Terrific facts about the different types of tortoises


BY: Tasneem Johnson-Dollie
Water buffaloes and humans have a shared history spanning more than 50 centuries. But, how well do we really know one of our earliest animal companions, and what are we doing to ensure that they’ll be around for centuries to come?
The water buffalo is a cousin of the cow and, just like cows, this buffalo species has played a major role in the development of society.
Let’s learn more about the water buffalo, and how they became an important part of human history.
There are two buffalo species in the world, the African buffalo – also known as the Cape buffalo, and the Asian buffalo – also known as the water buffalo.
The water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) differs from the Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in a number of significant ways:
But, did you know that, due to their domestication, there are now also different types of water buffalo?
Original image: Water Buffalo by Kosala Bandara is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
After centuries of living different lifestyles, it’s no surprise that domestic water buffaloes have undergone some major adaptations that make them quite different from wild water buffaloes:
Today domestic water buffaloes are known as the “tractors of the East” because they still play a big role in the farming industry in Asian countries.
With more than 70 breeds of domestic water buffalo in existence, it’s clear that human beings weren’t just taken aback by these bulky bovines, but they were keen to keep them close.
Why did human beings decide to domesticate the water buffalo in the first place?
Well, it started with water buffaloes inhabiting the same environments as human beings – which made them a viable option for domestication. The idea gained momentum because these animals had the type of temperament that allowed them to be domesticated. And, tons more animals were domesticated because of the realisation that keeping water buffaloes made it much easier for human beings to survive.
What is it about water buffaloes that had human beings hooked? Well, just like the cow, the water buffalo could provide a wide variety of resources like the following:
Centuries later, research by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) shows that more people depend on water buffaloes for their livelihoods than on any other domesticated species on Earth.
While there are more domestic water buffaloes around than you can shake a stick at, the same can’t be said for wild water buffaloes.
In fact, the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List, states that there are only 2,500 wild water buffaloes left, and their species is classified as endangered.
So, what’s the problem, since there are still tons of domestic water buffaloes? Well, because wild types of water buffaloes are so different to domestic water buffaloes – they inhabit and contribute to different environments in different ways – we really can’t depend on domestic water buffaloes to take their place.
It’s important that we work to conserve these creatures in order to conserve the environments they live in. If not, we run the risk of seeing this buffalo species becoming extinct, and finding out what effect their loss would have on environments worldwide.
Get involved in the conservation of the water buffalo by signing up for a Bushwise Field Guides, Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA) Professional Field Guide course or a Nature Enthusiast FGASA online course.