-oriented breeds prefer hay, grass, corn, and other grains. All food must be checked to ensure that it is not moldy or rotten. Feeding food of a poor quality can result in health problems in the short and long term.
Some trainers have discovered they can get their pokémon free food by loaning them out as a lawn care pokémon while in cities. C. domesticus trim grass down to one to two inches of height and then stop. Manure will need to be removed from the property, but manure can also be sold to farmers and gardeners. Trainers with a lactating miltank can also sell milk to help offset the costs of caring for the pokémon. There is a small but steady market in Alola for tauros and miltank products made from well-treated traveling companions.
Well-socialized miltank generally get along well with teammates. They are social creatures that enjoy playing with or simply being in the presence of their friends. Tauros can be a little testy with teammates at first as they try and work out a hierarchy. Once the pokémon knows where it stands within the ranks things may get easier. However, tauros often react poorly to pokémon they believe to be weaker than them intruding on their space, food, or preferred toys. Tauros are still social and enjoy the presence of others so long as boundaries and rank are respected. It is easiest to keep a tauros when it is the weakest of the trainer's pokémon. This is rarely the case in practice given the species' raw power. For optimal socialization trainers may wish to consider having both a tauros and a miltank on their team. Both are powerful in their own ways and the presence of a member of the opposite sex will reduce aggression and anxiety.
C. domesticus generally relies on conspecifics to groom them. If there are no pokémon that will do so the task will fall to the trainer. Soft brushes are preferred. A brushing every one to three days will help keep the pokémon happy and bonded with their trainer. On hot days the species also enjoys being sprayed down with a hose or water-type. Most breeds can swim and some specimens will enjoy the opportunity. Others will see swimming as a last resort.
Tauros can be used as both pack and ride pokémon. Some species of miltank can be used for this purpose as well, although it is far less traditional. Be sure that the individual pokémon's temperament and relationship with the trainer will allow for this work. Attempting to burden a skittish or standoffish tauros can result in harm to the trainer, the pokémon, or both.
Illness
As a domesticated species traditionally kept in relatively high densities, C. domesticus has a large number of noteworthy infections. The most famous of these is Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), better known as mad tauros disease. The illness stems from a prion that results in degeneration in the brain, leading to personality shift, cognitive decline, and eventually death. There is no known cure. All infected animals must be euthanized under the law. Some trainers attempt to hide the illness to protect their pokémon. This is misguided and dangerous. Upon infection the pokémon as it previously was is either dead or dying. Even very affectionate pets can become aggressive. The earliest warning signs of BSE are a shift in behavior for no clear cause. Get the pokémon tested immediately if this occurs.
The most likely cause of BSE appears to be cannibalism. That is, feeding the species meat from other conspecifics. This is highly uncommon with trainers. On larger operations it was once common to feed meat in order to increase caloric intake and growth. The practice has since been curbed. The disease can also be spread between an infected specimen and another ruminate it has close access to.
Blackleg is another particularly worrisome ailment. Contrary to its name, blackleg has no consistent visible symptoms. Lethargy and anorexia can occur but are not reliable indicators. By the time the symptoms manifested it is usually too late to save the pokémon. It is also impossible to reliably ward against blackleg as it comes from ingesting bacterial spores while grazing. The disease is at least not contagious, meaning that the pokémon can be around teammates and its trainer before death.
Footrot, however, is what it sounds like. An infected specimen will begin to experience tissue death around the hooves, eventually resulting in lameness or death. The disease is infectious. Outside of exposure to an infected individual it is unlikely for a specimen to contract the disease. So long as all team members are checked for signs of rot before they are put on to the team infection is unlikely. The disease also escalates far more slowly than blackleg. Some specimens can live healthy lives for years or decades after infection.
Pinkeye is a common but not particularly lethal infection among C. domesticus. Flies carrying the disease will often harass the pokémon around its face, putting the infection into the eye. Symptoms include pus leaking from the eye and the eye swelling shut. Medicinal eyedrops can cure the infection within a few days.
Evolution
At present no evolutionary stages are recognized. This may be changed in the future as young tauros and miltank are quite similar in appearance, aside from the relative strength of their hind legs. Newborn specimens of either sex lack teats or horns. The females will develop teats as they mature. Both sexes of most breeds will develop horns as they grow, although the males will develop much larger ones.
Battle
Tauros do one thing and they are quite good at it. They are strong physical attackers that charge down opponents before hitting them with a powerful contact move like body slam, giga impact, iron head, throat chop, or close combat. Tauros have a wide but shallow elemental pool, allowing them to use moves like thunderbolt and flamethrower against flying opponents they can not otherwise hits. These will not be strong attacks but they do prevent them from being totally helpless in bad matchups.
Tauros are consistently popular in lower-level competitive circuits but are usually absent at the highest levels. Despite their relative power, speed, and ease of care, professional trainers with multimillion dollar budgets can usually afford to purchase or seek out a more consistent pokémon. Still, some trainers have used tauros at even the highest levels to some success. Some breeds can reach speeds of forty miles an hour while weighing well over a ton. Few pokémon enjoy taking hits from such a pokémon. However, tauros are not particularly durable themselves. Their size and musculature keeps them from being true glass cannons, but in the highest echelons they cannot reliably take a hit from many offensive powerhouses.
Miltank lack the speed or raw power of tauros. They make up for it in durability and utility. Miltank have thick bones and their organs are protected by thick layers of fat and muscle. Their milk also has short-term regenerative properties. Lactating miltank can absorb their own milk into the rest of their body as needed to keep themselves healthy. Heal bell can also ward off status conditions and heal allies. Curse further slows them down but lets miltank abuse their durability and healing to grow stronger and harder to hurt over time. Miltank also have excellent elemental resistance, particularly against fire and ice, helping them sponge elemental attacks while they boost their physical power and durability. Their lack of speed can then be mitigated by bulldoze or rollout.
None of this is enough to give miltank much use among ranked trainers, especially since it competes with blissey and snorlax for a role as a durable normal-type. Miltank are less passive than blissey and much cheaper to care for than snorlax, giving them at least a niche. Two ranked trainers use one in at least 10% of their official matches.
Miltank and tauros age at a good rate for the island challenge. Specimens caught young at the challenge's start will have reached maturity by the time of the third or fourth island. Adult tauros and mlitank are more than capable of holding their own until the end of the challenge. Only the most durable pokémon can tank hits from tauros. On the island challenge miltank are less straightforward to use and seldom reach the same effectiveness in the average battle as tauros. Their versatility and bulk helps them in stranger and more difficult matches, especially the last few trials where tauros can be mobbed and overwhelmed if sent in too early.
Acquisition
Tauros are the rare pokémon where captive-bred specimens are usually less friendly than wild ones. This varies by breed and the type of care they receive, but is reflected in their licensure requirements: tauros can be caught with a Class III license, but only purchased or adopted with a Class IV. Miltank require a Class III license to obtain.
Many farms in Alola sell tauros and miltank. It is not recommended to buy from standard agricultural operations as the pokémon may have health and socialization problems. A handful of specialty breeders breed and raise the species to be well-suited to battle and gentle enough to work with easily. The best of these farms are on Akala, especially in the Paniola Valley where C. domesticus care first took root in the islands.
Feral C. domesticus can be found in highland forests on Akala, Ula'Ula, and Poni. Capture within Poni National Park is legal without limit to facilitate the species' removal. Restrictions on Akala and Ula'Ula vary by season and location but are also usually rather lax. The easiest places to find them there are Route 6 and the Paniola Valley in Akala and the area north of the meadow and west of Mt. Hokulani on Ula'Ula.
When obtaining a wild specimen it is easiest to carefully wait out in the forests for several days, occasionally dispensing sweet treats. Eventually the largest tauros will approach, often flanked by other males. If any of the trainer's pokémon can defeat the tauros in a proving battle they will part with a semi-adult tauros or miltank. This does limit wild capture to trainers with powerful enough pokémon to take on a large and powerful wild pokémon and win.
Breeding
A mated pair of tauros generally stay together until either individual dies, at which point the survivor can take a new mate. After mating the two will mate. Gestation lasts nine months. At the end one to two calves will be born. The miltank will continue to nurse her children for another nine months. Some breeds reach sexual maturity at seven months, although they will not actually take a mate until they are weaned. In captivity it used to be common to artificially inseminate miltank as soon as they were sexually mature, even if they were still nursing. This results in a higher incidence of birth defects and abandoned children. The practice was eventually phased out as a result, although some farmers still do it from time to time.
Miltank's milk is incredibly dense in calories, nutrients, and healing agents. Children of most species will experience accelerated growth when regularly drinking this milk. In adults it can be useful in small doses when hurt, but continued usage can result in obesity.
In captivity many trainers and farmers are more interested in the milk than the calves. Once a miltank has experienced true pregnancy or hormonally simulated pseudo-pregnancy they will begin to lactate. They will continue to lactate until they stop being milked. Trainers will need to milk their pokémon at least twice a day to prevent discomfort and medical complications in the miltank.
Do not attempt to milk a feral-born miltank.
Miltank have one of the more noteworthy intersex variations among mammalian pokémon. When twin miltank and tauros are born the female will often be an intersex freemartin. She will grow larger than other miltank and display male-typical behaviors, including mating with other miltank. Some freemartins take long-term mates, others simply perform mating acts with any miltank who is unmated and willing to do so. Freemartins are rarely fertile or capable of lactation. As such their main use in miltank farming is providing a 'tauros' to calm down the miltank without risk of unideal pregnancies. They can also be used to figure out which individuals are receptive towards mating, and then introduce them to the preferred sire.
Miltank and tauros can mate with other breeds. As a result many breeds are not strictly taurine, zebu, or sanga, but are some mix of the three. Sanga breeds have been especially diluted by interbreeding. They can also mate and have fertile offspring with almost every known bovine and some other ruminates.
Relatives
The ancestor of the original taurine and zebu breeds is the now-extinct auraclops (C. monachusilva). There have been attempts to 'resurrect' the breed by selectively breeding for traits contemporary witnesses described in auraclops. This has resulted in large, reclusive known as Heck tauros and miltank.
The original ancestor of the sanga breeds is Widtusi (C. viduus). It isn't entirely clear how nomadic tribesmen managed to domesticate such a powerful and aggressive pokémon. In addition to pure Widtusi hybrids known as Cape tauros have established themselves on the savannah. Actual widtusi tend to live in forests and wetlands.