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A California water buffalo bull in an open woodland of Oregon.
The Californian water buffalo (Bubalis americanum), also known as the California water buffalo, the American water buffalo, and the Wild West water buffalo, is a species of bovid that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the swamps, forests, open woodlands, grasslands, prairies, shrublands, and scrublands across the western United States (including California) to help boost biodiversity. The California water buffalo is a very large bovine, growing to be about the size of a wild Asian water buffalo (Bubalus arnee) in length, height, and weight. Like the wild Asian water buffalo, California water buffalo has an ash-gray to black skin. The moderately long, coarse and sparse hair is directed forward from the haunches to the long and narrow head. There is a tuft on the forehead, and the ears are comparatively small. The horns of a male California water buffalo are slightly larger than those of a wild Asian water buffalo, due to many larger predators around such as brown bears. California water buffaloes are both diurnal and nocturnal. Adult females and their young form stable clans of as many as 30 individuals which have home ranges of 170 to 1,000 ha (0.66 to 3.86 sq mi), including areas for resting, grazing, wallowing, and drinking. Clans are led by old cows, even when bulls accompany the group. Several clans form a herd of 30 to 500 animals that gather at resting areas. Adult males form bachelor groups of up to 10 individuals, with older males often being solitary, and spend the dry season apart from the female clans. They are seasonal breeders in most of their range, typically in April and May. However, some populations breed year round. Dominant males mate with the females of a clan who subsequently drive them off. Their gestation period is 10 to 11 months, with an inter-birth interval of one year. They typically give birth to a single offspring, although twins are possible. Age at sexual maturity is 18 months for males, and three years for females. The maximum known lifespan in the wild is 25 years, but in captivity, if properly cared for, they can live longer, living to be around 30-35 years. They are grazers by preference, feeding mainly on grasses when available, such as Poa annua (annual meadow grass), bermudagrass, crabgrass, goosegrass, dallisgrass, kikuya grass, and many native grasses, but they also eat other herbs, fruits, and bark, as well as browsing on trees and shrubs. They also feed on crops, including rice, sugarcane, and jute, sometimes causing considerable damage. The conservation status of the California water buffalo is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts and the California water buffalo's wide range.