ANATOMY
Bubalus bubalis is a large animal. Individuals stand 1.5 to 1.9 m in height at the shoulder, and have large feet with splayed hooves. The face is long and narrow, with rather small ears and large horns. The horns of this species have the widest spread found in any bovid. Unlike African buffalo, in which the bases of the horns almost meet at the forehead, the bases of the horns in Asian water buffalo are far apart. Both sexes bear horns, although those of the female are smaller than those of the male. Horns of both sexes are heavy set at the base, ribbed, and are triangular in cross-section.
Bubalus bubalis has a body length of 240 to 300 cm and a tail length of 60 to 100 cm. Wild male water buffalo weigh up to 1,200 kg, and females can weigh up to 800 kg. Domesticated water buffalo range from 250 to 550 kg.
Water buffalo have sparse hair that is long and ashy gray to black. Their relatively long tail is bushy at the tip. Their legs are often dirty white up to the knees. Adult buffalo are almost hairless and their skin color varies with weather conditions, though it is difficult to ascertain the skin color, as these animals are usually covered with mud. When not mud covered and dry, the skin is dark grey; however, when moist (and not mud covered), the skin is dark brown to black. Swamp buffalo (a variety of B. bubalis under domestication) are more ashy gray in color, has a drooping neck, and horns that are swept back and out, whereas river buffalo (the other domesticated variety) are more black and have tightly curled horns.
A closely related species found in the Philippines is Bubalus mindorensis, or tamaraw. It is smaller than B. bubalis, weighing 300 kg and standing 100 cm at the shoulder. Tamaraws have more hair than Asian water buffalo, are dark brown to black, and have shorter horns. (Lekagul and McNeely, 1988; Ligda, 1999a; Macdonald, 2001; Nowak, 1999; Phillips, 1984; Prater, 1971; Shackleton and Harestad, 2003; Singh, et al., 2000)
They have a sparse covering of hair that is dark brown in colour. They have a large head, a thick neck, a broad chest and strong legs. Their ears are large and droopy and they have large, low curved horns. In males the horns are joined by a boss, which is a shield that covers their entire forehead. For about 3-4 years, calves remain with their mother. After about 3 years, children leave the mother and the male buffalo herd buffalo gather with others. When farmed, buffalo can live to almost 25 years.
buffalo including land mammals, mammals that live on land have breathing apparatus similar to humans, the nose, the base of the throat, windpipe and lungs. Such as goats, cows, horses, buffalo.