Italian Mediterranean buffalo
Other names | Bufala mediterranea italiana |
---|---|
Country of origin | Italy |
Distribution | Throughout Italy, principally Campania |
Type | River |
Use | Dairy, meat; formerly draught |
Traits | |
Weight |
|
Height |
|
Skin colour | Dark slate-grey |
Coat | Black |
The Italian Mediterranean buffalo or bufala mediterranea italiana is an Italian
was opened in 1980, and the breed was officially recognised in 2000.History
There are conflicting hypotheses concerning the origins of the European water buffalo: one, based on fossil bones found in the valleys of the Elbe and the Rhine, is that it descends from the extinct European wild species Bubalus murrensis; others believe that water buffalo were brought to Europe in the sixth and seventh centuries by invading peoples such as the Pannonian Avars, or later, by crusaders returning from Mesopotamia.[5]: 967 Detailed studies of the DNA of European buffalo have not been made.[5]: 967
The buffalo may have been introduced into Italy in
In 1979 a national association of buffalo breeders, the Associazione Nazionale Allevatori Specie Bufalina, was formed, and a genealogical
In 1953 the total number of buffalo in Italy was estimated at 40,000 head.:
Region | 2012 | 2013 |
---|---|---|
Basilicata | 626 | 430 |
Calabria | 778 | 271 |
Campania | 260153 | 266236 |
Emilia–Romagna |
158 | 409 |
Friuli–Venezia Giulia |
80 | 39 |
Lazio | 66546 | 69244 |
Lombardy | 3394 | 3542 |
Marche | – | 49709 |
Molise | 1912 | 745 |
Piedmont | 795 | 49 |
Puglia |
7470 | 5999 |
Sardinia | 5139 | 2507 |
Sicily | 768 | 2454 |
Trentino–Alto Adige |
8 | – |
Tuscany | 110 | 48 |
Umbria | 29 | 20 |
Veneto | 895 | 957 |
Total | 348861 | 402659 |
Characteristics
The mediterranea italiana is black, with dark slate-grey skin and black hooves. White markings may be present on the head, on the lower legs or on the switch of the tail.[4]: 95 Total albinism may occur, but is much less common than in the buffaloes of Asia, where the incidence of albinism is in the range 5–8%.[4]: 95
Bulls commonly stand about 143 cm (56 in) at the withers, with a weight of some 500–600 kg (1,100–1,300 lb); they may reach weights of up to 800 kg. Sexual dimorphism is less marked in domestic buffalo than in cattle; cows stand about 138 cm (54 in), with weights in the range 300–450 kg (660–990 lb).[4]: 95
Use
In the past the buffalo was widely used as a
The mediterranea italiana is now raised and
Some are butchered, either for fresh meat or for preserved meat products such as bresaola di bufalo.[4]: 95 In 2012 a total of 118,653 buffalo were slaughtered in Italy, for a total live weight of 47,416,700 kg (104,535,900 lb), approximately 2.7% of the total weight of bovines slaughtered that year. The average carcass yield was 50.6%.[12]
References
- ISBN 9789251057629. Archived 23 June 2020.
- ^ Breed data sheet: Bufala Mediterranea Italiana / Italy (Buffalo). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed July 2022.
- ^ Breed data sheet: Bufala mediterranea italiana. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed September 2013.
- ^ ISBN 9788850652594. p. 92–95.
- ^ ISBN 9781780647944.
- ^ Home (in Italian). Associazione nazionale allevatori specie bufalina. Accessed February 2014.
- ^ Tavola B01B - Consistenza del bestiame bovino e bufalino al 1° dicembre. Bovini di 2 anni e più, bufalini e totali (numero di capi). Dettaglio per regione - Anno 2012 (in Italian). Istituto Nazionale di Statistica. Accessed February 2014.
- ^ Tavola B01B - Consistenza del bestiame bovino e bufalino al 1° dicembre. Bovini di 2 anni e più, bufalini e totali (numero di capi). Dettaglio per regione - Anno 2013 (in Italian). Istituto Nazionale di Statistica. Accessed July 2014.
- ^ Un animale straordinario: Passato (in Italian). Consorzio di Tutela della Mozzarella di Bufala Campana. Accessed February 2014.
- ^ Tavola L02 - Latte raccolto presso le aziende agricole dall'industria lattiero-casearia per tipo (quantità in quintali) . Dettaglio per ripartizione geografica - Anno 2012 (in Italian). Istituto Nazionale di Statistica. Accessed February 2014.
- ^ Tavola L04 - Quantità di latte e crema a disposizione dell' industria lattiero-casearia, per specie animale (quantità in quintali) - Anno 2012 (in Italian). Istituto Nazionale di Statistica. Accessed February 2014.
- ^ Tavola AMR13 - Bestiame macellato a carni rosse - (Gennaio - Dicembre) - Anno 2012 (in Italian). Istituto Nazionale di Statistica. Accessed February 2014.
Further reading
- Antonio Borghese (2005). Buffalo Production and Research. REU Technical Series 67. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.