Buffalo is a herbivore that belongs to the bovine family.
Description
The length of its body is about 3 meters, and the height can vary from 2 to 3. Large males weigh several centners, or even a ton. Animals have sickle-shaped horns. These are animals that almost always adhere to the herd. It usually contains about 30 buffaloes. Usually they are constantly in tension and try not to leave their relatives anywhere. In general, the buffalo is a very dangerous representative of the animal world. Even if he is injured, he can suddenly attack, for example, jumping out of the bushes and knocking down a person. Moreover, it does not matter whether a person has a weapon, because it does not help in a conflict with an animal.
Appearance
The animal’s hair is gray, it is not very thick and long. The body of the buffalo is powerful, the limbs are also strong enough. Bovine hooves are forked. The animal’s skull is massive, and the eyes are small. The tail is rather thin, has a bun of hair at the end.
Kinds
Buffaloes are of two types: African and Indian. The first species is very massive and poses a greater danger than the Asian relative. The height of the animal at the withers is about two meters, and it weighs more than a ton.
African buffalo
The height of the Indian buffalo is within the same range as that of the African. Representatives of the subspecies also weigh about the same, but the body length of the herbivore is about 4 meters. The animal has horns, which are about one and a half meters long. The shape of the male’s horns is sickle-shaped, while in the female they are more straight.
Buffalo indian
Where dwells
Buffaloes inhabit Africa, part of it located in the south of the Sahara Desert. Today, these herbivores can be found in eastern Africa, where the human influence on nature is minimal.
The animal can live in the tropics, at low altitudes in the mountains, but the most comfortable place is the savannah. There is always food and water. The latter is especially true, because a buffalo is vital to have access to water. However, in such places, buffaloes do not gather in large herds, this is possible only in specially protected areas.
What eats
Most buffaloes feed on grass that contains protein. This is why animals spend a lot of time looking for food, even at night. Sometimes these solitary animals are attacked by predators such as lions. They are looking for very succulent grass, and therefore travel great distances. Often you have to deal with elephants for such food. Usually these representatives of elephants are located somewhere nearby. During a drought, the matter is limited to small skirmishes, because the buffalo loves to eat the grass he wants. In such cases, these herbivores leave, leaving the conflict without development.
The most nutritious food for buffalo grows during the rainy season. At this time, cubs begin to appear in these animals. They feel comfortable under the protection of their parents. In dangerous moments, they always come to the rescue.
Buffaloes vs lions and crocodiles
Interesting Facts
- American bison are very close relatives of buffalo.
- If people raise these animals, they do it because of their milk.
- In the wild, buffaloes inhabit only Africa, Asia and Australia, where they were brought from India.
- Tamarau are endemic species that have practically disappeared, but a couple of hundred of these animals live in the Philippines.
- The taste of buffalo and cow’s milk is similar.
- In the last century, Asian buffaloes lived in Malaysia, but they have long disappeared from the area.
- People have domesticated Asian buffaloes, but African buffaloes can only live in the wild.
- In Africa, more people die from buffaloes than from the hands of other predators, not counting crocodiles.
- Asian buffaloes prefer aquatic plants, although this is not their entire diet.
- Buffaloes who are injured can pretend to be dead, but then attack sharply.
- Sometimes the horns are located at a distance of a meter from each other.
- These animals can move at a speed of about 50 km / h.
- Buffaloes do not like to attack, they usually retreat, avoiding the enemy. However, when it comes to protecting the herd, males actively attack the enemy.
- Ernest Hemingway was very fond of describing the hunt for buffaloes in his works.
Lifestyle
Usually, buffaloes graze at night, during the day, animals are usually near the water, near a swamp or a small watering hole, since the temperature is low there. During this time, animals sleep or chew grass. Often they hide from the sun in a hole or puddle. A buffalo needs about 40 liters of water per day. Therefore, these herbivores do not go far from the water.
As for the danger, in this regard, the females are always on the alert. They worry and raise their heads in times of danger. Sometimes any sound, even a very quiet sound, is enough for the animals to quickly retreat. They are able to run away at a speed of about 50 kilometers per hour.
Tanzania has a national park and a lot of buffaloes live there. There are many pastures that are located next to the lake and mountains. Sometimes there are individuals that do not gather in herds and live separately on the slopes of the mountains. In their case, huge horns are a guarantee of safety.
It is noteworthy that the most important decisions are usually made by females. During lunch, the herd sleeps. Sometimes the most important females get up and take a comfortable position, and the rest of the animals repeat after them. Around then, it is also time for hygiene procedures. Woodpeckers or herons help animals with this, but in return they require insects that accumulate in the buffalo fur. So these birds control the reproduction of parasites that carry dangerous diseases. These herbivores have very strong immunity, but sometimes weak individuals still suffer from parasites.
Breeding offspring
Lonely males often stay close to the herd to produce offspring. The female can do this once every two years. She bears cubs for a year, and then feeds them for another year. If there is a calf next to the mother, then it will not soon be possible for her to bear and feed another baby again. Sometimes males do not look at it and they are brutally rejected.
During rains, herds, where there are many young animals, migrate, constantly overcoming water areas. Very often, calves drown or are lost. Then it is difficult for them to find a mother in the herd, and she herself does not even strive to look for him – she easily accepts this situation.
Buffalo with cub
Calves usually get to their feet immediately and follow the mother. Although not everyone has the strength to do this. To overcome obstacles and walk long distances, you need to eat a lot of nutritious food, which is the milk of the female. It contributes to the development of the baby, and not only gives strength.
Role of males
Buffaloes are very fond of taking mud baths, as the mud helps get rid of parasites, ticks that suck blood. The bull, which has just joined the herd, is very active. He tends to pay more attention to females who are ready to mate. The female chooses the buffalo by status and, if an unsuitable candidate appears, leaves.
Then the goby should carefully monitor other males, who can be strong opponents. Usually, there are no special battles, since the status in the herd is determined only once – in youth. One of the main duties of a bull is to monitor movement in the grass, because if he sees something suspicious, he must immediately begin to protect the herd.
