---
title: "American bison vs water buffalo — size, weight and speed compa"
description: "American bison and water buffalo are near enough identical on weight. Compared on 4 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-bison-vs-water-buffalo/
site: "At One Place"
---

# 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.

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## Sources

- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)
- Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (https://www.wikidata.org/) [CC0 1.0]