The American bison is a large even-toed hoofed animal in the BOvidae family, a very similar one to the wisent, or the European bison. Previously, they were even believed to be the same species. The bison’s body length is about three meters, while its height can reach two meters. Bison males can weigh up to 1,300 kilograms, and females are only slightly less massive. The species exhibits little sexual dimorphism.
The bison’s appearance is impressive—a large head on a short neck, a wide forehead, short but thick horns with tips curved inward, narrow short ears, and large dark eyes. The grayish-brown thick fur is longer on the front part of the bison’s body than on the rear part. The fur is darker, almost black, on the head and neck. Occasionally, animals with abnormally light color can be found.
The bison’s short yet brawny legs are complemented by a large hump on its scruff. The tip of the bison’s short tail is adorned by a large switch. The bison has good hearing and a well-developed sense of smell. Its voice is muffled and resembles lowing. The bison also gives off a musky odor that can be sensed from far away.
The bison’s diet primarily consists of grass. A mature animal can eat up to 25 kilograms of grass per day. The wood bison, which was only discovered in the late 19th century, also feeds on moss, lichen, and twigs. The bison can find its food even under a meter-deep layer of snow.
The bison reaches sexual maturity aged between three and five years. The species is polygamous. An alpha male gathers round a few females to mate with. Males can fight furiously for females: they would press against each other with their heads, noses, and foreheads touching, and butt each other. Their heavy and slow movements are, in fact, very powerful. During fights, bisons can inflict each other severe, even deadly, wounds. It takes a bison female about nine months to carry a child. Before giving birth, she would leave the herd to seek a secluded nook. Typically, the female gives birth to one calf that she nurses.
The bison has a life expectancy between 20 and 25 years. Previously, the bison could be found almost all over North America. However, the species has inhabited a very limited area since the 19th-century mass extinction. The Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources defines the bison as a Near Threatened (NT) species.
The bison’s appearance is impressive—a large head on a short neck, a wide forehead, short but thick horns with tips curved inward, narrow short ears, and large dark eyes. The grayish-brown thick fur is longer on the front part of the bison’s body than on the rear part. The fur is darker, almost black, on the head and neck. Occasionally, animals with abnormally light color can be found.
The bison’s short yet brawny legs are complemented by a large hump on its scruff. The tip of the bison’s short tail is adorned by a large switch. The bison has good hearing and a well-developed sense of smell. Its voice is muffled and resembles lowing. The bison also gives off a musky odor that can be sensed from far away.
The bison’s diet primarily consists of grass. A mature animal can eat up to 25 kilograms of grass per day. The wood bison, which was only discovered in the late 19th century, also feeds on moss, lichen, and twigs. The bison can find its food even under a meter-deep layer of snow.
The bison reaches sexual maturity aged between three and five years. The species is polygamous. An alpha male gathers round a few females to mate with. Males can fight furiously for females: they would press against each other with their heads, noses, and foreheads touching, and butt each other. Their heavy and slow movements are, in fact, very powerful. During fights, bisons can inflict each other severe, even deadly, wounds. It takes a bison female about nine months to carry a child. Before giving birth, she would leave the herd to seek a secluded nook. Typically, the female gives birth to one calf that she nurses.
The bison has a life expectancy between 20 and 25 years. Previously, the bison could be found almost all over North America. However, the species has inhabited a very limited area since the 19th-century mass extinction. The Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources defines the bison as a Near Threatened (NT) species.
