The Water Buffalo is a very large ungulate and a member of the wild oxen family. The Arni or Wild Buffalo survives in the wild in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Vietnam and Thailand. The domestic Buffalo is very widespread in Asia, South America, North Africa and Europe. It is feral in northern Australia. Wild-living populations also exist in much of South-east Asia but their origin is uncertain: they may be the descendants of wild Water Buffalo, formerly domesticated ferals or a mixture of both. In Asia the population of wild Water Buffalo has become very sparse, and there is fear that no pure bred wild water buffalo exist anymore. Adults range in size from 250 kg to 500 kg for the domestic bred, but true wild water buffaloes can grow to very large size. Adult females typically weigh around 800kg, and the male up to 1200kg. The average weight of an adult male is 900 kg. The biggest wild water buffaloes are found in Thailand, which is the home for the last 50 wild buffaloes or so. Wild water buffalo's form lacks the round belly of domestic buffaloes. Due to interbreeding with feral and domestic species, weights can vary greatly even in populations in close proximity, and this is the major cause leading the true wild buffaloes to extinction. Buffaloes seem to have originated from South Asia, from India to South-East Asia.
The classification of the Water Buffalo is uncertain. Some authorities list a single species, Bubalus bubalus with three subspecies, the River Buffalo(B. bubalus bubalus) of South Asia and the Carabao or Swamp Buffalo (B. bubalus carabanesis) of the Philippines and Southeast Asia, plus the Arni or Wild Buffalo (B. bubalus arnee); others regard them as closely related but separate species. The Swamp Buffalo is primarily found in the eastern half of Asia and has 48 chromosomes. The River Buffalo is mostly found in western half of Asia, and has 50 chromosomes. Fertile offspring occurs between the two. It does not readily hybridise with cattle which have 60 chromosomes.
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