The Challenge of Global Warming in Water Buffalo Farming: Physiological and Behavioral Aspects and Strategies to Face Heat Stress
Fabio Napolitano,
Giuseppe De Rosa,
Alfonso Chay-Canul,
Adolfo Álvarez-Macías,
Alfredo M. F. Pereira,
Andrea Bragaglio,
Patricia Mora-Medina,
Daniela Rodríguez-González,
Ricardo García-Herrera,
Ismael Hernández-Ávalos,
Adriana Domínguez-Oliva,
Corrado Pacelli,
Emilio Sabia,
Alejandro Casas-Alvarado,
Brenda Reyes-Sotelo,
Ada Braghieri
Affiliations
Fabio Napolitano
Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università Degli Studi della Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
Giuseppe De Rosa
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
Alfonso Chay-Canul
División Académica de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Villahermosa 86025, Mexico
Adolfo Álvarez-Macías
Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
Alfredo M. F. Pereira
Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development (MED), Institute for Advanced Studies and Research, Universidade de Évora, 7006-554 Évora, Portugal
Andrea Bragaglio
Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi Dell’Economia Agraria (CREA), Research Centre for Engineering and Food Processing, Via Milano 43, 24047 Treviglio, Italy
Patricia Mora-Medina
Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), FESC, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
Daniela Rodríguez-González
Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
Ricardo García-Herrera
División Académica de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Villahermosa 86025, Mexico
Ismael Hernández-Ávalos
Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), FESC, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
Adriana Domínguez-Oliva
Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
Corrado Pacelli
Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università Degli Studi della Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
Emilio Sabia
Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università Degli Studi della Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
Alejandro Casas-Alvarado
Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
Brenda Reyes-Sotelo
Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
Ada Braghieri
Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università Degli Studi della Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
Water buffaloes have morphological and behavioral characteristics for efficient thermoregulation. However, their health, welfare, and productive performance can be affected by GW. The objective of this review was to analyze the adverse effects of GW on the productive behavior and health of water buffaloes. The physiological, morphological, and behavioral characteristics of the species were discussed to understand the impact of climate change and extreme meteorological events on buffaloes’ thermoregulation. In addition, management strategies in buffalo farms, as well as the use of infrared thermography as a method to recognize heat stress in water buffaloes, were addressed. We concluded that heat stress causes a change in energy mobilization to restore animal homeostasis. Preventing hyperthermia limits the physiological, endocrine, and behavioral changes so that they return to thermoneutrality. The use of fans, sprinklers, foggers, and natural sources of water are appropriate additions to current buffalo facilities, and infrared thermography could be used to monitor the thermal states of water buffaloes.
