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