Ruminococcus bovis (bo'vis. L. gen. n. bovis of the cow) Ruminococcus bovis is an obligately anaerobic, catalasenegative and oxidase-negative bacterium. It is Gram-stainpositive and forms chains of small cocci when cultured in liquid medium. When cultured on TSB+FAC solid medium, it forms small, slightly opaque, off-white, circular colonies with even margins. Fermentation of D-galactose,D-glucose, D-fructose, maltose, glycogen, aesculin/ferric citrate and starch is indicated by API CH 50. The major fermentation product is acetate, with ethanol and glycerol as minor products. No lactate, butyrate, butanol, propionate, succinate or pyruvate is produced.

The type strain is JE7A12 T (=ATCC TSD-225 T =NCTC 14479 T) and was originally isolated from rumen content of a healthy, Holstein cow from Tulare, California, USA. The genomic DNA G+C content of the type strain is 34.6 mol%.