The water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) or domestic water buffalo is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and China. Today, it is also found in Europe, Australia, North America, South America and some African countries. The wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee) native to Southeast Asia is considered a different species, but most likely represents the ancestor of the domestic water buffalo.

Two extant types of water buffalo are recognized, based on morphological and behavioural criteria – 

The River buffalo of the Indian subcontinent and further west to the Balkans, Egypt, and Italy. 

The Swamp buffalo found from Assam in the west through Southeast Asia to the Yangtze valley of China in the east. 

The swamp type may have originated in China and was domesticated about 4,000 years ago, while the river type may have originated in India and was domesticated about 5,000 years ago. After the domestication of the water buffalo in Southeast Asia, the swamp buffalo dispersed up to the Yangtze River valley between 3,000 and 7,000 years ago.

Water buffaloes were traded from the Indus Valley Civilisation to Mesopotamia, in modern Iraq, 2500 BC by the Meluhhas. The seal of a scribe employed by an Akkadian king shows the sacrifice of water buffaloes.

At least 130 million water buffaloes exist, and more people depend on them than on any other domestic animal. They are especially suitable for tilling rice fields, and their milk is richer in fat and protein than that of dairy cattle. A large feral population became established in northern Australia in the late 19th century, and there are smaller feral herds in Papua New Guinea, Tunisia, and northeastern Argentina. Feral herds are also present in New Britain, New Ireland, Irian Jaya, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, Brazil, and Uruguay.

List of water buffalo breeds

Sl.No	||	Name	||	Alternate Name		||	Origin	||	Use	||	Notes, references
1		Anatolian buffalo		Turkish: Anadolu Mandasın, regional: Camız, Camış, Kömüş, Dombay			Turkey: the Marmara and Black Sea regions, and South Turkey		Dairy, Draught		Mediterranean type
2		Assam					NE India				Swamp type
3		Australian buffalo		Australian swamp buffalo (swamp-type), riverine buffalo (river-type), Australiano (in Venezuela)			Australia’s Northern Territory				Feral swamp type buffaloes imported from the eastern Indonesian islands in the 1820s, River type buffaloes were imported in the 1990s.
4		Azari		Azeri, Azerbaijan, Iranian, Caucasian			Azerbaijan, NW Iran				Caucasian buffalo; Iranian Azari comprises 70% of the Iranian buffalo population.
5		Azi Kheli					NW Pakistan: the Swat valley		Dairy		Light brown or Albinoid milking buffalo
6		Baio		Vermelho			N Brazil: Marajó		Dual purpose (meat and dairy)		Swamp-type; Color labels separate the swamp-type from typically black (preto) South American river-type breeds; considered a naturalized type or genetic group rather than a breed, categorization similar to Brazilian Carabao.
7		Baladi					Egypt		Dairy		The Nile Delta’s milking variety of the Egyptian buffalo, has longer curved horns, is black or gray in color; varieties of the Baladi type are the Beheri and the Minufi buffalo.
8		Bangladeshi					Bangladesh		Dairy, Draught		Native buffaloes of Bangladesh’s floodplains, includes both a black indigenous river-type (western and central areas) and a small gray indigenous swamp-type (eastern areas).
9		Banni					W India: the Kachchh (Kutch) region of Gujarat		Dairy		Developed by the semi-pastoralist Maldhari community.
10		Beheri					Egypt: Beheira Province		Dairy		Variety of the Egyptian buffalo of the Baladi type; slate-gray or black in color.
11		Bhadawari		Badavan, Etawah			India: Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh		Dairy, Draught		Selectively improved river type.
12		Binhu					China				A variety of the Chinese buffalo.
13		Brazilian		Kalabaw, Kalaban Portuguese: bufalo de pantano (= swamp-type breeds) Portuguese: preto (= typically black river-type breeds)			Brazil				Swamp type breeds descended from stock originating from French Indochina, including the black Philippine Carabao, initially imported in about 1890 to Marajó Island (most are still found there today). Brazilian Carabao, Rosilho, and Baio river type breeds from India, Italy and Egypt were imported in the early to mid-20th century; there are three river-type breeds recognized, the Jafarabad, Mediterranean $ Murrah.
14		Brazilian Carabao		Kalaban			Brazil		Meat and draught swamp type		has its own herdbook in Brazil, described as a naturalized genetic group rather than a breed, there is a variety called the Rosilho.
15		Buffalypso		Trinidadian buffalo (sometimes called Trinidadian bison or hog cattle)			Trinidad and Tobago		Specialized meat and haulage buffalo		Derives from crosses between the swamp type Carabao and river type breeds (such as Murrah, Nili-Ravi, Jafarabadi, Surti, Nagpuri, and Bhadawari); has a refined head, prominent eyes, small flat compact horns growing back, up and in, short in the leg, low compact body, meaty hindquarters, straight topline; typically Buffalypso are red or fawn, colors include black, brown, albinoid; exported to 19 countries (the U.S. and several Latin American countries)
16		Bulgarian buffalo					Bulgaria		Meat, Dairy, Work		a regional variety of the typical European, i.e. theMediterranean; traditionally of strong, muscular working type, became triple-purpose animals; the indigenous Bulgarian bison is now extinc.
17		Bulgarian Murrah		Bulgarian: Българска мyрра, Bulgarska murra			Bulgaria		Dairy		Derives from crosses of Mediterranean buffaloes with Indian Murrah (and Surti) buffaloes imported from 1962; is black, black/brown or dark gray, has large black eyes, coiled horns, a wide rump, long tail, voluminous belly, deep broad chest, a short wide back often slightly dipped, well-developed udder suited to machine milking; is now rare in its homeland; exported to Romania and South America.
18		Burmese		Burma (Myanmar); locally: Bama Kwye and Pa Sauk Kwye (kwye or kywe = buffalo)			Myanmar				Swamp-type; varies locally in size, color and horn shape. the larger Shan Kwye is classified as a distinct “breed” the Burmese wild buffalo is a feral gayal (or mithun).
19		Burmese wild buffalo		Burmese: pyaung, pyun also referred to as:the Burmese gaur (either Bos gaurus readai or Bos gaurus laosiensis) the Burmese bison			Myanmar				The wild buffaloes of Burma are a gaur subspecies that were reputedly domesticated animals (gayal or mithun) that became feral in swampy bush areas, Hunted and recaptured and kept by some farmers in hilly northern jungles for producing meat and good leather.
20		Cambodian buffalo					Cambodia				Two varieties, the krabei bengthe moi (or Mountain buffalo) the krabei leu (or krabei sre).
21		Carabao		Kalaban			The Philippines		Meat, Dairy & Draught		Swamp type
22		Caucasian					Georgia, the Russian Federation		Dairy, Draught
23		Chilika					India				River-type; Saline tolerant, well adapted to Orissa’s vast brackish lagoon at the mouth of the Daya River.
24		Chinese buffalo					China				Many varieties: Haizi​ and Mountainous buffaloes, Shanghai (incl. the Jiangsu Round-Barrel), and Dongliu, Wenzhou, Fu’an, Xiajiang, Xinfeng Mountainous, Xinlong, Fuzhong, Binhu, Enshi Mountainous, Jianghan, Xingyang, Shannan, Fuling, Yanjin, Dehong, Southeastern Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guizhou White buffaloes.
25		Domaci bivo					Serbia
26		Egyptian		Masri			Egypt		Dairy, Draught		River-type; can be loosely divided, both geographically and by type, into two types: the long-horned local buffaloes of the Nile Delta: the milking Baladi, including Beheri (slate-gray to black in color) and the Minufi (dark gray) the short-horned buffaloes of Upper (southern) Egypt: Saidi; primarily a draught animal.
27		Gaddi					Nepal
28		Georgian buffalo					Georgia, the Russian Federation
29		Ghab					Syria
30		Gilani		Mazandarani, Shomali			Iran				Minor northern ecotype of the Iranian, see caucasian.
31		Godavari					India
32		Greek buffalo					Greece
33		Guizhou					China
34		Guizhou White					China
35		Haizi					China
36		Iranian and Iraqi					Iran and Iraq		Dairy		Mainly river types.
37		Iranian									The Iranian buffaloes by ecotype:the Mazandarani, Gilani or Shomali (a minor northern ecotype, see Caucasian) Azari (70% of the Iranian buffalo population) Khuzestani or Khoozestani (an ecotype of the southern marshes)
38		Indonesian wild buffalo		Indonesian water buffalo, Indonesian swamp buffalo, Indonesian buffalo			Indonesia				Semi feral buffalo breed, introduced to Komodo and Flores.
39		Iranian Azari ecotype									an ecotype of the Iranian.
40		Iraqi		Al Jamoose, Jimes = water buffalo other: Dwab (Dauab), Granish			Iraq		Meat, Dairy, Ridden work animal		Iraqi buffaloes are divided by habitat into “marsh” and “city”, or into the Al Ahwar marsh buffalo and the larger and milkier river-type of urban areas with considerable diversity in color.
41		Italian		Italian: Bufala Mediterranea Italiana, Italian Mediterranean, Mediterranean Italian, Italiano (in Venezuela)			Italy		Dairy		Mediterranean type (riverine), Italian Mediterranean buffaloes have been exported to Brazil and other parts of Latin America.
42		Jaffrabadi					India		Dairy
43		Jerangi					India
44		Jianghan					China				Variety of the chinese buffalo.
45		Kalahandi					India
46		Kalang		Borneo buffalo (in English), Kerbau Rawa (in Indonesian)			Indonesia: (Kalimantan)
47		Kerbau-Gunung					Indonesia
48		Kerbau-Indonesia					Indonesia
49		Kerbau Moa					Indonesia
50		Kerbau-Murrah					Indonesia
51		Kerbau-Sumatra-Barat					Indonesia
52		Kerbau-Sumatra-Utara					Indonesia
53		Kerbau-Sumbawa					Indonesia
54		Khoozestani		Khuzestani			Iran				An Iranian ecotype of the southern marshes.
55		Kundi		Kundhi, Sindhi Murrah			E Pakistan: N Sindh		Dairy		River type; some consider it a regional variety of Murrah.
56		Lanka					Sri Lanka
57		Lime					Nepal
58		Mahish					Bangladesh				A variety of the Bangladeshi, crossed with the indigenous swamp type, river type dominant.
59		Malaysian		kerbau			Malaysia				Three varieties: Kerbau Sapi Tenusu, kerbau Sawah, Selembu.
60		Manda					India
61		Mannar					Sri Lanka
62		Mehsana					India		Dairy
63		Minufi		Minufi, Menoufi or Monoufi			Egypt: the southern and central parts of the Nile Delta		Dairy		A variety of the Egyptian buffalo of Baladi type; dark gray in color.
64		Mountain buffalo		moi			Cambodia				a variety of the krabei beng Cambodian buffalo
65		Mountainous					China				a variety of the Chinese buffalo.
66		Munding					Indonesia
67		Murrah					India, Pakistan		Dairy		Also found in Azerbaijan, Brazil, China, Ecuador, Guatemala, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam
68		Nagpuri		Berar, Durna-Thalia, Ellichpuri, Gaulani, Gauli, Marathwada, Varadi			W India: Maharashtra		Dairy, Draught		Two varieties: Purnathadi & Pandharpuri.
69		Nelore					Argentina
70		Nepalese hill buffalo					Nepal
71		Nepalese mountain buffalo					Nepal
72		Nili Ravi		Panch Kalyani			E Pakistan, N India		Dairy		A combination of two fairly similar Pakistani water buffalo breeds, the Nili and the Ravi; formerly described as geographically isolated varieties of the Murrah exported to Bangladesh, China, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Brazil.
73		Pandharpuri		Dharwari (in Mysore)			India		Dairy		Nagpuri
74		Papua New Guinea buffalo					Papua New Guinea
75		Plain buffalo					Cambodia
76		Romanian buffalo					Romania		Meat, Dairy & Draught
77		Rosilho					Brazil				Variety of the Brazilian Carabao.
78		Siamese buffalo		Thai water buffalo, Thai swamp buffalo (in English), Kwai Thai, Karbue (in Thailand),			Thailand		Meat, Dairy & Draught		Swamp type.
79		Saidi					Egypt
80		Sambalpur					India
81		Sapi Tenusu		kerbau Sapi Tenusu			Malaysia		Dairy		A variety of the Malaysian, River type.
82		Sawah		kerbau Sawah;			Malaysia				A variety of the Malaysian, Swamp type.
83		Shanghai					China				A variety of the Chinese buffalo.
84		Shan Kywe		Swamp type of the elevated Shan Plateau in eastern central Burma			Myanmar				Larger, heavier and darker in color than other Burmese buffaloes; classified as a distinct “breed”.
85		Shannan					China				A variety of the Chinese buffalo.
86		Southeast Yunnan					China				A variety of the Chinese buffalo.
87		South Kanara					India
88		Surti					India, Sri Lanka		Dairy, Draught
89		Taiwan buffalo					Taiwan
90		Tamankaduwa		thamankaduwa			Sri Lanka
91		Tamarao		Tamaraw			the Philippines
92		Tarai buffalo					India, Nepal
93		Tedong					Indonesia
94		Tipo Baio					Brazil
95		Toda					India
96		Toraya					Indonesia		Meat, Dairy & Draught
97		Trau Noi					Vietnam