American bison are the heaviest land animal in North America.
They are ungulates and along with cattle and goats are part of the family bovidae. They can gallop at speeds up to 60km and are good swimmers as they are quite buoyant in the water.
American bison are social animals that live in herds of up to 30 individuals. Their shaggy fur offers them incredible insulation during the harsh winters. Bison move continuously while grazing and do not overgraze an area; but rather support a healthy landscape for both flora and fauna.
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American bison
Bison bison
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Animal classMammal, bovidae -
HabitatOpen semi-natural grasslands such as prairies and plains. -
DietHerbivores – they feed mainly on grasses and sedges. -
Conservation statusNear threatened -
PopulationApproximately 13,000 mature individuals.
American bison are the heaviest land animal in North America. They can be up to 4 meters in length and range from 1.5 to 2 meters tall. Males are larger than females. They weigh from 700-900kg with some males reaching 1 ton.
They are a “keystone species”. They have an important role balancing their ecosystem and many creatures benefit from them. They can break through hard soil, creating areas for rainwater to collect and for plants to grow.
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Introduction
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Conservation
American bison are classified as near threatened.
American bison populations were once on the brink of extinction. There was once millions of bison found across America, however in the 19th century, over-hunting caused the population to collapse, leaving fewer than 100. Thanks to conservation work, the species has been protected and managed, however, there is still only a small number of free roaming bison found today.
Threats to the population include habitat loss, reduction of genetic diversity, crossbreeding, with domestic cattle, and culling, to prevent spread of bovine diseases to agricultural stock, have left these majestic animals less than secure in the wild.
It is estimated that there are currently between 11,000 and 13,000 free-ranging mature individuals. *
*2016 -
Habitat
American bison once roamed from Alaska to Mexico but now can only be found in the Western United States, mainly in Yellowstone National Park and in Canada. Typical bison habitats are open semi-natural grasslands such as prairies and plains. They can be found at all elevations, in the protected areas that they live.
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Fun Facts
American bison communicate through grunts and snorts. They have excellent vision and use their sense of smell to detect danger.
Bisons mating season lasts from June to September. A dominant bull will protect a small group of females to mate with. One calf will be born after a gestation period of approximately 290 days. Within 3 hours of birth calves can run but stay close by their mothers. Females will stay close to their calf and protect it for up to a year.
They have specially adapted stomachs with four chambers full of unique microbes that allows them to breakdown coarse plant materials.
