American bison

The American bison is a very large animal.

They live on wide, grassy plains. Some are small with round humps. Others are larger with tall humps.

These animals have thick, dark coats. They eat grass to stay strong. They use their short horns to fight.

Many bison live in wild lands today. They are the national mammal of the USA.

The American bison is a very big animal.

Many people call them buffalo. This is the national mammal of the United States. They live on wide, grassy plains and in river valleys.

There are two kinds of bison. The plains bison is smaller. It has a rounded hump. The wood bison is much larger. It has a tall, square hump.

The wood bison is one of the largest wild animals in the world.

Bison are herbivores. This means they eat only plants like grass.

They spend much of their day grazing. They also rest and chew their food. They have short, curved horns. They use these horns to fight or for defense.

Long ago, bison were nearly gone. Hunting and diseases made their numbers very low. In 1889, only 541 bison were left. Now, many more live in the wild. They roam in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The American bison is a huge and important animal.

It is the national mammal of the United States. People often call them buffalo. In British English, the word buffalo is used for other animals. But in American English, both names are correct. This animal belongs to the bison species. It is native to North America. They live in river valleys and on wide, grassy plains.

They are very large and heavy land animals.

Bison have a very specific way they live. They are herbivores, so they eat only plants. They spend their day eating grasses and sedges. They follow a steady schedule of eating and resting. They graze for two hours at a time. Then they rest and chew their food. This is called cud chewing. After they rest, they move to a new spot to eat again. They also use their short, curved horns. They use them to fight for status or for defense.

Bison have been around for a very long time. They first appeared in Asia about 2.6 million years ago. They arrived in North America much later. This happened between 195,000 and 135,000 years ago.

They came from the Siberian steppe bison. They traveled through a place called Beringia. Once they arrived, they changed into new species. One was the massive long-horned bison. Modern bison likely came from a species called Bison antiquus. This long history helped shape the land they live on.

There are two main types of American bison. The plains bison is the smaller type. It has a more rounded hump on its back.

The wood bison is the larger type. It has a taller, square hump. The wood bison is one of the largest wild animals in the world.

In the late 18th century, there were 60 million bison. By 1889, only 541 were left. This happened because of hunting and diseases. Now, there are about 31,000 wild bison as of 2019. Many live in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Bison are closely linked to many things we know. For a long time, they were vital to Indigenous peoples. People on the Great Plains used them for food and clothing. They also used horns and bones to make tools.

Today, you might see them in national parks. Some live in large reserves or small conservation herds. Even some are kept on private farms. They are a great example of how animals can recover. They continue to roam the wild parts of North America today.

The American bison (*Bison bison*) is a massive mammal native to North America.

It is often called the American buffalo, though this name can be confusing. In American English, both terms are considered correct. However, in British English, the word buffalo refers to the African buffalo or the water buffalo. The bison is the national mammal of the United States.

These animals are vital to the ecology of the continent. They once occupied a massive area called the great bison belt. This grassland stretched from Alaska down to the Gulf of Mexico. It reached from the Atlantic Seaboard to the west. This historical range included areas like New York and Georgia.

Biologists describe two main subspecies of the American bison. The first is the plains bison (*B. b. bison*). It is the smaller of the two and has a rounded hump.

The second is the wood bison (*B. b. athabascae*). This subspecies is larger and has a taller, square hump. The wood bison is one of the largest wild bovids in the world. It is surpassed in size only by the Asian gaur. Some scientists have suggested splitting the plains bison into northern and southern groups. However, this idea currently has limited scientific support.

Bison are impressive in their physical scale and strength. They are the heaviest and longest land animals in North America. They are also the second tallest, following only the moose.

Males are much larger and heavier than females. A male plains bison can reach a weight of 1,000 kilograms. Wood bison can be even heavier. Their heights at the withers can reach 2 meters. Both sexes possess short, curved horns. These horns can grow up to 30 centimeters long. Bison use these horns to defend themselves or fight for status in the herd.

As herbivores, bison follow a strict daily routine to survive. They graze on grasses and sedges found in prairies and river valleys. Their day is split into two-hour cycles. They spend these periods grazing, resting, and chewing cud. After resting, they move to a new location to feed again. This constant movement helps them manage the vast grasslands. For the first two months of life, calves have a lighter color than adults. While extremely rare, some white bison have also been seen.

Bison have a deep evolutionary history spanning millions of years. They first appeared in Asia during the Early Pleistocene, about 2.6 million years ago. They migrated to North America between 195,000 and 135,000 years ago. They descended from the Siberian steppe bison by traveling through Beringia.

Once in North America, they evolved into many different species. One was the massive long-horned bison. Modern bison likely evolved from *Bison antiquus*. The arrival of bison in North America was so impactful that it defines the Rancholabrean faunal stage. This shows how much they shaped the environment.

The population of the American bison faced a near-extinction event. In the late 18th century, there were an estimated 60 million bison. By 1889, the population had crashed to only 541 animals. This decline was caused by commercial hunting and slaughter. It was also caused by diseases from domestic cattle. This period was part of the subjugation of Native Americans. The bison was a vital resource for Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains. They relied on the animals for food, clothing, and shelter. They also used horns and bones to create tools.

Today, the bison is a symbol of successful conservation. Recovery efforts in the mid-20th century helped the numbers grow. As of March 2019, there were roughly 31,000 wild bison. They now roam freely in parts of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Some populations are kept in national parks or conservation herds. Others live in private commercial herds. Some bison have even been introduced to Russia in the Ingilor Nature Park. In 2014, U.S. Tribes and Canadian First Nations signed a treaty to help restore bison populations. This marked the first such treaty in nearly 150 years.