# Domestic Water Buffalo (*Bubalus bubalis*) Domestic water buffalo are large, gentle animals that help farmers by pulling heavy loads and providing milk. They have big, curved horns and love to wallow in mud to keep cool. - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Domestic Water Buffalo](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Wasserb%C3%BCffel_%2825787818312%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Eleleleven from Bielefeld, Deutschland, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wasserb%C3%BCffel_%2825787818312%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Domestic Water Buffalo is a large, sturdy bovine typically clad in dark grey to black skin, often with sparse, coarse hair. It features massive, sweeping, crescent-shaped horns that can curve outwards and backwards, setting it apart from common cattle. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Artiodactyla - **Family:** Bovidae - **Genus:** Bubalus ## Interesting facts - A water buffalo can stay underwater for a surprisingly long time, breathing with only its nose above! - Their giant, curved horns can grow over 1.5 meters wide, creating an impressive crown! - Their milk has double the fat of cow's milk, making it super rich for cheese like mozzarella! - They are sometimes called "living tractors" because of their incredible strength helping farmers! ## Special abilities - **Water Wanderer:** Domestic Water Buffalo can swim very well, often submerging themselves to forage for aquatic plants and escape heat. - **Powerhouse Puller:** Domestic Water Buffalo has immense strength that helps them pull heavy plows and carts for farmers with ease. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 240-300 cm - **Weight:** 300-1000 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-25 years - **Speed:** 50 km/h - **Litter Size:** 1-2 - **Gestation:** 300-330 days ## Diet & Feeding They munch on all sorts of plants found in wet places, especially grasses and aquatic greenery! - **Primary Foods:** Grasses, Aquatic Plants, Sedges, Leaves, Stems - **Foraging Method:** Grazing ## Ecological connections - **Symbiotic with:** [Human](https://www.snappit.app/explore/human) (*Homo sapiens*) — Provides milk, meat, and labor for human societies. - **Symbiotic with:** Cattle Egret (*Bubulcus ibis*) — Eats insects disturbed as buffalo move through fields. - **Parasitizes:** Cattle Tick (*Rhipicephalus microplus*) — Feeds on the blood of water buffalo, transmitting diseases. ## Traits - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Horned](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/horned): Characterized by having one or more hard, permanent, pointed projections on the head. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Tool Use](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/tool-use): This trait describes organisms that manipulate external objects to achieve a specific goal. - [Domesticated](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/domesticated): Domesticated refers to species that have been selectively bred and tamed by humans for specific purposes. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Always watch from a distance and don't approach them without an adult. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Domestic Water Buffalo? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Domestic Water Buffalo? 240-300 cm ### How much does Domestic Water Buffalo weigh? 300-1000 kg ### How long does Domestic Water Buffalo live? 15-25 years ### How fast can Domestic Water Buffalo move? 50 km/h ### What does Domestic Water Buffalo eat? They munch on all sorts of plants found in wet places, especially grasses and aquatic greenery! ### Where is Domestic Water Buffalo usually found? Grasslands ### How does Domestic Water Buffalo hunt? Grazing ## Where to spot - [Arche Warder](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arche-warder) — Schleswig-Holstein, DE · Zoo - [Pfaueninsel und Schloss Pfaueninsel Berlin](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pfaueninsel-und-schloss-pfaueninsel-berlin) — Berlin, DE · Park ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Domestic Water Buffalo: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/domestic-water-buffalo)