Buffalos: All you need to know

Buffalos are mostly large animals of the cattle family known for their long, curved horns. They are mammals found mainly in Africa and Asia

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They are large members of the Bovidae family (which is also known as the true antelopes family). Buffalo's can be classified into two types, The African or Cape buffalo as its called and the Asian water buffalo. They are dark grey or black animals that look a lot like bulls.

Buffalo are sometimes mistakened for bison. Early American settlers called bison "buffalo" because the animals are similar in appearance and are difficult to differentiate at first glance. However, while bison are also bovines(a sub family of bovids), they are in different genus from true buffalo. Other bovines include oxen, domestic cattle, etc. Bisons can also be classified here.

The water buffalo is the largest bogine. They are extremely heavy and weigh over 1,500 to 2,650 Ibs (700 - 1200 kilograms). The African buffalo is smaller but they are still huge in size. They weigh 935 to 1,910 Ibs (425 - 870kg).

Water buffalo live in the tropical and sub tropical forests of Asia. They are named according to their love for water , for they spend most of their time in water. Their hooves are wider than normal and prevent them from sinking into the mud at the bottom of the ponds, rivers and other water bodies.

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The African buffalo is never far from water. They live in grasslands, savanna's, around water bodies, floodplains, mixed forest, and other interesting places like swamps but they never go farther than 20 kilometers from a body of water because of their love for water. Instead of spending their days swimming , they lie under trees to keep cool while they nap. At night, they like to enjoy and move around in the cool air.

Buffalo's are social animals and live in groups called herds and an African herd often has over 1,000 members. Buffalo's are herbivores, and so eat only vegetation. Their favorite foods are grass and herbs, but they also eat aquatic plants. When food is scarce and they can't find grass and herbs to eat African and Asian buffalo will eat shrubs and trees.

Buffalo's like every mammal, give birth to young ones , which are called calves. They usually have one calf at a time just like we humans, and are pregnant for a period of 9 to 11 months.
Humans use the meat, milk, horns, and leather of the buffalos for different things, they are also used for transportation and to pull plows.

Buffalos, like many animals, have their own unique way of communicating, mostly relying on body language and postures to exchange information. Their interactions, especially among males, are a series of planned behavior to tell the other what it's feeling per time.
For example, when a male buffalo wants to showcase his dominance or threaten another, he takes a very specific stance. He lifts his head high, making him look imposing and authoritative, while simultaneously lowering his muzzle. Despite this showcase of power, buffalos are generally not very vocal creatures. Their day to day communications are quiet, often limited to reoccurring grunts or snorts, showing their calm nature.

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African buffalo have a democracy which is quite interesting. When they are ready to travel, they will all face the direction they want to go and the direction with the most votes wins. After that the head female will lead them all in that direction.
Facinating right!
The African buffalo is among Africa's big five animals which also include leopards, lions, elephants, and rhinos. Both male and female buffalos have big sharp horns. They have great eyesight, they often eat at night and in some places, they are active only at night.

*Buffalo's can be very dangerous and wild especially their males(don't mind how calm they look, they are extremely wild)
*Buffalo's are fantastic swimmers
*Buffalo's have a complex social structure
*Buffalo's utilise team work
*Buffalo's can form incredibly large groups
*Buffalo's have stout legs to support it's ox-like body.

Hope you learned something new, I did. I invite @goodybest and @mesola to participate in this contest.

All statistics were gotten from Wikipedia