McNeill, Arizona (KGUN) — Rising temperatures and lack of rain are affecting ranchers. But cows and other animals don’t seem to mind.

47 Ranch owner Dennis Molony said, “The good thing about these cows that we raise is that their behavior is quite adapted to environmental conditions, so in hot weather they may not be very active. No,’ he said.

Moloney owns a 24,000-acre ranch in McNeill. In 2010 he purchased 15 Criollo cows after hearing that Criollo cows are better suited for hot, dry climates.

“I think they’re really smart about how they handle things,” McNeil said. “They have a long history of association with people living in desert environments.”

Moloney said the Criollo cattle originated in parts of Africa with temperatures similar to those in southern Arizona. He decided to create a herd, thinking it could withstand and survive the climate of the ranch.

“Ironically, if you look at a globe, we’re at roughly the same latitude as where these cows came from,” Molony said.

One way to prevent overheating is to change your diet according to the season. Moloney said she was surprised to see them eating prickly pears and mesquite in the pasture.

“Our cows are just changing their diet based on what’s available and what biofeedback tells us about what they need,” he said.

Water supplies are a concern at this time of year, Moloney said, because cows come from hot climates.

“The main fragile resource on the ranch is water,” he said. “We always have to pay attention to water.”

A “sewage tank” is installed on the site to collect wastewater and rainwater, but it is drying up quickly. Moloney said the cows are enjoying the leftovers and the light rain from a few weeks ago.

“The cows were in the water up to their shoulders.

Most of the water used on the ranch comes from various wells on the property. Molony said he checks the water supply almost daily to make sure the cows have enough water.

“Higher heat means more water consumption on the animal side, which means more demands on water infrastructure,” he said.

Molony said he believes ranchers will have to adapt to climate change in the same way cattle do.

“I think we’re going to see big changes in the West and the Southwest in the next generation or so,” he says.