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The American bison is the
largest mammal on the North American continent. Male bison, known
as bulls, are between 7 and 12 feet long, almost 6 feet high and
weigh between 1,760 and 2,425 pounds. The female or cow is approximately
400 to 600 pounds lighter than the bull. |
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In spite of their large size,
bison are unbelievably agile. They can run 30 miles an hour and
jump nearly 5 feet in the air! |
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The shoulders of the American
Bison are well-developed and usually display a prominent hump
that is covered in long hair. Newborn bison lack this hump. It
begins to develop at 2 months of age! |
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The head of the bison is
usually carried low. They have short sturdy horns, which curve
up and back. Both males and females have horns. Their horns have
a bony core that grows from the sides of the skull and is retained
year after year. |
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| The massive head and forequarters
of the bison are covered with long, dark brown woolly hair.
The hair on the head, neck, shoulders, and front legs can
grow up to 20 inches long! The hair between the horns forms
a "hood" that hangs down toward the muzzle. Long
hairs on the chin form a long beard. The thick hair acts
as insulation that helps the animal survive the cold winters
of the American plains. |
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Grooming is an important
daily activity. Bison scrub their heads, necks, and sides on trees,
branches and tree trunks. They also like to wallow in dust or
mud! |
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The American bison is often
mistakenly called "buffalo". It is distantly related
to the African or European buffalo, but is not a buffalo itself.
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American Bison are grazers,
primarily eating grasses, sedges, shrubs and willows. Bison are
ruminants (cud chewers) and belong to the same family as cattle,
sheep, and goats. They drink water only once a day. They eat snow
when water is covered with ice! |
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The American Bison once roamed
the plains states of the US - 60 million strong! They migrated
213-395 miles south in the fall of the year, seeking better grazing
and returned north in the spring. The home range of a herd of
bison has been estimated to be about 19 square miles in summer
and 62 square miles in winter. |
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Traditionally, bison have
been associated with the prairies, but in the past they used to
occupy mountainous areas and open forests. The bison's distribution
once extended eastward from the prairies into Pennsylvania and
Virginia, westward to eastern Oregon, north to northern Alberta,
Canada and south to northeastern Mexico. Now they are found only
in parks, reserves and private collections. |
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Most of the time the cows
and their young travel in herds of up to 57 individuals. The bulls
travel alone or in small groups. This behavior changes during
the mating season in July - September when the bulls join the
herds with the cows. |
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Calves are born in the spring. Each
cow usually has one calf weighing approximately 33 to 66
pounds. The calf is able to run shortly after birth! For
the next 7 to 12 months (until it is weaned), the female
cares for and defends the calf. |
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In a few short years, at
the turn of the nineteenth century, bison populations went from
50 million to less than 1,000. The greatest impact on the bison
came from man. Bison were killed for their hides, as food for
railroad workers, or for sport. Today, there are still some problems
facing the bison, but thanks to conservation efforts it is slowly
making a comeback. |
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