Niata
(most common name in English)

(most common name):
• Ñata

The Niata, a variety of Criollo with a bulldog snout, is now extinct. The name Niata is derived from the local name of ñata, meaning ‘snub-nose’.

Feliz de Azara provided the first descriptions of this cattle variety at the end of the 18th century. In 1833, Darwin located a few specimens in the northern part of the Rio de la Plata (which is now Uruguay). Further biological data provided by Dr. Muñiz contributed to Darwin’s studies on the evolution of the species.

The Niata was found in Uruguay, the Islands of southern Chile, and the province of Jujuy in the extreme northwest of Argentina.

Niata skull characteristics included:
• a very short and broad forehead
• upwardly curved nasal bone
• upwardly curved whole plane of the upper molar teeth
• upwardly curved lower jaw projecting beyond the upper
• upper lip drawn back
• nostrils seated high up and wide open
• eyes projecting outwards

The Niata in the province of Jujuy were kept under very harsh conditions, foraging the rugged semi-arid valleys at an elevation of about 300 meters ASL during winter and then climbing over 3,500 meters to the Andean pastures during summer.

(Spanish) ñata = snub-nose
ASL = above sea level

This page was last updated on: 2023-05-19

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