| Bison, Wood | |||
| Genus | Bison | ||
| Species | bison | ||
| Subspecies | athabascae | ||
| Status | Endangered | ||
| Habitat | Grasslands, plains | ||
| Distribution | Canada, northwestern United States; North America | ||
| Height | 77-114 inches (195-290 cm) | ||
| Length | 150 inches (381 cm) | ||
| Weight |
Female: 1,200 pounds (544 kg) Male: 1,800 pounds (816 kg) | ||
| Behavior |
Bison live in herds of 20-50 animals. The adults are usually all females (cows). In the summer, the males (bulls) join the herd to mate with the females, but during the rest of the year bulls live in smaller all-male herds or roam by themselves.
The adult females rank themselves from strongest to weakest. They use shoving matches to find a leader. | ||
| Conservation |
Historians estimate that there were over sixty million bison roaming the North American plains two hundred years ago. At this time, they had only wolves as their natural enemies. They were sometimes hunted by the Plains Indians, but not in massive numbers.
However, when the white settlers moved west, they wanted to farm the land on which the bison grazed. They killed so many millions of these animals with rifles that by 1890, there were fewer than 1,000 of these animals left in North America. Special parks and reserves have since then been set up to save these animals. Today around 50,000 bison are alive in these parks and ranches. | ||
| Interesting Facts |
European settlers mistakenly call the bison a buffalo. Bison and buffalo are very different animals. Bison have smaller horns and larger shoulders. They are found in Europe and North America, whereas buffalo are found in Africa, Australia, and Asia.
Bison belong to the ox family because they have hoofs, horns, and chew their cud. | ||
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| Animal Communication Panel | |||
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