262
THE
BUFFALO—A
REVIEW
[Vol. XXII, Part IV
[Maymone, 1945]. The number of calves in the lifetime of the buffalo-cow may
reach 14 or 15 [Dave, 1940]. Genital abnormalities such as cystic ovaries, cystic
corpora, dermoids, thin walled luteal bodies and the presence of cysts on the geni-
talia have been described by Polding and Lall [1945].
It would be of interest to find out the relationship of the interval between
calvings to the milking production. The effect of age on the occurrence of ovulation
and conception is important in determining the best age for culling the old animals
from the breeding herds. An effort is needed to evaluate the importance of early
foetal or embroyonic death followed by unseen abortion or resorbtion. It is
suggested that the effect of physiological, pathological, genetic and nutritional
functions may be studied on the reproductive efficiency of the buffalo-cow. This
will help in a more adequate assessment of fertility than by the number of services
required per conception or the percentage of pregnancies.
The buffalo-bull can be used up to 10 to 15 years and can serve 50 buffalo-cow S
per annum [Dave, 1940; Marsh and Dawson, 1948]. The buffalo semen is milk
white in colour with a very light bluish tinge (the bull's semen has a more or less
yellowish tinge). The average volume of the ejaculate is 3.45 ± 1.40 c.c. while the
sediment (after centrifuging) varied from 8.5 to 25 per cent [Mahmoud, 1949].
The sperm count ranges from 210 x 106 to 2000 X 106 per c.c. while pH ranges from
6.6 to 7 and the most suitable storage temperature is 7ºC [Mahmoud, 1949]. The
former authority was able to differentiate between buffalo and bull semen by bio-
metric, morphological and cytological evidence. Seasonal variation in the semen
quality of the buffalo-bull has been stated by Badr-Eldin [1952]. Penicillin and
sulphanilamide solutions have been successfully used to dilute buffalo semen to
inhibit the growth of the bacterial contaminants [Mahmoud, 1952].
African Buffalo
The two species of wild buffalo found in Africa have never been found domesti-
cable. Both are found rarely in remote districts where they live on aquatic plants.
They are among the African game animals that have suffered most severely from
rinderpest, especially the severe attack of 1890. At present the wild buffalo is
found in the bushy, forest-clad districts of Cape Colony, Zululand, South-West
Rhodesia and Portuguese East Africa [Haagner, 1920; Shortridge, 1934].
The evidence regarding their breeding season is somewhat conflicting, but
suggests a fairly prolonged breeding season which depends on the climatic conditions.
In South Africa, the breeding season appears to be from September to March, i.e.
the spring and summer and the gestation period is some 11 months [Shortridge,
1934].
SUMMARY
The Indian buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) has been domesticated and is found in
many tropical and sub-tropical countries while the African buffalo (Bos caffer) is
not domesticable. The buffalo is the best tropical source of butter as well as an
important source of meat. It breeds all the year round, oestrus lasts- for one day
and the cycle, length is 3 weeks. Pregnancy lasts 10½ months while the interval be-
tween calvings depends on factors such as heredity. Buffalo breeding should be