American Bison

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

}}

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The American Bison (Bison bison), also called Buffalo, is a bovine mammal that is the largest terrestrial mammal in North America. The bison inhabited Great Plains of the United States and Canada in massive herds, ranging from the Great Slave Lake in Canada's far north to Mexico in the south, and from eastern Oregon almost to the Atlantic Ocean. Its two subspecies are the Plains Bison (Bison bison bison), distingushed by its flat back, and the Wood Bison (Bison bison athabascae), distingushed by its large humped back.

Related Topics:
Bovine - Mammal - North America - Great Plains - United States - Canada - Great Slave Lake - Mexico - Oregon - Atlantic Ocean - Subspecies

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bison have a shaggy, dark brown winter coat, and a lighter brown (and lighter weight) summer coat. Bison can reach over 2 m (6 feet) tall, 3 m (10 ft) long and weigh over 1,360 kg (3,000 pounds). The heads and forequarters are massive, and both sexes have short, curved horns, which they use in fighting for status within the herd and defense. Bison mate in August and September; a single reddish-brown calf is born the following spring, and nurses for a year. Bison are mature at three years of age, and have a life expectancy of 18–22 years, or 35 to 40 years in captivity.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In rare circumstances, bison may turn white.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~