Syncerus caffer

(Sparrman, 1779)

Cape Buffalo

Taxonomy

Subclass : Theria
Infraclass : Placentalia
Magnorder : Boreoeutheria
Superorder : Laurasiatheria
Order : Artiodactyla
Suborder : Ruminantia
Infraorder : Pecora
Superfamily : Bovoidea
Family : Bovidae
Subfamily : Bovinae
Tribe : Bovini
Genus : Syncerus

Species status

Living
Found in the wild
Listed in MSW3 2005

Authority citation

Sparrman, A. 1779. Bos caffer, et nytt Species af Buffel, från Caput Bonæ Spei. Kongl. Vetenskaps Academiens Handlingar (1)40:79-84.

Original name as described

Bos caffer

Other common names

East African Buffalo · Lake Chad Buffalo · Virunga Buffalo · Mountain Buffalo · Dwarf Forest Buffalo · Red Buffalo · Forest Buffalo

Type locality

Sunday River, Algoa Bay, South Africa.

Biogeographic realm

Afrotropic

Country distribution

Senegal · Guinea-Bissau · Guinea · Mali · Sierra Leone · Liberia · Burkina Faso · Cote d'Ivoire · Ghana · Togo · Benin · Nigeria · Niger · Cameroon · Chad · Central African Republic · Equatorial Guinea · Gabon · Republic of the Congo · Democratic Republic of the Congo · South Sudan · Sudan · Ethiopia · Somalia · Kenya · Uganda · Rwanda · Burundi · Tanzania · Zambia · Malawi · Mozambique · Angola · Namibia · Zimbabwe · Botswana · South Africa · Eswatini

Taxonomy notes

includes brachyceros, matthewsi, and nanus, which were considered distinct by Groves & Grubb 2011; for additional information regarding the MDD's decision to not follow the Groves & Grubb 2011 Ungulate Taxonomy, see 'Subjective decisions' on the 'About' tab

Taxonomy notes citation

Groves, C.P. and Grubb, P. 2011. Ungulate Taxonomy. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 309 pp. doi:10.56021/9781421400938

IUCN Red List status

Near Threatened

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries. Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details. If the list is long, scroll down to see more.

Please send any edits, corrections, or unfilled data (including full citations) to mammaldiversity [at] gmail [dot] com.