The
African buffalo (
Syncerus caffer) is a species of
true buffalo in the
Bovidae family. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa, where it is found in a number of disjoint ranges stretching from south-eastern Senegal through West and Central Africa to South Africa. It lives in
savannas,
swamps and
floodplains, as well as
mopane grasslands, and the forests of the major mountains of Africa. The African buffalo is a large bovid, with a shoulder height ranging from 1.0 to 1.7 m (3.3 to 5.6 ft) and head-and-body length between 1.7 and 3.4 m (5.6-11.2 ft). There is variation between subspecies, the
African forest buffalo having a mass of 250 to 450 kg (600 to 1,000 lb) while the Cape buffalo weighs 425 to 870 kg (937 to 1,918 lb), males being about 100 kg (220 lb) heavier than females. The adult African buffalo is known for its characteristic horn. This male African buffalo was photographed in
Phinda Private Game Reserve, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. It has a
red-billed oxpecker (
Buphagus erythrorhynchus) standing on its muzzle.
Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
_male_with_Oxpecker.jpg)
