---
title: "What the sources say about the Water Buffalo | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "41 claims from the Water Buffalo profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/water-buffalo-1.webp"
canonical: "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/water-buffalo/sources/"
---

# What the sources say about the Water Buffalo (*Bubalus bubalis*)

> 41 claims from the Water Buffalo profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Water Buffalo](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/water-buffalo/)

## Minervino et al. (2020). Bubalus bubalis: A Short Story. Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.570413

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A farm giant that can reach 1,000 kg and wallows in mud to cool off. | River buffaloes are usually larger than swamp buffaloes and weigh between 450 and 1,000 kg. (note: tagline; wallow claim below) |
| The river buffalo usually weighs between 450 and 1,000 kg. | River buffaloes are usually larger than swamp buffaloes and weigh between 450 and 1,000 kg. |
| The swamp buffalo is smaller and normally weighs 325 to 450 kg. | Swamp buffaloes are smaller and lighter than river buffaloes and normally weigh between 325 and 450 kg. |
| comprises two subspecies, the river buffalo and the swamp buffalo | comprises two subspecies: the river buffalo ( B. bubalis bubalis ) and the swamp buffalo ( B. bubalis kerebau ) |
| Buffaloes can surpass 30 years of age. | they can surpass 30 years of age |
| and keep their reproductive capacity until they are 18 to 25 years old | while maintaining their reproductive capacity until they are 18–25 years old |
| The wild Asian water buffalo, a separate species, is considered the most probable ancestor of both. | The wild Asian buffalo is considered the most probable ancestor of the water buffalo |
| a separate species | wild Asian buffalo ( Bubalus arnee ) (note: different binomial from B. bubalis) |
| They were domesticated 3,000 to 7,000 years ago, which is recent next to cattle at about 10,000 years. | Compared with Bos taurus (10,000 BP), the buffalo domestication occurred recently, ~3,000–7,000 years BP. |
| A 2020 review puts the best estimate at 208,098,759 buffalo head in 77 countries on five continents. | The best estimate is that 208,098,759 buffalo head are distributed in 77 countries in five continents. (note: 2020 is the reference year of the review (Minervino et al. 2020)) |
| River buffalo are mostly found in India, Pakistan and parts of Europe and the Americas. | Most breeds have curled horns and are mainly found in India, Pakistan, and some European, western Asian, and American countries. |
| Swamp buffalo are common in Southeast Asia and Australia. | Swamp buffaloes are predominant in Southeast Asia and Australia |
| Hot, wet floodplains and farms | Water buffaloes are highly adapted to hot and wet floodplains (note: stats.habitat) |
| A water buffalo has relatively lower heat tolerance than other livestock, owing to its dark coat and inadequately dispersed sweat glands. | relatively lower heat tolerance than other livestock species owing to their dark coat color and their inadequately dispersed sweat glands, which result in a less efficient evaporative cooling system (note: superpower) |
| Those two traits result in a less efficient evaporative cooling system. | which result in a less efficient evaporative cooling system |
| It has a high capacity to convert feed of poor nutritional value. | The buffalo has a higher capacity to convert feed with poor nutritional value |
| In Asia it is used as a draft animal, a working animal, owing to its strength. | The water buffalo is used as a draft animal in Asia, owing to its strength |
| on Marajó Island, Brazil, people ride it | it is also used as a riding animal on Marajó Island, Brazil |
| Several countries farm it mainly for its meat and its high-fat milk. | is farmed in several countries worldwide, mainly for its good quality meat (which has better nutritional composition compared to that of cattle) and its high-fat milk |
| The water buffalo is also called the Asian buffalo, to prevent confusion with the American bison, which is wrongly named buffalo in North America. | also known as water buffalo or Asian buffalo to prevent confusion with the American bison ( Bison bison ), wrongly named buffalo in North America |
| Swamp buffaloes, reared mainly for draft work, can still give up to 600 kg of milk a year. | Swamp buffaloes are reared mainly for draft purposes; however, they can also yield high amounts of milk (up to 600 kg of milk per year) |
| The Nili-Ravi, the most important dairy buffalo breed in Asia, has a milk yield reaching 3,050 kg. | Nili-Ravi is the most important dairy buffalo breed in Asia and is selected for this purpose, with its milk yield reaching 3,050 kg |
| Wallows in mud to cool off, with sweat glands that are poorly spread | inadequately dispersed sweat glands, which result in a less efficient evaporative cooling system (note: stats.superpower) |
| Not Evaluated | The domestic buffalo ( Bubalus bubalis ) (note: stats.conservationStatus: domestic animal, no Red List assessment found in the source pack) |
| a river buffalo can weigh 1,000 kg | weigh between 450 and 1,000 kg (note: vibe.reason) |

## Bubalus bubalis (water buffalo). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Bubalus_bubalis/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Across the species, the body is 240 to 300 cm long, with a tail of 60 to 100 cm. | has a body length of 240 to 300 cm and a tail length of 60 to 100 cm (note: ADW gives it for Bubalus bubalis as a whole, not for one subspecies) |
| Mostly grass, plus herbs, aquatic plants, leaves and crops | is a ruminant and is predominately a grazer on grasses. It also eats herbs, aquatic plants, leaves, agricultural crops (note: stats.diet) |
| It is predominately a grazer on grasses, but also eats herbs, aquatic plants, leaves and farm crops. | is a ruminant and is predominately a grazer on grasses. It also eats herbs, aquatic plants, leaves, agricultural crops |
| It is known for wallowing in mud. | Thus, water buffalo are 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. | During hotter parts of the day, they rest in patches of dense cover, wallow in mud holes, or completely submerge themselves in water with only their nostrils and eyes exposed. |
| Water in mud evaporates more slowly than plain water, which extends the cooling. | water in mud evaporates more slowly than just water alone, thus extending the period of cooling |
| The mud coat also protects the animal from biting insects. | Wallowing also serves to cake the animal with mud, which protects it from biting insects. |
| Both sexes bear horns that are heavy set at the base and ribbed | Horns of both sexes are heavy set at the base, ribbed, and are triangular in cross-section. |
| The horns are triangular in cross-section | Horns of both sexes are heavy set at the base, ribbed, and 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. | Swamp buffalo (a variety of B. bubalis under domestication) are more ashy gray in color, has a drooping neck, and horns that are swept back and out, whereas river buffalo (the other domesticated variety) are more black and have tightly curled horns |
| The gestation period is 300 to 340 days. | Range gestation period 300 to 340 days (note: FAQ) |
| A cow usually has one calf, though twins happen. | Females usually have one calf, but they may have twins. |
| the calf is born at 35 to 40 kg | Calves are born weighing 35 to 40 kg |
| It cools off by wallowing in mud, which evaporates more slowly than plain water | known for wallowing in mud (note: vibe.reason) |
| dangerLevel: High | Charging may occur as a means of defense, or as an aggressive display of dominance, as seen in mate competition. (note: task #1110: High is "dangerous when cornered or provoked"; a 325 to 1,000 kg horned animal that charges in defence. Minervino 2020's "docile" describes handled herds and does not contradict a defensive charge) |
| dangerLevel: High | Before independence, females also protect their calves and can be aggressive. |