Editing Water buffalo (section)

==Characteristics==

{{See also|List of water buffalo breeds}}

[[File:Albino Water Buffalo, Chiang Mai.jpg|thumb|Albino swamp buffalo in Chiang Mai province, Thailand]]

The skin of the river buffalo is black, but some specimens may have dark, slate-coloured skin. Swamp buffaloes have a grey skin at birth, which becomes slate blue later. [[Albinism|Albinoids]] are present in some populations. River buffaloes have longer faces, smaller girths, and bigger limbs than swamp buffaloes. Their dorsal ridges extend further back and taper off more gradually. Their horns grow downward and backward, then curve upward in a spiral. Swamp buffaloes are heavy-bodied and stockily built, with a short body and large belly. The forehead is flat, the eyes are prominent, the face is short, and the [[snout|muzzle]] is wide. The neck is comparatively long, and the [[withers]] and [[Rump (animal)|croup]] are prominent. A dorsal ridge extends backward and ends abruptly just before the end of the chest. Their horns grow outward and curve in a semicircle, but always remain more or less on the plane of the forehead. The tail is short, reaching only to the [[Hock (anatomy)|hock]]s. Size of the body and shape of horns may vary greatly among breeds. Height at the withers is {{convert|129|-|133|cm|in|abbr=on}} for bulls and {{convert|120|-|127|cm|in|abbr=on}} for cows, but large individuals may attain {{convert|160|cm|in|abbr=on}}. Head-lump length at maturity typically ranges from {{convert|240|-|300|cm|in|abbr=on}} with a {{convert|60|-|100|cm|in|abbr=on}} long tail.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=de Melo, B.A. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Nascimento, I.D.M. |author3=Santos, L.T.A.D. |author4=de Lima, L.G. |author5=de Araújo, F.C.T. |author6=Rios, R.R.S. |author7=Couto, A.D.G. |author8=Fraga, A.B. |year=2018 |title=Body morphometric measurements in Murrah crossbred buffaloes (''Bubalus bubalis'') |journal=Journal of Applied Animal Research |volume=46 |issue=1 |pages=1307–1312 |doi=10.1080/09712119.2018.1502669 |s2cid=91784677 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326565364|doi-access=free }}</ref> They range in weight from {{convert|300|-|550|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, but weights of over {{convert|1000|kg|lb|abbr=on}} have also been observed.<ref name="Cockrill1977" />

''Tedong bonga'' is a [[piebald]] water buffalo featuring a unique black and white colouration that is favoured by the [[Toraja]] of [[Sulawesi]].<ref>Priyanto, D., Suradissastra, K. (2010). [http://peternakan.litbang.deptan.go.id/fullteks/lokakarya/lkerbau10-29.pdf ''Ko-evolusi dan Panarchy: Integrasi Ternak Kerbau dalam Sistem Sosial Etnis Toraja''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513063445/http://peternakan.litbang.deptan.go.id/fullteks/lokakarya/lkerbau10-29.pdf |date=13 May 2013 }}. Seminar dan Lokakarya Nasional Kerbau 2010</ref>

The swamp buffalo has 48 [[chromosomes]], while the river buffalo has 50 chromosomes. The two types do not readily interbreed, but fertile offspring can occur. Water buffalo-cattle hybrids have not been observed to occur, but the embryos of such hybrids reach maturity in laboratory experiments, albeit at lower rates than non-hybrids.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Kochhar, H. P. |author2=Rao, K. B. |author3=Luciano, A. M. |author4=Totey, S. M. |author5=Gandolfi, F. |author6=Basrur, P. K. |author7=King, W. A. |year=2002 |title=In vitro production of cattle-water buffalo (''Bos taurus'' - ''Bubalus bubalis'') hybrid embryos |journal=Zygote |volume=102 |issue=2 |pages=155–162|doi=10.1017/S0967199402002216 |pmid=12056456 |s2cid=9950985 }}</ref>

The [[rumen]] of the water buffalo differs from the rumen of other [[ruminant]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wanapat |first1=M. |last2=Ngarmsang |first2=A. |last3=Korkhuntot |first3=S. |last4=Nontaso |first4=N. |last5=Wachirapakorn |first5=C. |last6=Beakes |first6=G. |last7=Rowlinson |first7=P. |date=2000-07-01 |title=A Comparative Study on the Rumen Microbial Population of Cattle and Swamp Buffalo Raised under Traditional Village Conditions in the Northeast of Thailand |url=https://www.animbiosci.org/upload/pdf/13-127.pdf |journal=Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences |language=English |volume=13 |issue=7 |pages=918–921 |doi=10.5713/ajas.2000.918 |issn=2765-0189 |doi-access=free}}</ref> It contains a larger population of bacteria, particularly the [[cellulolytic]] bacteria, lower [[protozoa]], and higher fungi [[zoospore]]s. In addition, higher levels of the rumen [[ammonia]] [[nitrogen]] (NH<sub>4</sub>-N) and [[pH]] have been found compared to those in cattle.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mekarn.org/procbuf/wanapat.htm |title=Swamp buffalo rumen ecology and its manipulation |author=Wanapat, M. |year=2001 |work=Proceedings Buffalo Workshop}}</ref>