Plains Buffalo
General Characteristics
The dark brown coat is long and shaggy on the forequarters, including the front legs, neck, and shoulders. Calves are born a light reddish brown color. Males may be up to 1/3 larger than females. On the forehead, the hair is woolly and curly, giving the head a mop-like appearance between the horns. There is a beard beneath the chin. The shoulders are massive and humped, with the head carried low. The short horns are present in both sexes and arch backwards, outwards, and then upwards, curving slightly in at the blunt tips.
Conservation Status
In the 1800's hunting, changes in land use and government policies brought the bison near to extinction. The population plummeted from tens of millions to less than 1,000 by the end of the 18th century. However, in recent years interest in raising bison has grown among breeders, and today there are about 150,000 in North America. They are no longer endangered.
Distribution
Prairies and woodlands in isolated
pockets through midwestern
Canada and the United States.
Countries: Canada, United States
Ecology and Behavior
Due to their bulk and the climate in which they live, bison may be active at any hour, although there appears to be a preference for daylight hours. Most feeding occurs in the early morning and around dusk.
Daily movements of around 3 miles are average.
During winter, bison will paw away in deep snow to reach the dried shrubs hidden underneath.
Grooming is a surprisingly frequent activity among bison, with animals rubbing themselves on trees until all of the bark has been torn off, and the trunk left smooth. Dust baths in loose patches of soil are apparently a favorite activity, although the large hump on the shoulders generally means that the animal must get up and switch sides instead of rolling over.
Despite their size, bison are accomplished athletes, able to run at speeds of up to 30 mph and swim rivers over 0.6 miles wide.
During the breeding seasons males will bellow - a sound which may carry up to 3 miles.
Family group: Herds of females and their young (generally less than three years old) with about 60 animals, bulls are found in smaller bachelor herds or are solitary.
Diet: Prairie grasses, in winter lichens and mosses
Main Predators: Humans
The dark brown coat is long and shaggy on the forequarters, including the front legs, neck, and shoulders. Calves are born a light reddish brown color. Males may be up to 1/3 larger than females. On the forehead, the hair is woolly and curly, giving the head a mop-like appearance between the horns. There is a beard beneath the chin. The shoulders are massive and humped, with the head carried low. The short horns are present in both sexes and arch backwards, outwards, and then upwards, curving slightly in at the blunt tips.
Conservation Status
In the 1800's hunting, changes in land use and government policies brought the bison near to extinction. The population plummeted from tens of millions to less than 1,000 by the end of the 18th century. However, in recent years interest in raising bison has grown among breeders, and today there are about 150,000 in North America. They are no longer endangered.
Distribution
Prairies and woodlands in isolated
pockets through midwestern
Canada and the United States.
Countries: Canada, United States
Ecology and Behavior
Due to their bulk and the climate in which they live, bison may be active at any hour, although there appears to be a preference for daylight hours. Most feeding occurs in the early morning and around dusk.
Daily movements of around 3 miles are average.
During winter, bison will paw away in deep snow to reach the dried shrubs hidden underneath.
Grooming is a surprisingly frequent activity among bison, with animals rubbing themselves on trees until all of the bark has been torn off, and the trunk left smooth. Dust baths in loose patches of soil are apparently a favorite activity, although the large hump on the shoulders generally means that the animal must get up and switch sides instead of rolling over.
Despite their size, bison are accomplished athletes, able to run at speeds of up to 30 mph and swim rivers over 0.6 miles wide.
During the breeding seasons males will bellow - a sound which may carry up to 3 miles.
Family group: Herds of females and their young (generally less than three years old) with about 60 animals, bulls are found in smaller bachelor herds or are solitary.
Diet: Prairie grasses, in winter lichens and mosses
Main Predators: Humans