The origins of the Betizu are unknown. The name betizu derives from the Basque: behi izua, 'elusive cow', and distinguishes it from the etxebehi or 'house cow'.[5]: 59 [10] It appears in Basque mythology as Zezengorri ('red bull'), guardian of the treasure of the goddess Mari.[11]
The Betizu is sometimes believed to be the remnant of an ancient Pyrenean cattle population adapted to survive in marginal mountain terrain;[5]: 60 or it may derive from animals lost or escaped during the annual transhumance.[4]: 130
In 2013, the breed population in Navarre was estimated at 254,[13] while the number in Aquitaine was put at less than 150.[8] In 2023 a total of 1267 head was reported from Spain, including 688 cows and 50 bulls registered in the herd-book, distributed over 41 herds;[3] for France a population of 80–100 head was reported.[2] The conservation status for Spain was listed as "at risk/endangered", while for France it was "at risk/critical".[3][2]
^ abcBreed data sheet: Betizu / France (Cattle). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed November 2024.
^ abcBreed data sheet: Betizu / Spain (Cattle). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed November 2024.
^ abcMiguel Fernández Rodríguez, Mariano Gómez Fernández, Juan Vicente Delgado Bermejo, Silvia Adán Belmonte, Miguel Jiménez Cabras (editors) (2009). Guía de campo de las razas autóctonas españolas (in Spanish). Madrid: Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino. ISBN9788449109461.
These are the cattle breeds considered in France to be wholly or partly of French origin. Inclusion here does not necessarily imply that a breed is predominantly or exclusively French.
These are the cattle breeds considered in Spain to be wholly or partly of Spanish origin. Inclusion here does not necessarily imply that a breed is predominantly or exclusively Spanish.
