Bodyless Buffalo?

Why is this buffalo’s head covered with plants? 
Pick the explanation you think is correct. Give three reasons to support your answer.

A. The buffalo rolled around in a grassy field.

B. The buffalo is soaking in a lake with floating plants.

C. This isn’t a real buffalo—it’s a funky piece of lawn art.

Pause your scrolling. Think about three reasons to support your answer.

Now let’s find out what’s really going on . . .

If you answered B, you’re right!

This animal is a wild water buffalo. Its giant body—about the size of a small car—is mostly underwater, up to its snout!

Wild water buffalo live near rivers and marshes in southern and southeast Asia, where the climate is typically hot and muggy year-round. Water buffalo spend a lot of time soaking in water. But this isn’t just a way to relax. It keeps them cool during the hottest parts of the day.

On a hot day, humans sweat to keep our bodies from overheating. Structures in our skin called glands produce the sweat. But buffalo don’t have very many sweat glands—so they have to find another way to cool off. When the temperature rises, they head for the water!

Wild water buffalo have another trick to beat the heat—a mud bath! They use their long, curved horns to dig up mud. Then they roll around in it. In addition to keeping the buffalo cool, the mud protects them from biting insects!

Stay cool, water buffalo!