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Types of Water Buffalo: Bubalus Bubalis
These are the general classifications of water buffalo within the United States. Throughout the world there are also two general types -swamp and river - however, there are 18 distinct breeds under the heading of the "river type" animals .
See This Picture for typical Horn
Shapes.
Swamp - Slate gray to black body. Hair is black, gray or with a brown tinge. The most distinctive marking are a chevron across the chest area and another just below the chin. Stockings are slightly gray or white. The horns are crescent shaped and grow out with the same plane of the forehead. The body is stocky with stout short legs. The stomach is large and somewhat "pot-bellied". They usually have marvelous personalities. Check out this picture Water Buffalo Heifers in the Park
River - The Dairy type - has 18 individual sub - species. Buffalo - River Type
The Rivers in the U.S. are usually dark charcoal gray to black. Some with Nili - Ravi traits have whitish stockings, wall eye and a "star" on their forehead. Not to be mistaken with the 'white stockings' of the swamp buffalo. Murrah type are much more delicate - really feline - pure black and tightly curled horns and thinned boned. They are hard to find in the U.S.. Buffalypso - developed in Trinidad as a dual purpose breed - milk and meat. Usually "red or blond" sometimes black - they exhibit various traits due to their "composite" breeding. Originating from several importations - bred with a mixture of Murrah, Jafarabadi, Nili-Ravi, Surti, and Nagpuri. They seem to be a little more temperamental. All USA breeding stock initially coming in from Guam - Trinidad and the Zoo populations.
Some River types from Around the World:
Pictures and facts from OSU's page - Breeds of Livestock resource