---
title: "Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "A farm giant that can reach 1,000 kg and wallows in mud to cool off."
image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/water-buffalo-1.webp"
published: "2026-10-10"
updated: "2026-10-10"
---
# Water Buffalo (*Bubalus bubalis*)
> **Status**: Checked against 2 sources, listed under Sources below.
> **Tagline**: A farm giant that can reach 1,000 kg and wallows in mud to cool off.
> **Soundtrack Vibe**: Sludge Metal & Abyssal Doom // Crowbar, "Planets Collide"
> **Soundtrack Links**: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/63pYUOIN96N6MkWN6vPEfP)
> **Vibe Match**: It cools off by wallowing in mud, which evaporates more slowly than plain water, and a river buffalo can weigh 1,000 kg. Crowbar's riffs drag at the same half speed, heavy and slow to dry.
## Biological Superpowers & Stats
- **Taxonomy**: *Bubalus bubalis*
- **Danger Level**: High
- **Conservation Status**: Not Evaluated ([IUCN Red List](https://www.iucnredlist.org/))
- **Superpower**: Wallows in mud to cool off, with sweat glands that are poorly spread
- **Habitat**: Hot, wet floodplains and farms: river buffalo mainly in India, Pakistan, Europe and the Americas, swamp buffalo in Southeast Asia and Australia
- **Diet**: Mostly grass, plus herbs, aquatic plants, leaves and crops
- **Tags**: mammal, ungulate, hoofed, herbivore, horns, wetlands, agricultural
## Natural History & Behavior
## River and swamp
The domestic water buffalo (*Bubalus bubalis*) comprises two subspecies, the river buffalo and the swamp buffalo. The river buffalo usually weighs between 450 and 1,000 kg. The swamp buffalo is smaller and normally weighs 325 to 450 kg. Across the species, the body is 240 to 300 cm long, with a tail of 60 to 100 cm. Buffaloes can surpass 30 years of age, and keep their reproductive capacity until they are 18 to 25 years old.
The wild Asian water buffalo, a separate species, is considered the most probable ancestor of both. They were domesticated 3,000 to 7,000 years ago, which is recent next to cattle at about 10,000 years. A 2020 review puts the best estimate at 208,098,759 buffalo head in 77 countries on five continents. River buffalo are mostly found in India, Pakistan and parts of Europe and the Americas. Swamp buffalo are common in Southeast Asia and Australia.
## Built for the wallow
A water buffalo has relatively lower heat tolerance than other livestock, owing to its dark coat and inadequately dispersed sweat glands. Those two traits result in a less efficient evaporative cooling system. It is known for wallowing in mud. In the hotter parts of the day it rests in dense cover or sinks into water with only its nostrils and eyes showing.
> **Mud beats water**
> Water in mud evaporates more slowly than plain water, which extends the cooling. The mud coat also protects the animal from biting insects.
## Horns, grass and farm work
Both sexes bear horns that are heavy set at the base and ribbed. The horns are triangular in cross-section. River buffalo have tightly curled horns, while the swamp buffalo's are swept back and out, and it is more ashy gray, with a drooping neck.
It is predominately a grazer on grasses, but also eats herbs, aquatic plants, leaves and farm crops. It has a high capacity to convert feed of poor nutritional value.
In Asia it is used as a draft animal, a working animal, owing to its strength, and on Marajó Island, Brazil, people ride it. Several countries farm it mainly for its meat and its high-fat milk.
## Frequently Asked Questions
### How long is a water buffalo pregnant?
The gestation period is 300 to 340 days. A cow usually has one calf, though twins happen, and the calf is born at 35 to 40 kg. *(Source: [Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan]())*
### Is a water buffalo the same animal as an American buffalo?
No. The water buffalo is also called the Asian buffalo, to prevent confusion with the American bison, which is wrongly named buffalo in North America. *(Source: [Minervino et al. 2020]())*
### How much milk can a water buffalo give?
It depends on the breed. Swamp buffaloes, reared mainly for draft work, can still give up to 600 kg of milk a year. The Nili-Ravi, the most important dairy buffalo breed in Asia, has a milk yield reaching 3,050 kg. *(Source: [Minervino et al. 2020]())*
## Sources
1. [Minervino et al. (2020). Bubalus bubalis: A Short Story. Frontiers in Veterinary Science.]()
2. [Bubalus bubalis (water buffalo). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.]()
*Published October 10, 2026. Last updated October 10, 2026.*
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