# Water Buffalo (*Bubalus bubalis*) > 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. - **Category:** Mammal - **Conservation status (IUCN):** Endangered - **Range:** Domesticated across Asia and globally; wild Asian buffalo (Bubalus arnee) in scattered reserves of India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Thailand. - **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/water-buffalo/ - **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16 ## Scientific classification - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Artiodactyla - **Family:** Bovidae - **Genus:** Bubalus ## Facts at a glance | Attribute | Value | | --- | --- | | Scientific name | Bubalus bubalis | | Diet | Herbivore — grasses, aquatic plants, and sedges | | Habitat | Wetlands, rice paddies, and floodplains in Asia | | Lifespan | 20–25 years (domestic); wild populations shorter | | Weight | 300–700 kg (660–1,540 lb); wild bulls largest | | Top speed | Up to 48 km/h (30 mph) when charging | | Conservation status | Endangered (IUCN) | ## Size and physical features The water buffalo is one of the heaviest of all bovines, with large bulls reaching up to 700 kg and a body length of around 3 m. Both sexes carry sweeping, backward-curving horns, which in wild animals are among the widest of any living cattle. Its wide, splayed hooves and flexible leg joints spread the animal's weight and stop it sinking in soft mud. A sparse coat and dark grey-black skin suit a life spent partly submerged in water. ## Wallowing and habitat True to its name, the water buffalo depends on wetlands, rice paddies, and floodplains, and it wallows in mud and water for hours to cool down and shed parasites. It has few sweat glands, so submerging is essential for regulating body temperature in the tropical heat. Wallowing also coats the skin in mud, which dries into a protective layer against biting insects. This close tie to water shapes where the animal can live and how herds move through the landscape. ## Diet and grazing Water buffalo are herbivores that graze on grasses, sedges, and a wide range of aquatic plants growing in and around water. Like other cattle they are ruminants, digesting tough vegetation in a multi-chambered stomach and chewing the cud to extract more nutrients. Their ability to thrive on coarse wetland plants that other livestock ignore makes them valuable in marshy farming regions. They usually feed in the cooler hours of morning and evening, resting in water through the midday heat. ## Domestic buffalo and human use Domesticated for thousands of years, the water buffalo is a cornerstone of farming across South and Southeast Asia and beyond. It provides milk far richer than cow's milk, the basis for traditional mozzarella and many South Asian dairy products, as well as meat, hides, and dung used as fuel and fertiliser. As a draught animal it ploughs flooded rice fields where tractors struggle, earning the nickname "the living tractor of the East." Domestic buffalo commonly live 20 to 25 years. ## Temperament and behaviour Despite their bulk, domestic water buffalo are generally calm and manageable, and they bond closely with the people who work with them. They are social animals that gather in herds, with strong ties between females and their calves. When threatened, however, they can charge at up to 48 km/h and are capable of driving off predators as large as tigers. Wild buffalo are far more wary and aggressive than their domesticated relatives. ## Why wild water buffalo are endangered While hundreds of millions of domestic buffalo exist worldwide, the genuinely wild water buffalo is listed as Endangered by the IUCN, with only a few thousand animals left. Its numbers have crashed through habitat loss, hunting, and disease, but the greatest long-term threat is interbreeding with domestic and feral buffalo, which dilutes the wild gene pool. Remaining populations survive in scattered reserves in India, Nepal, and Southeast Asia. Protecting these isolated herds from crossbreeding is central to saving the wild form. ## Frequently asked questions ### How much does a water buffalo weigh? Large water buffalo weigh up to about 700 kg (1,540 lb), with wild bulls being the biggest. They can reach roughly 3 m in body length. ### Why do water buffalo wallow in mud? Water buffalo have very few sweat glands, so they wallow in mud and water to cool down. The mud also dries on their skin as a protective coat against biting insects and parasites. ### What do water buffalo eat? They are herbivores that graze on grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in and around wetlands. As ruminants they chew the cud, which helps them digest coarse vegetation that other livestock avoid. ### Are water buffalo dangerous? Domestic water buffalo are usually calm and easy to handle. Wild buffalo are far more aggressive and can charge at up to 48 km/h, making them capable of fending off predators as large as tigers. ### Are water buffalo endangered? Domestic water buffalo are extremely numerous, but the truly wild water buffalo is listed as Endangered by the IUCN. Only a few thousand wild animals remain, threatened mainly by habitat loss and interbreeding with domestic buffalo. ### How long do water buffalo live? Domestic water buffalo typically live 20 to 25 years. Wild populations tend to have shorter lifespans because of predation, disease, and environmental pressures. ## Sources - [IUCN Red List — Bubalus bubalis.](https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Bubalus%20bubalis&searchType=species) - [Animal Diversity Web — Bubalus bubalis. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Bubalus_bubalis/) --- Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/water-buffalo/). 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