{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "water-buffalo",
  "name": "Water Buffalo",
  "scientificName": "Bubalus bubalis",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "The water buffalo is a large Asian bovine famous for wallowing in mud and water to stay cool. Domestic animals reach up to 700 kg and about 3 m in length, feeding on grasses and aquatic plants across wetlands, rice paddies, and floodplains. Domestic buffalo can live 20 to 25 years, while the truly wild population is small and scattered. The wild water buffalo is listed as Endangered.",
  "conservationStatus": "Endangered",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Artiodactyla",
    "family": "Bovidae",
    "genus": "Bubalus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 700,
    "lengthM": 3,
    "topSpeedKmh": 48,
    "lifespanYears": 25
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Bubalus bubalis"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Herbivore — grasses, aquatic plants, and sedges"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Wetlands, rice paddies, and floodplains in Asia"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "20–25 years (domestic); wild populations shorter"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "300–700 kg (660–1,540 lb); wild bulls largest"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to 48 km/h (30 mph) when charging"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Endangered (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Domesticated across Asia and globally; wild Asian buffalo (Bubalus arnee) in scattered reserves of India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Thailand.",
    "continents": [
      "Africa",
      "Asia",
      "Europe",
      "North America",
      "Oceania",
      "South America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Bubalus bubalis.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Bubalus%20bubalis&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Bubalus bubalis. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Bubalus_bubalis/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/water-buffalo/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/water-buffalo/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}