Water Buffalo

Facts

scientific name

Bubalus bubalis

conservation status

Domesticated

lifespan

Up to 20 Years

weight

300 - 550 Kilograms

diet

Water buffalo's diet mainly consists of aquatic plants.

habitat

Mainly graze on the subcoastal plains and river basins between Darwin and Arnhem Land.

The Water Buffalo is regarded by some as a ferocious wild beast, although they descended from placid domesticated stock introduced into Australia from Indonesia between 1825 and 1843. Water Buffalo have the largest horns of any member of the cattle family, and can live upwards of 20 years. Water Buffalos are a grazing animal, feeding on terrestrial and aquatic plants. Mating occurs over an 8 month period, where one male may mate with several females. The gestation period is 312 – 334 days (that’s almost a year!). At the age of 2-3, young males are driven away from their mothers during mating time, while young females may remain in the group. In one female’s life, she may produce up to 12 young. A Water Buffalo group is remarkably sedentary (inactive), occupying the same home range (200-1000ha) for many years. Groups range in size from 50 to 250 animals, and sometimes may join other groups to make up to 500 animals.