This Toda buffalo is named after an ancient tribe, Toda of Nilgiris Hills of south India and it is a semi-wild breed.
The predominate coat colours are fawn and ash-grey. The thick hair coat is found all over the body. They are gregarious in nature. The body of Toda buffalo breeds is long and deep and the chest is deep. The legs are short and strong. The horns are set wide apart curving inward, outward and forward forming a characteristic crescent shape. The Crescent-shaped horns with a sharp tip and two chevron markings in the neck region are the distinguishable features of Toda buffaloes. The tail is long and slim extending beyond hock joint and the switch is generally black.
Toda buffaloes are good milkers yielding from 4.4 to 8.8 litres of very rich milk. The average milk yield is 500 kg per lactation with the high-fat content of 8%.