List of water buffalo breeds

This is a list of domestic water buffalo breeds and their uses.

Breeds

The domestic water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is descended from the wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee), now designated an endangered species. Water buffaloes have been bred, predominantly in Asia, for thousands of years for use by humans. Their main domestic uses are as draught animals and for the production of milk and meat. Two types are recognized, the river-type and the swamp-type. Note: except where otherwise indicated, the reference for all entries is DAD-IS.^[1]

Name	Picture	Alternate name	Origin	Use	Notes, references
Al-Ahwar	see § Iranian and Iraqi[2]				§ Iraqi marsh buffalo[3]
Al Jamoose or Jimes	see § Iraqi[3]
Anatolian buffalo		Turkish: Anadolu Mandası, regional: Camız, Camış, Kömüş, Dombay	Turkey: the Marmara and Black Sea regions, and South Turkey	dairy, draught	of § Mediterranean-type[2][4]
Assam			NE India		swamp-type[5][6]
Australian buffalo		Australian swamp buffalo (swamp-type), riverine buffalo (river-type), Australiano (in Venezuela)	Australia's Northern Territory		feral swamp-type buffaloes imported from the eastern Indonesian islands in the 1820s; river-type buffaloes were imported in the 1990s[5]
Azari		Azeri, Azerbaijan, Iranian, Caucasian	Azerbaijan, NW Iran		§ Caucasian buffalo;[5] Iranian Azari (=an ecotype of the § Iranian) comprises 70% of the Iranian buffalo population[3]
Azi Kheli			NW Pakistan: the Swat valley	dairy	light brown or albinoid milking buffalo[6]
Badavan	see § Bhadawari[5]
Baio		Vermelho	N Brazil: Marajó	dual-purpose (meat and dairy)	swamp-type; color labels separate the swamp-type from typically black (preto) South American river-type breeds; considered a naturalized type or genetic group rather than a breed, categorization similar to § Brazilian Carabao[7][8]
Baladi (= local or native)			Egypt	dairy	the Nile Delta's milking variety of the § Egyptian buffalo;[7] has longer curved horns, is black or gray in color; varieties of the Baladi type are the § Beheri and the § Minufi buffalo[9]
Balkan	see § European[7]
Bama kwye	see § Burmese[7]
Bangladeshi			Bangladesh	dairy, draught	native buffaloes of Bangladesh's floodplains; includes both a black indigenous river-type (western and central areas) and a small gray indigenous swamp-type (eastern areas); see also § Mahish[7]
Bangladeshi, albinoid of the central part of the country			Bangladesh	dairy	a type of the § Bangladeshi, farmed semi-intensively for milk[7]
Bangladeshi, albinoid of the western part of the country			Bangladesh	draught	the smallest (average height 126/121 cm) of the § Bangladeshi buffaloes [7]
Bangladeshi, native buffaloes in the central part			Bangladesh		black indigenous river-type of the § Bangladeshi[7]
Bangladeshi, native buffaloes in the eastern part			Bangladesh		smaller gray indigenous § Bangladeshi swamp-type with white stockings and sometimes white spots on each side of the face; crescent-shaped horns[7]
Bangladeshi, native buffaloes in the southern part			Bangladesh	dairy	larger than native water buffaloes of that area[7]
Bangladeshi, native buffaloes in the western part			Bangladesh		black indigenous river-type of the § Bangladeshi[7]
Banni			W India: the Kachchh (Kutch) region of Gujarat	dairy	developed by the semi-pastoralist Maldhari community[7]
Beheri			Egypt: Beheira Province	dairy	a variety of the § Egyptian buffalo[7] of the § Baladi type; slate-gray or black in color[9]
Belang	see § Tadong[7]
Bhadawari		Badavan, Etawah	India: Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh	dairy, draught	selectively improved river-type[7]
Bhainsi	see § Nepalese[7]
Bhavanegri	see § Jafarabadi[7]
Binhu			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo[10]
Borneo buffalo	see § Kalang
Brazilian		Kalabaw, Kalaban Portuguese: bufalo de pantano (= swamp-type breeds) Portuguese: preto (= typically black river-type breeds)	Brazil		swamp-type breeds descended from stock originating from French Indochina, including the black Philippine Carabao; initially imported in about 1890 to Marajó Island (most are still found there today); see §§ Brazilian Carabao, Rosilho, and Baio[7][8] river-type breeds from India, Italy and Egypt were imported in the early to mid-20th century; there are three river-type breeds recognized: the § Jafarabadi the § Mediterranean the § Murrah[8]
Brazilian Carabao		Kalaban	Brazil	meat and draught swamp-type	has its own herdbook in Brazil, described as a naturalized genetic group rather than a breed; there is a variety called the § Rosilho[7]
Búfalo de Pantano			Cuba		see § Australian buffalo
Búfalo de Rio			Cuba		see § Buffalypso
Buffalypso		Trinidadian buffalo (sometimes called Trinidadian bison or hog cattle)	Trinidad and Tobago	specialized for meat and haulage	derives from crosses between the swamp-type § Carabao and river-type breeds (such as the § Murrah, the § Nili-Ravi, the § Jafarabadi, the § Surti, § Nagpuri, and the § Bhadawari); has a refined head, prominent eyes, small flat compact horns growing back, up and in, short in the leg, low compact body, meaty hindquarters, straight topline; typically Buffalypso are red or fawn, colors include black, brown, albinoid; exported to 19 countries (the U.S. and several Latin American countries)[8]
Bulgarian buffalo			Bulgaria	meat, dairy, work	a regional variety of the typical European, i.e. the § Mediterranean; traditionally of strong, muscular working type, became triple-purpose animals; the indigenous Bulgarian bison is now extinct[8]
Bulgarian Murrah		Bulgarian: Българска мyрра, Bulgarska murra	Bulgaria	dairy	derives from crosses of Mediterranean buffaloes with Indian Murrah (and Surti) buffaloes imported from 1962; is black, black/brown or dark gray, has large black eyes, coiled horns, a wide rump, long tail, voluminous belly, deep broad chest, a short wide back often slightly dipped, well-developed udder suited to machine milking; is now rare in its homeland; exported to Romania and South America[8]
Burmese		Burma (Myanmar); locally: Bama Kwye and Pa Sauk Kwye (kwye or kywe = buffalo)	Myanmar		swamp-type; varies locally in size, color and horn shape;[11] the larger § Shan Kwye is classified as a distinct "breed" the Burmese wild buffalo is a feral gayal (or mithun)
Burmese wild buffalo		Burmese: pyaung, pyun also referred to as: the Burmese gaur (either Bos gaurus readai or Bos gaurus laosiensis) the Burmese bison	Myanmar		the wild buffaloes of Burma are a gaur subspecies (either Bos gaurus readai or B. g. laosiensis) that were reputedly domesticated animals (gayal or mithun) that became feral in swampy bush areas; hunted and recaptured and kept by some farmers in hilly northern jungles for producing meat and good leather[11]
Cambodian buffalo			Cambodia		two varieties: the krabei beng the moi (or § Mountain buffalo) the krabei leu (or krabei sre)[11]
Carabao			the Philippines	meat, dairy, draught	swamp-type
Caucasian			Georgia, the Russian Federation	meat, dairy
Chilika			India		river-type; saline-tolerant, well-adapted to Orissa's vast brackish lagoon at the mouth of the Daya River[6]
Chinese buffalo			China		many varieties: the §§ Haizi​ and Mountainous buffaloes, the § Shanghai (incl. the Jiangsu Round-Barrel), and the §§ Dongliu, Wenzhou, Fu'an, Xiajiang, Xinfeng Mountainous, Xinlong, Fuzhong, Binhu, Enshi Mountainous, Jianghan, Xingyang, Shannan, Fuling, Yanjin, Dehong, Southeastern Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guizhou White buffaloes,[12] introduced to Hong Kong
De			Vietnam
Dechang			China
Dehong			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo
Domaci bivo			Serbia
Dongliu			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo
Egyptian		Masri	Egypt	dairy, draught	river-type; can be loosely divided, both geographically and by type, into two types: the long-horned local buffaloes of the Nile Delta: the milking § Baladi, incl. the § Beheri (slate-gray to black in color) and the § Minufi (dark gray) the short-horned buffaloes of Upper (southern) Egypt: the § Saidi; primarily a draught animal[13][14][9]
Enshi Mountainous			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo[15]
Fu'an			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo
Fuling			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo
Fuzhong			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo
Gaddi			Nepal
Georgian buffalo			Georgia, the Russian Federation
Ghab			Syria
Gilani		Mazandarani, Shomali	Iran		a minor northern ecotype of the § Iranian, see § Caucasian[3]
Godavari			India
Greek buffalo			Greece
Guizhou			China
Guizhou White			China
Haizi			China
Iranian and Iraqi			Iran and Iraq	dairy	mainly river-types [3]
Iranian	see § Iranian and Iraqi				the Iranian buffaloes by ecotype: the Mazandarani, § Gilani or Shomali (a minor northern ecotype, see § Caucasian) the § Azari (70% of the Iranian buffalo population) the § Khuzestani or Khoozestani (an ecotype of the southern marshes)[3]
Indonesian wild buffalo		Indonesian water buffalo, Indonesian swamp buffalo, Indonesian buffalo	Indonesia		a feral water buffalo breed, introduced to Komodo and Flores
Iranian Azari ecotype	see § Azari				an ecotype of the § Iranian[3]
Iraqi		Al Jamoose, Jimes = water buffalo other: Dwab (Dauab), Granish	Iraq	meat, dairy, ridden work animal	Iraqi buffaloes are divided by habitat into "marsh" and "city", or into the § Al Ahwar marsh buffalo and the larger and milkier river-type of urban areas with considerable diversity in color[3]
Italian		Italian: Bufala Mediterranea Italiana, Italian Mediterranean, Mediterranean Italian, Italiano (in Venezuela)	Italy	dairy	of § Mediterranean-type (riverine); Italian Mediterranean buffaloes have been exported to Brazil and other parts of Latin America[3]
Jafarabadi			India	dairy
Jaffrabadi			Gujarat	dairy	[16]
Jerangi			India
Jianghan			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo
Kalaban			Brazil
Kalahandi			India
Kalang		Borneo buffalo (in English), Kerbau Rawa (in Indonesian)	Indonesia: (Kalimantan)
Kebo			Indonesia
Kerbau-Gunung			Indonesia
Kerbau-Indonesia			Indonesia
Kerbau Moa			Indonesia
Kerbau-Murrah			Indonesia
Kerbau-Sumatra-Barat			Indonesia
Kerbau-Sumatra-Utara			Indonesia
Kerbau-Sumbawa			Indonesia
Khoozestani		Khuzestani	Iran		an § Iranian ecotype of the southern marshes[3]
Kundi		Kundhi, Sindhi Murrah	E Pakistan: N Sindh	dairy	river-type; some consider it a regional variety of the § Murrah[17][18]
Lanka			Sri Lanka
Lime			Nepal
Mahish			Bangladesh		a variety of the § Bangladeshi, crossed with the indigenous swamp-type, river-type dominant[7]
Malaysian		kerbau	Malaysia		three varieties: the kerbau § Sapi Tenusu the kerbau § Sawah the § Selembu[17][19]
Manda			India
Mannar			Sri Lanka
Marathwada			India
Masri	see § Egyptian
Mediterranean			the Mediterranean region
Mehsana			India	dairy
Mestizo			the Philippines
Minufi		Minufi, Menoufi or Monoufi	Egypt: the southern and central parts of the Nile Delta	dairy	a variety of the § Egyptian buffalo[7] of § Baladi type; dark gray in color[9]
Monouli			Egypt
Mountain buffalo		moi	Cambodia		a variety of the krabei beng § Cambodian buffalo[20]
Mountainous			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo [21]
Munding			Indonesia
Murrah			India, Pakistan	dairy	also found in Azerbaijan, Brazil, China, Ecuador, Guatemala, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam
Myanmar swamp buffalo	see § Burmese[11][22]
Nagpuri		Berar, Durna-Thalia, Ellichpuri, Gaulani, Gauli, Marathwada, Varadi	W India: Maharashtra	dairy, draught	two varieties: the Purnathadi the § Pandharpuri
Nelore			Argentina
Nepalese hill buffalo			Nepal
Nepalese mountain buffalo			Nepal
Ngo			Vietnam
Nili			E Pakistan, N India		see § NiliRavi
Nili-Ravi		Panch Kalyani	E Pakistan, N India	dairy	a combination of two fairly similar Pakistani water buffalo breeds, the Nili and the Ravi; formerly described as geographically isolated varieties of the § Murrah exported to Bangladesh, China, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Brazil and Venezuela[23][24]
Pa Sauk	see § Burmese[23]
Pahadi	see § Nepalese[23]
Palitana	see § Jafarabadi[23]
Pampangan	see § Indonesian[23]
Panch Kalyani	see § Nili-Ravi[23]
Pandharpuri		Dharwari (in Mysore)	India	dairy	see § Nagpuri[23]
Papua New Guinea buffalo			Papua New Guinea
Parkote	see § Nepalese[23]
Parlakimedi	see § Manda[23]
Peddakimedi	see § Kalahandi[23]
Philippine	see § Carabao[23]
Plain buffalo			Cambodia
Purnathadi	see § Nagpuri[23]
Purvi	see § Nepalese[23]
Ravi		Sandal Bar	E Pakistan, N India		see § Nili-Ravi[23]
Rawa	see § Kalang[23]
Romanian buffalo			Romania	meat, dairy, draught
Rosilho			Brazil		a variety of the § Brazilian Carabao[8]
Siamese buffalo		Thai water buffalo, Thai swamp buffalo (in English), Kwai Thai, Karbue (in Thailand),	Thailand	meat, dairy, draught	swamp-type
Saidi			Egypt
Sambalpur			India
Sapi Tenusu		kerbau Sapi Tenusu	Malaysia	dairy	a variety of the § Malaysian; river-type[17]
Sawah		kerbau Sawah;	Malaysia		a variety of the § Malaysian; swamp-type[17]
Shanghai			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo
Shan Kywe		swamp-type of the elevated Shan Plateau in eastern-central Burma	Myanmar		larger, heavier and darker in color than other § Burmese buffaloes; classified as a distinct "breed"[11]
Shannan			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo
Southeast Yunnan			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo
South Kanara			India
Surti			India, Sri Lanka	dairy, draught
Taiwan buffalo			Taiwan
Tamankaduwa			Sri Lanka
Tamarao			the Philippines
Tarai buffalo			India, Nepal
Tedong			Indonesia
Tipo Baio			Brazil
Toda			India
Toraya			Indonesia	meat, dairy, draught
Trâu Nội			Vietnam
Trinitario			Venezuela		see § Buffalypso
Wenzhou			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo[25]
Xiajiang			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo[25]
Xilin			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region[25]
Xinfeng Mountainous			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo[25]
Xinglong			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo[26]
Xingyang			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo[26]
Yanjin			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo[26]
Yibin			China		a variety of the § Chinese buffalo[26]

See also

• Animals portal

• List of cattle breeds