Fun Buffalo Facts For Kids

What this blundering African bovine lacks in style, it compensates for in substance. Not to be mistaken for the American Buffalo, the African Buffalo is a creature that can adjust to a wide assortment of living spaces, approaches speeds of 37 mph (59 kmph), and in a real sense cannot be restrained. Over their two-decade life expectancy, they stay close in groups that 'vote' to decide the direction they would want to proceed for grazing.

These animals prefer to live in large groups called 'herds'. They have separate herds for males and females. Newborns stay with the mothers in the maternal group for at least two years; when they become mature and ready to survive independently, the males shift to the male groups. The two groups or herds reunite in the late spring season, which is their breeding period. This period lasts for only 14 days.

Buffaloes are large creatures whose majestic size gives them a prominent spot in North America and Africa's wild sanctuaries. Even their predators do not hope to attack them when they are among their herds.

Here are lots of interesting facts on buffalos that you might enjoy. If you like these facts, then read our bird of paradise and field vole facts too!

What type of animal is a buffalo?

The buffalo, also called wisent, is one of two types of ox-like brushing vertebrates that comprises the bison of the family Bovidae. The American buffalo, usually known as the wild ox or the plains wild ox, is local to North America, and the European buffalo or wisent is local to Europe.

What class of animal does a buffalo belong to?

The buffalo (bison) belongs to the Mammalia class of animals.

How many buffalos are there in the world?

There are around 530,000 bison on private and public grounds and approximately 15,000 in nature.

Where does a buffalo live?

They live all through the landmass of Africa, especially central and southern Africa. A few of these nations are Sierra Leone, Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya, Central African Republic, South Africa, Botswana, and plenty more.

What is a buffalo's habitat?

African bison can exist in any place there is water. This incorporates swamps, semi-parched brushland, and woodlands.

Who do buffalos live with?

Buffalo are social animals and live in bunches called a herd. Water bison herds are isolated by gender. Buffalo newborns stay with the maternal group for around three years, and afterward, they join a male crowd. The maternal herd has up to 30 females and their young ones.

How long does a buffalo live?

Bison typically have a life span of 10-22 years in the wildlife, while having a life span of about 30 years in sanctuaries and captivity.

How do they reproduce?

The reproducing season lasts for only 14 days in the late spring for buffalos. However, it's a fascinating fourteen days at that. It happens in the mid-year when the entirety of the females come into their heat period. This additionally guarantees that the buffalo calves will be brought into the world in the spring, when there is a lot of grass to eat for its mother and itself. The American bison brings births one calf at a time and females stay pregnant for almost an entire year, which is longer than humans! After birth, the calf continues to rely on the mother for one more year in the wildlife.

What is their conservation status?

Today, under 4,700 wild American buffalo are found in the United States, basically inside Yellowstone National Park's boundaries. The IUCN has listed the different bisons as Near Threatened or as Least Concern.

What do buffalos look like?

All American bison are huge creatures with long horns. The bison typically weighs 1,600 lb (725 kg) as a grown-up, probably as hefty as a four-wheeler! They also grow to become around 5 ft (152 cm) tall at the shoulder and reach up to 7 ft (213 cm) from nose to tail!

How cute are they?

Buffalos are curious creatures that are not typically thought of as cute due to the sheer strength and power that they are capable of. As animals in general, they may seem cute and adorable when they are going about their business grazing in the fields. But it is not advisable to be anywhere around a wild buffalo as they are unpredictable creatures that can cause some severe injuries and are not as cute as they look!

How do they communicate?

Buffalo communicate with each other by their senses of hearing and smell. The main interactions are made using pheromones and scents, particularly during the mating season. Buffalo also sometimes snort, grunt, and snarl. Another interaction between buffalo is when the predominant bison (male buffalo) picks a female and protects her against other male buffalos by battling against them.

How big is a buffalo?

Bison are 59.8-78 in (152-198 cm) tall and 67-71 in (170-180 cm) long. The American bison is five times bigger than a Golden Retriever dog!

How fast can a buffalo move?

A charging Bison can, without much effort, reach speeds of up to 35 miles per hour (56 kph).

How much does a buffalo weigh?

The average weight of a fully grown buffalo/bison is 1,323- 2,000 lb (600-907 kg).

What are their male and female names of the species?

Female bison are called cows. They have horns like the bulls, and their udders are more modest than steers. Male bison ​are called bulls.

What would you call a baby buffalo?

American bison, like most mammals, bear a buffalo newborn, which is called a calf. For the most part, they have one calf every year, and the female will carry the calf for nine to 11 months before giving birth to her offspring. When the calf is born, a water bison will remain with its mom for around three years.

What do they eat?

Similarly to other hooved animals with or without horns, American buffalo found in North America spend the waking hours of their life grazing on plants. Buffalo will bite cud very much like a cow. This means they will throw up grass before taking another bite of it to gain more nutrients.

Are they dangerous?

American buffalos are old and grumpy bulls and might charge without any warning and for no particular reason. Bison are very dangerous creatures.

Would they make a good pet?

American buffalo cannot be kept as pets, this would he extremely dangerous. They can only live either in the wild or in heavily controlled environments with expert care in zoos, safari parks and national parks.

Did you know...

Bison are killed for their skin which is used to make clothing and blankets, and their meat is used for eating.

American buffalo can grow up to 7 ft (2.1 m) long, making them the largest animal in North America.

Buffalos require a lot of food to supply energy to their massive body. They consume 60 lb (27 kg) of food on average each day.

Buffalo tails can grow up to 3 ft (91 cm ) long, and they perform the essential task of swapping those pesky flies away.

Buffalos are so strong that they are able to kill and eat lions, pretty impressive right!

How strong is a buffalo?

Any ordinary bull would likely lose to the American buffalo. This monstrous 1,400 lb bovid is an incredible monster that is likely to survive even attacks from wolf packs and bears. Due to the buffalo being a wild creature, it would likely defeat most, if not all, homegrown cattle species. It is a solid, genuinely able, and dangerous animal.

How high can buffalo jump?

The buffalo, despite weighing over a ton, can reach speeds of up to 40 mph (64 kmph) and jump up to 6 ft (1.8 m) vertically. This speed helps them immensely when they need to escape predators or catch prey.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals, including the tamandua, or the plains zebra.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Buffalo coloring pages.