Phenotypic Description of the Native Cattle Found in Maharashtra State: A Review

India is rich in the world’s largest and most diverse livestock with about 535.78 million animals. Cattle is a major livestock species in India comprising nearly 36% of the total livestock population. According to 20^th livestock census, Maharashtra comprises 13.99 million cattle population, out of which 9.38 million are indigenous and 4.60 million are exotic and crossbred cattle. Maharashtra is divided into nine agro-climatic zones on the basis of annual rainfall, soil type, vegetation and cropping pattern. Due to this climatic diversity, different cattle populations have been developed according to the local demand. Out of total 53 registered cattle breeds, 7 breeds viz., Dangi, Gaolao, Khillar, Red Kandhari, Deoni, Konkan Kapila and Kathani are found in Maharashtra. These breeds are generally draft type and can be used for transport and agriculture. Other cattle populations (nondescript) consist of nearly 67% of the total cattle of the state and Maharashtra ranks 5th position in total nondescript cattle population of India. Indigenous livestock is adapted to the adverse conditions of our country and is resistant to various diseases. Hence, there is an urgent need for identification, characterization, evaluation and documentation of the nondescript populations. Further, admixture level of these populations should be studied for developing suitable breeding and conservation strategies for the breeds and/ populations.