Carabao
A carabao in the Philippines
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| Country of origin | Philippines |
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| Distribution | Philippines, Guam |
| Type | Swamp |
| Use | Agriculture; draught; riding; hide; meat |
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| Coat | light grey to slate-grey |
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The carabao is a swamp-type domestic water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) found in the Philippines. Water buffaloes were probably introduced to the Philippines by Malay immigrants around 300 to 200 BCE. It is considered the national animal of the Philippines.
The word carabao is from Spanish, derived from Visayan karabàw.Cognates include Tagalog kalabáw, Javanese kebo, Malay kerbau, and Indonesian Dutch karbouw. The ultimate origin of the word is an unidentified Austroasiatic language via Malay. The female is called a caraballa.
The Minangkabau people of Indonesia take their name from the cognate in their Malayic language, the Minangkabau language.
Carabaos have the low, wide, and heavy build of draught animals. They vary in colour from light grey to slate grey. The horns are sickle-shaped or curve backward toward the neck. Chevrons are common. Albinoids are present in the proportion of about 3% of the buffalo population. Mature male carabaos weigh 420–500 kg (930–1,100 lb), and females 400–425 kg (882–937 lb). Height at withers of the male ranges from 127–137 cm (50–54 in), and of the female from 124–129 cm (49–51 in).
Water buffaloes imported to the Philippines from Cambodia in the early 20th century are called "Cambodian carabaos". They have white or yellowish hair on a pinkish skin, but the eyes, hooves, and mouth are dark, and the skin may be speckled. They are slightly bigger and have larger horns. Males weigh on average 673 kg (1,484 lb) and measure 141 cm (56 in) at the withers.
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