Cape+Buffalo-Shawn+Henry

= ﻿Cape Buffalo =

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chorata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Artiodactyla

Family: Bovidae

Genus: Syncerus

Species: Syncerus caffer caffer

The Cape Buffalo is one of the many animals belonging to the diverse family of bovids known as bovidae. Bovidae is the most diverse family of animals in the world. There are 143 known species of bovids. All bovid males have unbranching horns. Some bovid females, including Cape buffalo females, can have horns, too. Most species belonging to the Bovidae family live in Africa. Only few live in the U.S. The Bovidae family, being so diverse, is split up into 8 different subfamilies. Those subfamilies are: Bovinae, Antilopinae, Cephalophinae, Reduncinae, Aepycerotinae, Caprinae, Alcelphinae, and Hippotraginae. The Cape buffalo belongs to the Bovinae subfamily.

Some examples of bovids are: Antelopes, Mountain Goats, Bison, Gazelles, Sheep, and Muskoxen.


 * [[image:gazelle.jpg width="193" height="141" caption="Gazelle" link="http://www.liv.ac.uk/~sdb/Safari-2003/index.html"]][[image:antelope.jpg width="225" height="140" align="left" caption="Antelope" link="http://www.mccullagh.org/image/10d-17/male-antelope.html"]][[image:goat.jpg width="181" height="132" caption="Mountain Goat" link="http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/mountain-goat/"]] Questions and Answers about the Cape Buffalo [[image:bison.jpg width="187" height="140" caption="Bison" link="http://www.igougo.com/journal-j36752-Custer-Bison_Burros_More_Black_Hills_Adventures_Custer.html"]] **

** ﻿ ** How do Cape Buffalos move? Cape buffalos have four legs and move like cattle. They can reach a top speed of 35mph, but cannot accelerate quickly, making them easy targets for lions and spotted hyenas. How and What do Cape Buffalos eat? Cape buffalos use their long tounge to wrap around and pull food into their mouth. They have wide incisors to easily and quickly eat reeds, thickets, and grass. They have to drink daily. Cape Buffalos are herbivores. How long does it take for a Cape Buffalo to mature into an Adult? It takes a Cape Buffalo 8 years to fully mature into an adult.

How big do Cape Buffalos Grow? Male Cape buffalos ca be 935-1914 lbs and 60-66 inches tall. Female Cape buffalos are usually around 1267 lbs and are 10% shorter than male Cape buffalos.

What are Three Ways Cape Buffalos Adapt to their Environmet? Since Cape Buffalos have to drink daily, they stay and live near a water source, until food runs out. Cape buffalos also live in areas with tall grass to give them cover from lions and spotted hyenas. The grass is also good for food. Cape buffalos use their rows of incisors to quickly eat grass, reeds or thickets, and have time to run from a predator. Clearly, Cape buffalos use their environment to their advantage.

Where do Cape Buffalos live? Cape buffalos live throughout both Northern and Southern Savanna and in areas where there is a permanent water and food source. Cape buffalos live between sea level and forests on top of the tallst mountains.

How long does Gestation take for Cape Buffalos? Gestation lasts 11.5 months for Cape buffalos. Despite a long gestation period, Cape buffalos usually only have one offspring at a time.


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