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American bison vs Water buffalo

American bison vs water buffalo
Near enough equal on weight
American bison and water buffalo are near enough identical on weight.

An American bison and a water buffalo can be compared on 4 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

Side by side

Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.
American bison Water buffalo
Weight 320–1,270 kg 300–1,200 kg
Height 1.5–2 m 1.3–1.9 m
Length 2.1–3.5 m 2.4–3 m
Typical lifespan 15–25 yr 15–25 yr

What the numbers say

  • American bison and water buffalo are near enough identical on weight.
  • American bison is somewhat greater than water buffalo on height — about 1.1×.
  • American bison and water buffalo are near enough identical on length.
  • American bison and water buffalo are near enough identical on typical lifespan.

Weight compared.

American bison 320–1,270 kg
Water buffalo 300–1,200 kg

American bison

The heaviest land animal in the Americas; commonly called a buffalo, though true buffalo live in Africa and Asia.

Water buffalo

A domesticated bovid that supplies most of the world's buffalo milk and much of Asia's draught power.

This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

Common questions

Which is bigger, American bison or water buffalo?
American bison and water buffalo are near enough identical on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.
How do American bison and water buffalo compare on height?
American bison: 1.5–2 m. Water buffalo: 1.3–1.9 m. American bison is somewhat greater than water buffalo on height — about 1.1×.
How do American bison and water buffalo compare on length?
American bison: 2.1–3.5 m. Water buffalo: 2.4–3 m. American bison and water buffalo are near enough identical on length.

Related pages

Sources

  1. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution
  2. Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)

How these figures are compiled and checked