Grazing Behavior of Feral Buffalos on a Native Pasture in the Northern Portion of the Northern-Territory

Abstract

The dietary preferences of 13 buffaloes were observed over the wet and early dry seasons of 1960, 1961 and 1962 on an area of Humpty Doo Station where 11 plant species known to be palatable to buffaloes were growing. The grazing intensity on the various herbage species changed over time. Some species were consistently eaten throughout the season but the majority were not. There was no correlation between protein content and grazing intensity between species; nor was grazing preference correlated with availability, because the most prevalent species was not the most preferred, especially in the early dry season.