THE PHILIPPINE WATER BUFFALO

and broken horn were common among the native cattle
and carabaos. Short dropping rump, upstanding body,
sway-back, splayfoot, tron nasal septum, blind eye, and
lame hind leg were frequent among the carabaos. Thirtyeight
head, or 25.8 percent of the male native cattle and 45
head or 30.6 percent of the female, were for breeding
purposes; 11 head, or 34.7 percent of the male carabaos,
and 120 head or 35.9 percent were also for breeding. The
work cattle were for carting and plowing upland areas, the
work carabaos, for plowing upland and lowland fields.
Two hundred seventy-nine native cattle slaughtered from
August 1945 to August 1946, retailed at Php 3.50 a kilo of
lean meat in Los Baños and Php 4.00 in Calamba and
Cabuyao. A kilo of lean meat and bone was Php 3.00 in
Los Baños and Calamba and Php 3.0 in Cabuyao. The
28 native carabaos slaughtered retailed at Php 2.50 a kilo
of lean meat and Php 2.00 a kilo of lean meat and bone.
Native cattle for beef was sold at an average of Php
171.40 each and those for breeding Php 500.00. The
native work carabaos sold for Php 435.91 each. The
native cattle and carabaos were, in general, medium in
condition or degree of fatness. The animals were turned
loose in the rice fields and neglected areas after harvest,
but at planting time they were grazed in a limited area.
Keywords: cattle, carabao, physical characteristics,
economic value
*B. S. A. Thesis, Department of Animal Husbandry, CA,
UPLB (1946). Also in Philippine Agriculturist, 35(3):163-169.
B-16
PROPOSAL: NEW SCIENTIFIC NAME OF THE
DOMESTICATED SWAMP BUFFALO, THE
CARABAO – Bubalus bubalis carabanensis Sp. Nov.,
Castillo 1998)*
L. S. Castillo, Academician, NAST and Emeritus Professor, UPLB
The water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis Linn) has two groups,
namely the swamp buffalo typified by the carabao and the
riverine buffalo, typified by the Murrah. The proposal for a
new subspecific name of the swamp buffalo, Bubalus
bubalis carabanensis {(Sub) Sp. Nov. Castillo, 1998} is
suggested because of important differences between the
two types. Carabao has 48 chromosomes while Murrah
has 50. Furthermore, the relative size of chromosome no.
1 in carabao is longer with metacentric centromere while
the Murrah has shorter size with submetacentric
centromere. The carabao is light gray whereas the rurrah
is black to jet black. The carabao stockings from the
knees/hocks to the hoofs are whitish in color but are black
in Murrah. There is a whitish chevron/s in the ventral side
BREEDING AND GENETICS
of the neck of the carabao but not in the Murrah. The horns
of the carabao are curved upward and inward to form
approximately a semi-circle (crescent horns) but in the
Murrah they are curved or coiled backward and up.
Keywords: Philippine carabao scientific name
*20 th Annual Scientific Meeting of the National Academy of
Science and Technology Philippines, July 8-9, 1998, Westin
Philippine Plaza.
B-17
CHROMOSOMAL ANALYSIS OF PHILIPPINE
CARABAO (Bubalus carabanensis)
K. M. R. Contawe, Student, DAS-CA, CLSU
This study was conducted to prepare karyotype of male
and female Philippine carabao. Chromosome analysis of
Giemsa stained lymphocytes culture was done on 5 male
and 5 female Philippine carabao. The karyotype of the
Philippine carabao (2n=48) consisted of 6 metacentric, 4
submetacentric, 38 acrocentric including the sex
chromosome (X and Y). A total of 76 cells were observed
of which 9 were in good condition. These good conditions
were characterized as having a distinctly identifiable
complete chromosome, while 67 were not in good state
having clustered, scattered and too difficult to count
chromosomes. Morphological characteristics of the
chromosome of the Philippine carabao (male and female)
are very similar except for the Y chromosome of the male
Philippine carabao which has small acrocentric.
Keywords: Philippine carabao, chromosomal analysis
*Undergraduate Thesis, Central Luzon State University,
Muñoz, Nueva Ecija (2001).
B-18
EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION AND CONSERVATION OF
INDIGENOUS ANIMALS GENETIC RESOURCES:
DEVELOPMENT OF THE CARABAO IN THE
PHILIPPINES*
L. C. Cruz, Executive Director, PCC-OED, DA
Effectively utilization of indigenous animals genetic
resources is discussed with specific reference to
experience with research and development of the carabao
in the Philippines. The paper puts into perspective the
presence of genetic diversity, recent developments in breed
improvement, future challenges to develop crossbred
animals for smallholders and the importance of conservation.
Data are given on the distribution of an estimated population
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