- Also called:
- arni
Water buffalo
-
What is a water buffalo?
The water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is an Asian mammal, similar to the ox, that exists in both wild and domestic forms. The domestic water buffalo has around 74 breeds, with approximately 165 million animals. Wild water buffalo are fewer in number.
Both wild and domestic water buffalo are typically gray to black, marked by off-white patches and chevrons on the neck. Their horns curve backward in a crescent shape, and can reach nearly 2 metres (6.6 feet) in length. Domesticated water buffaloes are used for milk and as draft animals. Wild water buffaloes live in Southeast Asian swamps and forests, where they feed on grass and sedges.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Where do water buffalo live?
The water buffalo, Bubalus bubalis, is native to Asia but has been introduced to other regions, including Europe, Africa, the Americas, Australia, Japan, and Hawaii. Wild water buffalo inhabit Southeast Asian swamps and forests. Domesticated water buffalo are common throughout the warmer parts of the Old World, from China to Egypt, and in countries such as Hungary, France, and Italy.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What do water buffalo look like?
The water buffalo, Bubalus bubalis, is an Asian mammal similar to the ox. They can be wild or domestic, with around 165 million domestic animals belonging to 74 breeds. Wild water buffalo are fewer in number.
Both wild and domestic water buffalo are gray to black, marked by off-white "socks" and chevrons on the neck, though domestic breeds can have more white. Their horns curve backward in a crescent shape. The record horn length is just under 2 meters (6.6 feet), the longest among cattle or any other bovid.
The wild water buffalo can grow to nearly 3 meters (10 feet) long and 2 meters tall, weighing up to 1,200 kg (2,600 pounds), with females being about two-thirds this size.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How are water buffalo used by people?
The water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is a significant animal for people, especially in Asia. Domesticated water buffalo are often called the "living tractor of the East" because they are used as draft animals to plow rice paddies and cultivate irrigated land. They also provide milk, which has a high butterfat content, and meat. Additionally, water buffalo can be used as pack or riding animals.
5 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What do water buffalo eat and how do they find their food?
The wild water buffalo, found in Southeast Asian swamps and forests, primarily eats grass and sedges, often feeding at night. During the day, they rest in water or wallow in mud to stay cool and avoid insects.
Like other artiodactyls, water buffalo are dependent on their environment for food, relying on feeding areas not being covered by too much snow or shriveled under a drought. They also depend on the regulating effects of fire or other herbivores on the seasonal succession of vegetation. They have an acute sense of smell that helps them detect predators.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How do water buffalo help the environment and other animals?
Water buffaloes, particularly the swamp type, play a significant role in their ecosystems. They graze on grasses and sedges, mainly at night, and during the day, they rest in water or wallow in mud to stay cool and avoid insects.
The Cape buffalo thrives in grassland habitats, requiring substantial grass quantities. They consume taller, coarser grasses, helping maintain grassland balance. They also browse woody vegetation when necessary and prefer habitats with water access.
However, wild water buffalo and related Asian species face endangerment due to habitat loss and overhunting.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Water buffalo, (Bubalus bubalis), either of two forms, wild and domestic, of Asian mammal similar to the ox. There are 74 breeds of domestic water buffalo numbering some 165 million animals, but only small numbers of wild water buffalo remain. Both forms are gray to black with off-white “socks” and one or two white chevrons on the neck; domestic forms may have more white. Horns in both sexes curve backward in a crescent. The record horn length is just under 2 metres (6.6 feet)—the longest among cattle or any other bovid, although in domestic forms the horns are shorter or even absent. Single offspring are born after a gestation of 10 to 11 months. Longevity of the domesticated water buffalo can be 40 years, but the wild form is not as long-lived, even in captivity.
The domesticated water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is the “living tractor of the East” and has been introduced to Europe, Africa, the Americas, Australia, Japan, and Hawaii. There are two types, river and swamp, each considered a subspecies. The river buffalo was present by 2500 bc in India and 1000 bc in Mesopotamia. The breed was selected mainly for its milk, which contains 8 percent butterfat. Breeds include the Murrah with its curled horns, the Surati, and the Jafarabadi. Swamp buffalo more closely resemble wild water buffalo and are used as draft animals in rice paddies throughout Southeast Asia. Breeds range from the 900-kg (2,000-pound) Thai and haizi to the 400-kg wenzhou and carabao. Children ride them to their wallows after their labours and clean their faces and ears.
The wild water buffalo is sometimes referred to as a different species (B. arnee). It can interbreed with domestic water buffalo. This wild form is a huge animal, nearly 3 metres (10 feet) long and 2 metres tall and weighing up to 1,200 kg (2,600 pounds); females are about two-thirds this size. The hooves are large and splayed, and two flexible joints (fetlock and pastern) near the hooves allow for easier walking through deep mud. Wild water buffalo live in Southeast Asian swamps and forests, where they feed on grass and sedges, mostly at night. By day they rest in water up to their nostrils, or they wallow and “shovel” mud onto themselves with their horns to keep cool and escape biting insects. Five to eight closely related cows and offspring live together, perhaps with a bull, while young males live in bachelor groups. Feral herds number up to 30 animals. Their sense of smell is very acute, and if a predator is detected, the group will advance together with horns lowered. A few dozen herds possibly persist from east-central India to Thailand, but these will likely be lost as they interbreed with feral domestic forms.
" height="20" alt="HEW Logo">
Three other Bubalus species, two anoas (dwarf buffalos) and the tamarao, live in forests of Sulawesi and the Philippines. The wild water buffalo and all its Asian relatives are endangered by habitat loss and overhunting. Water buffalo and the African Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) diverged from yaks and bison about three million years ago.