What is the difference between Ox and Buffalo?
Many have used the terms ox and buffalo to refer to the same animal. They both belong to the Bovidae family.
The two are different from each other both in appearance and behavior. Buffalo is mostly used as livestock in Asia, North Africa, South America, and Southern Europe.
The main difference between ox and buffalo is that Ox is smaller in body size while buffalo is larger in body size.
Comparison Table (Ox vs Buffalo)
| Characteristics | Ox | Buffalo |
| Size | They are small in body size. | They are large in body size. |
| Coat | They are covered in light fur. | They have thick fur all over their body. |
| Coat shade | They have a light coat shade. | They have dark coat shade. |
| Behavior | They are friendly to human beings and easy to train. | They are not friendly and not easy to train. |
| Social | They work in pairs. | They work in teams. |
| Use | They are used for lighter work. | They are used for heavier work. |
| Gender | They are male cows and are often castrated. | They are males but not castrated. |
What is Ox?
Ox is a male mammal cow from the family of Bovidae. It does not have an udder and it is castrated after its adulthood.
It is also known as a bullock in Australia and India. Castration makes them easier to control as they have a lot of energy.
They are used for various purposes on the farm. They are used for plowing, transport, threshing grain by trampling and powering machines that grind grain or supply irrigation.
They are taught to respond to signals. They are given verbal commands and body language although sometimes reinforced by a whip.
Working oxen requires shoes on each hoof. They are approximated to half-moon or banana shape, unlike horses who require only one shoe.
They are herbivores. They entirely depend on plant matter for survival. They eat fresh grass as well as hay and grain supplement.
What is Buffalo?
Buffalo is an animal from the Bovidae family. In Africa it is wild but in Asia, South America, North Africa, and Southern Europe, they are domesticated.
They are large. They range from 400 to 900 kg. The females are always larger than their male counterparts.
They are useful to mankind in various ways. They are used in traditional methods of Agriculture, used as dairy animals, used for meat.
Its dung when dried, it serves as a good fertilizer. The dung can also be used as fuel in households. They are also used to carry heavy loads on the farm. They work as a team.
They are herbivores. They entirely depend on plant matter for survival. Their favorite is grass and herbs but water buffaloes will also feed on aquatic plants. When they cannot find grass, they will feed on shrubs and trees.
Main Differences between Ox and Buffalo
- Ox is small in body size while buffaloes are large in body size.
- Ox is male castrated animals while buffaloes are male but not castrated.
- Ox has little fur around their bodies while buffaloes have a lot of fur around their bodies.
- Ox is friendly to human beings and easy to train while buffalo is not friendly and not easy to train.
- Ox work in pairs while buffalo work in teams.
- Ox has a lighter coat shade while buffalo has a darker coat shade.
Similarities between Ox and Buffalo
- They both belong to the same family.
- They are both herbivores.
- Both are male animals.
- Both are used to perform tasks on the farm.
- Both can be trained.
In Conclusion
Ox and buffalo are animals from the Bovidae family. They both rely on plant matter for survival. They are both male animals but the difference is that ox is a male animal but castrated at adulthood while buffalo is a male animal but not castrated.
The two are different from each other but many have had difficulties in spotting the differences between the two. Ox is smaller in body size while buffalo is comparatively larger in body size.
The main feature that makes ox different from buffalo is the size of their bodies.
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