Water buffalo

Scientific name

Bubalus bubalis

Adult Weight

300 - 550 kg

Diet

Herbivore. Mainly feeds on aquatic plants, grass and leaves.

Gestation Period

11 months

Lifespan

20 – 30 years

Habitat

Water buffalo spends majority of its day submerged in the muddy waters to assist in thermoregulation and to prevent overheating and mud also helps to keep the body away from insect biting.

Uses

In Asia, buffalo were used as pack animals; they are rear for milk or meat in Italy, Romania and Bulgaria.

Characteristic

Swamp buffalo are heavy-bodied and stockily built; the body is short and the belly large. They have a grey skin at birth, but become slate blue later. Their horns grow outward and curve in a semicircle. Buffalo have fewer sweat glands so they are prone to overheating due to over-exertion. They like to wallow in mud holes which they make with their horns. Their large hoofed feet prevent sinking of the animal into the mud. They are especially suitable for tiling rice fields, and their milk is richer in fat and protein than that of dairy cattle.