A buffalo is a representative of herbivores who belongs to the Bull family.
Description
The length of its body is about 3 meters, and the height can vary from 2 to 3. Males of large sizes weigh several centners, or even a ton. Animals have sickle horns. These are animals that almost always adhere to herds. It usually has about 30 buffaloes. Usually they are constantly in suspense and try not to move away from relatives anywhere. In general, a buffalo is a very dangerous representative of the animal world. Even if it is wounded, he can suddenly attack, for example, jumping out of the bushes and ploving a person. Moreover, it does not matter if a person has a weapon, because it does not help with a conflict with the animal.
Appearance
The hair of the animal is gray, it is not very thick and long. The body of the buffalo is powerful, the limbs are also strong enough. The hooves of bullfree bifurcated. The skull of animals is massive, and the eyes are small. The tail is thin enough, at the end it has a bunch of hair.
Kinds
There are two types of buffaloes: African and Indian. The first species is very massive and is a great 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 values as in African. Representatives of the subspecies weigh about the same way, but the length of the herbivore body is about 4 meters. The animal has horns, the length of which is about one and a half meters. The shape of the horns of the male is sickle, and the female has more direct.
Indian buffalo
Where it lives
Buwls inhabit Africa, its part located south of the Sahara desert. Today, you can meet these herbivores in the east of Africa, there the influence of man on nature is minimal.
The animal can live in the tropics, at a low altitude in the mountains, but the most comfortable place is the savannah. There is always food and water there. The latter is especially relevant, because the buffalo is vital to have access to water. However, in such places, buffaloes are not gathering in large herds, this is possible only in specially protected areas.
What eats
Buyls mainly feed on grass in which there is protein. That is why animals spend a lot of time looking for food, even at night. Sometimes these single animals are attacked by predators such as lions. They are looking for very juicy grass, and therefore go on huge distances. Often for such food you have to deal with elephants. Typically, these representatives of the ivory are somewhere nearby. During the drought, the matter is limited to small skirmishes, because the buffalo likes to eat the grass that he wants. In such cases, these herbivores are leaving, leaving a conflict without development.
The most nutritious food for buffalo grows precisely in the rainy season. At this time, these animals begin to appear cubs. They feel calmly under the protection of their parents. At dangerous moments, they always come to the rescue.
Buffalo against lions and crocodiles
Interesting Facts
- American bison are very close relatives of buffalo.
- If people are engaged in the cultivation of these animals, then do it because of their milk.
- In the wild, buffalo inhabit only Africa, Asia and Australia, where they were brought from India.
- Tamarau is endemics that have almost disappeared, but a couple of hundred of these animals live in the Philippines.
- The taste of buffalon and cow’s milk is similar.
- In the last century, Asian buffaloes lived in Malaysia, but they have long disappeared from that area.
- People have domesticated Asian buffaloes, but African can live only in the wild.
- In Africa, more people die from due to buffalo than at the hands of other predators, not counting crocodiles.
- Asian buffaloes prefer to use aquatic plants, although this is not their entire diet.
- The buffaloes that were wounded can pretend to be dead, but then sharply attack.
- 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.
- Buffalo do not like to attack, usually they retreat, avoiding the enemy. However, when it comes to the protection of the herd, males are actively attacking the enemy.
- Ernest Hemingway loved to describe the hunt for buffalo in his works.
Lifestyle
Typically, buffaloes are grazed at night, in the afternoon of animals they are usually near the water, by a swamp or a small watering, since there is a low temperature. At this time, animals sleep or chew grass. Often from the sun, they hide in a pit or puddle. About 40 liters of water are required per day with a buffalo. Therefore, these herbivores do not go far from the water.
As for the danger, then in this regard, females are all the time on a guard. They are worried, and in moments of danger they raise their heads. Sometimes there is enough enough, even a very quiet sound, so that the animals are quickly retreated. They are able to run away at a speed of about 50 kilometers per hour.
There is a national park in Tanzania and a lot of buffaloes live there. There are many pastures that are located next to the lake and mountains. Sometimes there are individuals who are not gathering in herds and live separately on the slopes of the mountains. In their case, huge horns are a guarantee of security.
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 convenient position, and the rest of the animals repeat after them. Around then, there is also the time for the procedures for maintaining hygiene. Woodpeckers or heron help animals in this, but in return require insects accumulating in the wool of buffalo. 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.
Disruption
Often lonely males are holding next to the herd to produce offspring. The female can do this once in two years. She bears the cubs for a year, and then feeds them for another year. If there is a calf near her mother, then she will not be able to endure again and feed another baby again. Sometimes males do not look at it and brutally reject them.
During the rains of a herd, where there are many young animals, migrate, constantly overcoming water spaces. Very often calves are drowning or lost. Then it is difficult for them to find a mother in a herd, and she herself does not even strive to look for him she easily accept this situation.
Buwil with a cub
Calves usually immediately get to their feet and follow the mother. Although not everyone has the strength to do it. To overcome obstacles and walk over long distances, you need to eat a lot of nutrient food, which is the milk of the female. It contributes to the development of the baby, and not only gives strength.
The role of males
Buyls are very fond of taking mud baths, as dirt helps to get rid of parasites, ticks that suck blood. The bull, which only joined the herd, is very active. He seeks to pay more attention to females who are ready to mate. The female chooses a buffalo by status and in the event of an inappropriate candidate, he leaves.
Then the bull should carefully monitor other males, which 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 the bull is surveillance of movement in the grass, because if he notices something suspicious, he must immediately begin to protect the herd.
