Water Buffalo

Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is a large bovid native to the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is highly valued in many cultures for its role in agriculture, particularly in rice cultivation, and for its meat and milk.

Description

The Water Buffalo is a large animal, typically measuring 2 to 3 meters in length and weighing between 700 and 1200 kilograms. It has a robust body, a large head with sweeping, crescent-shaped horns, and a thick, grey-black coat. The animal is well-adapted to life in areas with abundant water, possessing broad, splayed hooves for walking in wet, muddy conditions.

Habitat and Distribution

Water Buffaloes are found throughout the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, including Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia. They inhabit a range of environments, from marshy wetlands to grasslands, forests, and mountainous regions.

Diet

The diet of the Water Buffalo primarily consists of grasses and herbs, although they also consume aquatic plants. They are known to spend long periods in water or mud to keep cool and to help digest their food.

Role in Agriculture

Water Buffaloes are highly valued in many cultures for their role in agriculture. They are used for ploughing and other forms of labor, and their dung is used as a fertilizer. In addition, they are a source of meat and milk, with buffalo milk being a key ingredient in the production of certain types of cheese, such as mozzarella.

Conservation Status

The Water Buffalo is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, due to its wide distribution and large population. However, the wild population is threatened by habitat loss and hunting, and there are ongoing conservation efforts to protect this species.

See Also

• Asian Water Buffalo
• African Buffalo
• Domestic Water Buffalo