Mindulo buffalo (scientific name:Bubalus mindorensis）: The body length is 220 cm, the average shoulder height is 100-105 cm, the tail length is 60 cm, and the estimated weight of female cattle is 200-300 kg.The appearance of the Mindulo buffalo is typical of the Bovidae.Their bodies are short and strong, their limbs have hooves, their heads are small and angular, and their necks are short and small.They are smaller and stronger than buffalo.They have only mild hermaphroditism: males have thicker necks.
Minduluo buffalo mainly eats grass and tender bamboo, but also white fescue and sweet root grass.They are PhilippinesMindoroEndemic species of.Once inLuzon IslandAppear and haunt.From the seaside to the mountain area above 2000 meters above sea level, due to human development and hunting, it is limited to some remote grasslands and is an extremely endangered species.
Mindulo buffalo only lives inMindoro , plus those found on other islandsBuffaloFossil, indicating that they were once widely distributed inthe Philippines。According to the fossil record discovered in the 20th century, the Mindulo buffalo oncethe pleistoceneLiving in Luzon.
The Mindoro buffalo was originallyFranceZoologistHan Bolu(Pierre Marie Heude) was classified as a kind of Japanese buffalo in 1888.Later, it was found that the Japanese buffalo should be part of the genus Buffalo. Their close relationship with buffalo has been confirmed, and they were classified as a subspecies of buffalo in 1958.Genetic analysis also supports this intimate relationship.In 1969, they were promoted to an independent species, so the scientific name of the Mindulo buffalo was also changed.
The Mindoro buffalo was first discovered in Mindoro in 1888.Due to the prevalence of malaria, there were not many people living in Mindulo before 1900.Only after the invention of anti malaria drugs did more people move to the island to live.The increase of human activities on the island has reduced the number of Mindulo buffalo.By 1966, there were only three remaining areas where water buffaloes were distributed;By 2000, they could only live in the remaining two regions.[1-2]
The Minduluo buffalo has a body length of 220 cm, an average shoulder height of 100-105 cm, a tail length of 60 cm, and an estimated weight of 200-300 kg for females.The appearance of the Mindulo buffalo is typical of the Bovidae.Their bodies are short and strong, their limbs have hooves, their heads are small and angular, and their necks are short and small.They are smaller and stronger than buffalo.They have only mild hermaphroditism: males have thicker necks.
The hair color of adult cattle is dark brown to gray.There are white stripes on the inner side of the hooves and the front lower limbs, and the shape is like the stripes of the mountain Japanese buffalo.The face color is like the body, and most of them have a pair of gray stripes from the eyes to the corners.Black skin on nose and lips.The ear is 13.5cm long with white lines on the inside.
The horns of Mindulo buffalo are short and black, and the two horns are Ya shaped, rather than the crescent shaped like buffalo.The surface of the two corners is flat and the bottom is triangular.Due to frequent friction, the outer surface of the horn of the Mindulo buffalo is worn, while the inner surface is rough.The angle is 35.5-51cm long.[3]
Habitat environment
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The Mindoro buffalo lives in tropical highland forest, grassland and marsh areas, and its vertical height is from the sea level of Mindoro Island to more than 2000 meters above sea level.It is most common in secondary forests, forests and scattered grasslands;In the arid areas where white fescue and sweet root grass grow, the rainfall is the most;Short grass mainly grows on bare hillsides;Including Kan, horse Tang, cowweed, Zanthoxylum nitidum, Hayweed and duck weed;Primitive forest where borneol fragrance grows, along the ridge where limestone remains;The whole area of permanent and seasonal rivers is often composed of Phragmites, Sinocalamus, Sinocalamus and Dipterocarpus woodlands.[2]
Life habits
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Mindulo buffalo, like other buffaloes, will roll in the mud pit, which may be to avoid insect bites.Mindulo buffalo is ferocious in nature. When threatened, they will bow their heads, face each other with horns and shake their heads constantly.
In the thick jungle and near open forest belt, they mainly eat grass and tender bamboo, but also white thatch, sweet root grass, crabgrass, ox tendon grass, duck weed, spikelet and vetiver grass.They are naturally active during the day, but because they want to avoid humans, they will also move to the night.They extend to the grassland where they live in lowlands.They often haunt near the water source.
The Minduluo buffalo lives alone and does not live in groups.Only the young cattle can show the herd behavior and class of ordinary buffalo.Male and female cattle will also be exposed throughout the year, but only for a few hours.It means that their solitary behavior is an adaptation to their forest habitat.Male cattle often live alone and seem aggressive;Female cattle can live alone, with male cattle or with three young cattle of different ages.[2][4]
Distribution range
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Mindoro buffalo lives in the PhilippinesMindoro。The Philippine Island (9735 square kilometers) is distributed in Mindoro Island, with a total area estimated to be less than 300 square kilometers.Although previously common throughout the island, this species is believed to be distributed only in three regions: Mount Iglit Baco National Park,Mount Aruyan/Sablayan, And Mount Calavite Tamaraw Preserve are all national parks or reserves.[2]
Distribution Map of Minduluo Buffalo
Reproductive mode
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The Minduluo buffalo will give birth to one child per litter, and the pregnancy period is 300 days.Each child should be separated by two years.The calf will be cared for by the cow for 2-4 years before independence.The average life span is 20 years, and the maximum life span can reach 25 years.[3]
Subspecies differentiation
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Single species, no subspecies.[5]
Population status
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The estimated number of Mindulo buffalo in the 1900s was about 10000;By 1949, there were about 1000 of them;In 1953, fewer than 250 heads were still alive.According to the statistics of the World Conservation Union, their number has been declining, leaving only less than 100.It rose slightly to 120 in 1975.At present, it is believed that only about 30-200 of them remain.
The number of Mindulo buffalo is rare, and it only lives in Mindulo, so it is listed as a critically endangered species.Their distribution area is less than 500 square kilometers, and only five loci are known.There are many reasons for the decline of the Minduluo buffalo.The development of human beings in Mindulo has put pressure on the number of water buffaloes in Mindulo. In addition, the number of water buffaloes in Mindulo has declined significantly when hunting, cooking and losing habitat.In addition, in the 1930s, the invading European cattle caused a serious cattle epidemic, which also infected the Mindulo buffalo.Their number was less than 300 in 2007.
Due to the decline of the Mindoro buffalo, the Philippines has laws and institutions to protect them.The law includes prohibiting the hunting and killing of Mintuluo buffalo except for self-defense, and punishing deterrent fines and imprisonment.In addition to the legal prohibition, a number of conservation efforts are also under way, including raising and cultivating Mindulo buffalo and establishing gene pool.In 2007, Mindulo buffalo was listed《Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora》In Appendix I of the, any commercial trade of the Mindulo buffalo and its derivatives is prohibited.[6-7]
Protection level
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Included《World Conservation Union》(IUCN) 2008 Red List of Endangered Species ver 3.1 - Critically Endangered (CR).
