Buffalo and its varieties
Buffalo is a ruminant from the bovids family, the subfamily of bulls, the order of artiodactyls. Previously, all buffaloes were attributed to the genus Bubalus. Now only Asiatic is attributed to it, the rest are identified in the genus Anoa and Syncerus. The closest relatives of buffaloes are batengs, gauras, kuprey, as well as the American bison, yak and bison living in the temperate zone. Buffaloes are widespread in the southern regions of Asia, on some islands of Oceania, in Africa.
Buffalo
The main types of buffalo
As already mentioned, buffaloes belong to the bovids family, which includes quite a few animals. The genus of buffaloes is heterogeneous, it includes several types:
- African;
- Asiatic;
- Tamorau;
- Anoa.
These animals live in different parts of the world, differ in size and appearance. Asian buffaloes were domesticated about 5,000 years ago. They are still used as pets in India and some other South Asian countries. Buffalo meat replaces beef for Hindus, because these animals are not considered sacred. Their milk is very fatty and nutritious.
As early as 100 years ago, there was an intensive hunt for buffaloes. Many species have completely disappeared from the face of the earth, some are on the verge of extinction even now. Buffalo horns, especially Asian buffalo horns, were considered a very valuable trophy. Since these large animals are quite smart, they are very aggressive, it was not easy to shoot them, because the trophy in the form of horns and a buffalo carcass spoke of the great skill of the hunter. Now most of the wild animals of this species are listed in the Red Book, hunting for them is either completely prohibited or limited.
African buffalo
African or black buffalo populate the shroud below the Sahara. At this time, the population of these animals is growing, but they are not yet excluded from the Red Book. The African buffalo includes several subspecies:
- Typical black, or cape;
- Red dwarf;
- Aequinocticus;
- Mountain.
Appearance
The African buffalo is a huge animal, one of the largest on the African continent. His height is less than that of the Asian, but the mass is greater. This is what the most numerous Cape buffalo subspecies looks like:
- The head is large, set low.
- The horns of males from 5-6 years of age grow together in the middle, forming a helmet, bent down and to the sides, the distance between the ends reaches a meter.
- The body is muscular, the front part is more massive than the back.
- The legs are powerful, better developed in front than in the back.
- The coat is thin, black, white spots appear around the eyes of old males.
- There is a long brush at the tip of the tail.
Buffaloes have pronounced sexual dimorphism. Females are much smaller than males, their horns are small. Often, cows' hair is lighter, with a pronounced reddish tint. The weight of an adult buffalo is 700-900 kg, there are individuals of 1200 kg. Height - 1.5-1.8 m, body length - 3-3.4 m.
Buffaloes have a well-developed sense of smell and hearing, but their eyesight is poor, they are short-sighted. The dwarf species is shorter, its hair is red, only the head and neck are painted black.He lives in a forest zone.
Habitat and lifestyle
The African buffalo lives in the shroud, where there is a sufficient amount of rainfall. It keeps closer to the watering hole, rarely moves further than 4 km from it. Animals eat tall grass, which contains a lot of fiber. Shrubs make up about 5% of the diet. Buffaloes prefer to eat certain types of grasses, while others are forced to eat.
The African buffalo is a gregarious animal. So he can better protect himself from enemies, no predator dares to approach a large group of animals. Even a pride of lions, bulls and heifers are able to drive away, especially when they are protecting the cubs. A herd of buffaloes can number from several hundred to a thousand heads.
Herds of buffaloes move slowly, no large migration was noticed behind them, but in case of danger they are able to reach speeds of up to 60 km / h. During the rutting season, which begins in March or April, the herd breaks up into smaller groups.
The main natural enemies of cloven-hoofed animals in Africa are lion, leopard, cheetah, less often hyena. They most often hunt calves and pregnant females, weakened and sick animals. When attacking the victim's defense, the whole herd can stand up. The fight or fight between buffaloes and lions is short but very fierce. Buffaloes suffer from insects, ticks, some flies lay eggs in their skins, at the base of the horns. At the watering hole crocodiles can wait for bulls, they mainly hunt cubs. In some cases, a hippopotamus, or rer, as the ancient Egyptians called this large animal, may attack.
Asiatic buffalo
Wild Asian buffalo is a rare species that lives in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, it is acclimatized in Australia. Previously, he inhabited vast territories from Mesopotamia to the south of China. Now the main habitat of this species is the reserve. The fact is that the intensive development of territories for agricultural land reduces the environment where these large artiodactyls live. Interbreeding with domestic animals is also a problem, which is difficult to prevent as buffaloes live close to humans.
Appearance
An Asian or Indian buffalo is taller than an African one, but its body is not so powerful, because the weight is somewhat less. Here is his description and characteristics of his appearance:
- Head with a square muzzle, lowered down.
- The horns are triangular in cut, laid back, bent in an arc, forming a crescent, the length can reach 2 m.
- The body is powerful, muscular, the front part is better developed than the back.
- The skin is covered with thin black wool.
- The tail is long, with a stiff tassel at the end.
As in the African, in the Asian species, sexual dimorphism is expressed. The female buffalo is approximately 1.5 times smaller than the male. The average bull weighs 800-900 kg, sometimes it reaches 1000 kg and very rarely - 1200 kg.
Habitat and lifestyle
The Asian buffalo lives in a wooded or steppe area. Animals need reservoirs and do not go far from them. In the heat, this type of buffalo loves to wallow in the mud: this not only gives coolness, but also allows you to get rid of parasites. Bulls eat juicy large cereals: they are more picky about food than African ones. This herbivore grazes in the early morning and late evening, sometimes at night. He prefers to rest during the day.
Buffaloes from Asia also gather in herds, but not as large as African buffaloes. During the rutting season, the herd breaks up into smaller groups. Males arrange fights among themselves for the attention of females. Living next to people made the Asian buffaloes very angry, because a person for them is always an enemy and a threat to life. The bull can attack even for no apparent reason. If a buffalo has a cub, it will defend it even more aggressively.
These large animals have few natural enemies. Tigers, sometimes leopards, crocodiles hunt for buffaloes. In Indonesia, they become victims of an attack by Komodo monitor lizards. Thick-skinned bulls and heifers are annoyed by ticks and insects, from which they flee in the swamp.There are several species of birds that peck parasites off buffalo skins.
Homemade asian buffalo
Domestic buffalo can be seen in fields throughout Southeast Asia. It is actively used in various sectors of the household. Buffalo milk is very fatty and nutritious, although milk yield is not as large as that of cows. Since this species is not considered sacred, buffalo meat is actively used in India. It is slightly tougher than beef, but quite edible.
Buffaloes are also bred as pets in some European countries (Italy, Greece, Hungary). Buffalo milk is used to make the famous Italian mozzarella cheese, although a product made from the original recipe is difficult to find now. Most producers use cow's milk.
Small island buffalo
In the Philippines, or rather, on the small island of Mindoro, there lives a small dwarf buffalo tamarou. Its height is only 110 cm, the body length is 2-3 meters, and its weight is 180-300 kg. In appearance, he looks more like an antelope than a buffalo. The horns of the tamarou buffalo are flat, curved back, each about 40 cm long. They form a triangle at the base. Wool is liquid, black or chocolate shade, sometimes it is gray.
Even 100-150 years ago, the places where the tamarou buffalo lives were sparsely populated. On the island of Mindoro, there was a very dangerous strain of malaria, they were afraid to master it. Animals could safely walk through the tropical thickets, without fear, because there are no large predators on the island, and tamarou is the largest species there. But they learned to fight malaria, the island began to be actively populated, which led to a sharp decline in the population. Now in the world there are no more than 100-200 individuals of this species, it is listed in the Red Book.
Another small buffalo lives on the island of Sulawesi. It is called anoa, and is even smaller than tamarou. The growth of the anoa is only 80 cm, and the body length is 160 cm. Females weigh about 150 kg, males reach 300 kg. There is almost no hair on their body, the skin color is black. Calves are born almost red. There are two varieties of this buffalo: mountain and lowland anoa buffalo. Plains anoa have straight horns with a triangular cut, about 25 cm long. In mountain anoas, they are twisted and round.
The small island buffalo has a lifespan of about 20 years, which is significantly longer than that of other species. Nowadays, anoa are extremely rare. Despite the fact that they are protected in Indonesia, the animals often fall prey to poachers. Wherever a person appears, active development of the territory begins.
Sulawesi is one of the most densely populated islands, so there is less and less space for anoa, which does not have the best effect on the population. Perhaps, soon this view can be seen only in photos and videos.