50 Amazing Facts About Buffaloes [You Must Know]

Here in this article, we will discuss about 50 amazing facts about buffaloes that will blow your mind. They are good for kids’ School Projects and for basic general Know-how. But let us start with some basics. 

Which one is the correct pronunciation buffalos or buffaloes? Well, the correct answer is Buffaloes because the plural form of buffalo is buffaloes. and Sometimes wrongly quoted as buffalos. Now, let’s move to the factual part of the article.

Basics about Buffaloes

1. Syncerous Caffer is the scientific name of a buffalo. Syncerous is a Greek word which means “top together”. It refers to the huge horns that look joined on the head.Caffer is a Latin word which means “country of the Kaffirs”. It refers to the whole of Africa.
2. Habitat – Grass pastures and woodland
3. Prey – Leaves, shrubs, grass
4. Predators – Humans, crocodiles, lions
5. Distinctive features – large horns and shoulder hump
6. Diet – Herbivore
7. Lifestyle – Herd
8. Type – Mammal
9. Favourite food – Grass
10. Colour – Brown, black, grey
11. Average litter size – 1
12. Top speed – 22 mph
13. Length – 1.7m – 1.8m 
14. Weight – 600kg – 907kg
15. Lifespan – 15 – 22 years
16. Skin type – hair
17. They give birth only during the rainy seasons
18. Buffaloes are social animals that live in herds.

Let’s talk about numbers

19. There are approximately 208,098,759 buffaloes across 5 continents.
20. You can find 75 breeds of domestic buffaloes but a smaller number of wild buffaloes. 
21. They live in lower elevations. However, in Nepal, you can find swamp buffaloes at an elevation of 2,800 metres. 
22. Buffaloes are domesticated for around 5,000 years –

Buffaloes have been helping humans for ages. Other than cows, buffaloes give a good contribution to the global milk population. Moreover, in areas like south Asia, they are the only source of milk.

23. Cape buffaloes choose to stay within 10 miles of the water source –

They cannot stay away from drinking water for long periods. Therefore, they maintain themselves within 10 miles of the water source. During high temperatures, they roll themselves in mud. This helps them to avoid any bites. 

24. Buffaloes can live up to 30 years and more in captivity – 

Buffaloes live longer. The average life of a buffalo in the wild is 15-22 years. But if you keep it in captivity, it can live for more than 30 years. In some cases, buffaloes can live till the age of 40.

25. World’s largest Bovines –

Bull water buffaloes can weigh 2,650 pounds and can be 6 ft tall. Water buffaloes usually range from 1,500 pounds and more. They are even called “The living tractors of the East.”

26. They produce a lot of milk – 

Every year, buffaloes produce around 72 million tons of milk. This is more than 5% of the world’s milk supply. In 2008, India produced 56,960,000 tons of milk alone. Also, India was the world’s top animal product producer. 

Interesting facts about Buffaloes

27. They are Aptly named –

In the wild, buffaloes spend most of their time cooling off in the mud. Due to their proclivity for this terrain, they have wide hooves that help them to move freely in the mud. 

28. Though all are of the Bovinae family, buffaloes are from Africa and are different from water buffaloes and Bison. 
29. Buffalo milk makes the best mozzarella cheese in Italy.
30. Buffaloes are nocturnal and diurnal –

They are very sensitive to heat as they have fewer sweat glands. Therefore, famous for staying in the mud. It helps them to stay cool because it evaporates more slowly than the water. 

31. Buffalo’s skin is black. However, some species have slate-coloured skin. 
32. The buffaloes and oxpecker are in a relationship –

The oxpecker is found in sub-Saharan Africa and has a relationship with large hoofed mammals around. These include giraffes, rhinoceros, antelopes, zebras, and buffaloes. But, it is not stated clearly if their relation is semi-parasitic or symbiotic. 

33. You can find Albino water buffaloes –

Most buffaloes have black or dark brown skin. However, some have grey skin. In very rare cases, an albino water buffalo may be born. It has pink skin and white hair. Some of them can also have red or pink eyes. Albinism occurs due to genetic mutation causing the lack of pigment. 

Unknown facts about Buffaloes

34. You have consumed water buffalo milk –

Water buffalo milk has more calcium, iron, and protein. Moreover, it has less lactose and cholesterol. Also, it is used to make Italian mozzarella cheese. 

35. They vocalise to communicate – 

Buffaloes use 5 vocal sounds to communicate. A buffalo indicates the herd to migrate by low pitch sound. 

36. Their horns tell stories –

The adult male buffalo has curved horns that form a kind of armour. This is known as a boss. Female buffaloes do not have the same. Therefore, you can easily differentiate between a male and a female buffalo. Moreover, the size of the horn tells their position on the dominance level of the herd. The larger the horns, the higher the rank. 

37. They vote –

Female buffaloes vote on which way the group should move. They sit down facing the way the herd should migrate. When they finish resting, the head moves in the direction that most buffaloes point. 

38. Male buffaloes leave the herd to form bachelor herds.

Funny facts about Buffaloes

39. In Brazil, some police officers use water buffaloes for patrolling
40. Buffaloes do not have a dominant one. They vote to make decisions
41. They have an ornery nature that leads to a top speed of 35 miles/hour. It causes many injuries and deaths every year.
42. Buffaloes’ tummy has loads of fungi and bacteria that help in digesting plants
43. Some countries have cloned buffaloes 

Dangerous facts about Buffaloes

44. Although buffaloes are harmless still they are quite dangerous as they have large horns and massive size. 
45. Some wildlife conservationists shifted domesticated buffaloes to the wild to control the growth of unwanted plants. However, if they lose track of their population in the wild, they can cause environmental damage. 
46. A real buffalo was slaughtered in the film Apocalypse Now. 
47. Buffaloes of unpredictable
48. They do not forgive a wrong.
49. They are used for their meat, horns, and skin.
50. Buffalo ancestors are now endangered.

Final words

To conclude, I would say that buffaloes are amazing. They have distinct characteristics that make us go crazy. One thing that I love the most is their style of voting. They decide where to go through voting. I found it very interesting. Altogether, buffaloes are one of the most important animals for mankind

I hope you enjoyed the article. I will be back soon with more informative and interesting pieces of writing. Till then, stay connected. Thank you.

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