Tauren (fictional species)


 * This article is about the fictional species. For the fursuiter, see Tauren Tom.

The Tauren are a race of anthropomorphic bovines, and one of the major playable characters, in Activision Blizzard's games Warcraft III and World of Warcraft.

Taurens are huge bipedal anthropomorphic bovines, in appearance resembling the Minotaur of Greek mythology. They weigh almost half a ton and can grow up to 12 ft tall. Their name is an anagram for "nature", as well as a reference to the constellation Taurus the bull.

Blizzard design
Original concept art shows them with three fingers and a thumb, and the models in Warcraft III seem to reflect this. However, in World of Warcraft, Tauren were given thick forearms with two fingers and a thumb.

In Warcraft III, the icon for Warstomp, a Tauren ability, shows a single-toed hoof, far more akin to a horse's foot than a cow's. However, the models in the game do show cloven hooves, more like Earth cows.

In World of Warcraft, the foot structure changed again, making the Tauren flat footed (unlike real cows) and rounding the tips of their hooves considerably.

Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is present in the species, with the males being eight feet tall with an enormous, muscular build. Females are shorter and more delicately built, with smaller horns, but are still massive and muscular when compared to other races.

Trivia

 * Tauren shamans are often seen carrying their ancestral totems, which are essentially large carved out logs. These logs are often used as weapons, along with the polearm weapon that the chieftains use.


 * Other Shamans carry staves or maces, and although they have the ability to learn how to use daggers, their ecologically focused beliefs do not allow them to wield large swords, however, warrior tauren still do.


 * With the Wrath of the Lich King expansion pack for WoW, the Tauren first came in contact with a distant relative of their race, the Taunka. The two races look almost identical, except the Taunka look more like buffalo instead of cattle, and have thicker, lighter color fur.

Tauren and furry
They are a popularly chosen species amongst furry players due that they were the only initial playable anthro characters in the game until the introduction of the Worgen in the WoW's expansion pack Cataclysm, and the addition of the Pandaren in the 2012 Mists of Pandaria pack.