American Bison - Photos by Bruce Dayton - American Bison (Bison bison)

ORDER: Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates)
FAMILY: Bovidae (Bison, Sheep and Goats)
SPECIES: American Bison (Bison bison)

American Bison (Bison bison)
There are two generally recognized subspecies of bison in North America, they are the Plains Bison (Bison bison bison), distinguished by its smaller size and more rounded hump, and the Wood Bison (Bison bison athabascae), distinguished by its larger size, taller, pelage is darker and larger hump than plains' bison. - This is the basic information of the subspecies Wood Bison - The American Bison is a bovine mammal, also commonly known as the American Buffalo, or simply buffalo. - In the 1800's in North America, the wild Buffalo population numbered between 30 million and 70 million. - The American Bison's recovered from near extinction (less than 1,000) to more than 150,000 animals today. (Most in private hands) -
SIZE	The American (Wood) Bison, Brown Bears, and Moose are the largest land mammals in North America. Bison can reach up to 2 meters (6½ ft) tall, 3 meters (10 ft) long and weigh 400 to 900 kg (900 to 2,000 lbs). The biggest specimens on record have weighed as much as 1140 kg (2,500 lb). Yearlings of both sexes usually weighed between 227 to 318 kg (500 to 700 lb).
DESCRIPTION	The American Bison has curved black horns on the sides of its head, a beard, a high hump at the shoulders, a short tail with a tassel, and dense shaggy dark brown and black hair around the head and neck. Shedding of the old hair of the winter coat begins in spring, but many bison still have ragged patches of lighter-colored, old hair in mid-summer. The light brown summer coat has lighter weight hair and takes takes a couple of months to appear. Sexual Dimorphism: Males are larger than females. Horn size and shape is characteristic; additionally, bulls are larger and the head shape is broader and generally more massive.
MATING	Mature males and females usually live apart except during breeding season. Bison mate in August and September. Gestation period is 285 days, generally allowing the calves a springtime birth. Normally a single reddish-brown calf is born the following spring, and it nurses for a year. The calf is usually weaned by the time it is seven months old.
BEHAVIOR	Bison remain in small groups of related individuals, mature bulls move alone or in a small group. Groups gather into groups (each group has a dominant male or female) as winter approaches. The American Bison spends the warm hours of the day resting. They are most active in the early morning and late afternoon. They frequently wallow in dust or mud and then rub against brush and trees to rid themselves of parasites and loose fur. The life expectancy of an American Bison is approximately 15 years in the wild and up to 25 years in captivity.
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE	The American bison once inhabited the great plains of Canada and the United States (from eastern Oregon almost to the Atlantic Ocean) and parts of Mexico. Wild Bison populations are now limited to national parks, refuges, private preserves and commercial ranches in Canada and the United States.
HABITAT	The American bison live on plains, prairies and river valleys.
DIET	The present day grazing habits of bison are similar to those of domestic cattle. They eat grasses, sedges, and other ground-growing plants. During the 1800's, the plains bison fed on a variety of native grasses, which had great nutritional value.


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American Bison (Buffalo) (Bison bison)

Crocker Creek Buffalo Farm Owego Township - Tioga County, NY


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