American Bison
A Plains Bison.
Information
Common Name	American buffalo
Range	North America
Scientific Classification
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Artiodactyla
Family	Bovidae
Genus	Bison
Species	Bison bison
Conservation Status
Near Threatened

The American Bison is a specie from the Bison genus. Their range once roughly comprised a triangle between the Great Bear Lake in Canada's far northwest, south to the Mexican states of Durango and Nuevo León, and east along the western boundary of the Appalachian Mountains.

AppearanceEdit

A bison has a shaggy, long, dark brown winter coat, and a lighter weight, lighter brown summer coat. As is typical in ungulates, the male bison are slightly larger than the female. The heads and forequarters are massive, and both sexes have short, curved horns that can grow up to 2 feet (61 cm) long, which they use in fighting for status within the herd and for defense.

BehaviorEdit

Bison are migratory and herd migrations can be directional as well as altitudinal in some areas. Bison mate in late spring and summer in more open plain areas. During fall and winter, bison tend to gather in more wooded areas. During this time, bison partake in horning behaviors. They will rub their horns against trees, young saplings and even telephone poles. Aromatic trees like cedars and pine seem to be preferred. Horning appears to be associated with insect defense as it occurs most often in the fall when the insect population is at its highest.

DietEdit

Bison are herbivores, grazing on the grasses and sedges of the North American prairies.

LifespanEdit

Bison mate in August and September; gestation is 285 days. A single reddish-brown calf nurses until the next calf is born. If the cow is not pregnant, a calf will nurse for 18 months. Bison cows are mature enough to produce a calf at 3 years of age. Bison bulls may try to mate with cows at 3 years of age, but if more mature bulls are present, they may not be able to compete until they reach 5 years of age. Bison have a life expectancy of approximately 15 years in the wild and up to 25 years in captivity.

SubspeciesEdit

see Category:Bison bison.

• Wood Bison
• Plains Bison

GalleryEdit

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FactsEdit

• In the United States, the American bison is a popular symbol in the Great Plains states.
• The American Bison is the state animal of Oklahoma.
• By 1770 they had disappeared from America east of the Mississippi.