Brahman cattle may vary in color from light gray or red to almost black. The mature weight of the American Brahman is approximately 725 kg to 1,000 kg for mature bulls and 540 kg to 635 kg for mature cows. They have dark skin pigmentation around the eyes and ears, which filters the intense rays of the sun to help prevent cancer eye. Their classic characteristics are a well defined hump centered over their shoulder, loose, pliable skin and a heavy dewlap.
The loose skin and short, thick, glossy hair coat aid in allowing them to withstand the sun. Brahman cattle also have a greater ability to sweat freely, allowing them to better dissipate excess body heat, which enables them to be more heat tolerant. Their resistance to insects and internal parasites, combined with heat tolerance, help them to withstand harsh environmental conditions.
Brahmans also possess the ability to utilize low-quality roughage and travel large distances to get food and water. Brahman females possess good mothering instincts and produce large quantities of high-quality milk on minimal resources.