Bison Vs. Buffalo

Now what's all this talk about the bison being called a buffalo? Okay, they might be related, but there are a number of distinct differences between them. They do belong to the same family, but you could call them cousins, as they have different 'last names'. There are two types of Bison, the American Bison and the European bison or Caucasian Wisent. There are also two types of buffaloes, the African or Cape buffalo and the Asian or Water buffalo. Let us then pit bison vs. buffalo and see in what respects they are similar and what makes each of them unique.

Similarities

The main similarities between the bison and the buffalo are, that they are closely related according to the system of taxonomic classification of the animal kingdom. That means:

• They belong to the same Family: Bovidae, Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia and Order: Artiodactyla.
• They are both herbivores animals, and their main diet consists of grass.
• Both of them live in the wild, although the Asian water buffalo has been domesticated.
• Another similarity, that is actually quite unfortunate, is that they are all killed for their meat and sometimes for sport. This has decimated both of their populations in the wild, with humans still being their biggest predators.
• Both of these animals are huge four footed mammals.

Differences

• On the basis of taxonomic classification, they differ according to their genus. That is, bison are classified under the genus: bison, while the buffalo under the genus: Bubalus (for the Asian water buffalo) and syncarus (for the African cape buffalo).
• The bison have a distinct hump on their backs which is absent in buffaloes.
• Bison have thick fur and is mainly because they are found in colder regions compared to buffaloes, which are found in warmer climates and thus, they have light or no fur at all.
• Bison also have a thick 'beard' on their neck and facial areas, whereas the buffalo have no such 'beard'.
• Bison have a shorter life span as compared to buffaloes. The bison could live for 13-19 years, while the buffalo is known to live up to 25-30 years in the case of the water buffalo (which may be due to it being domesticated) and 15-25 years in the case of the cape or African buffalo.
• Horns of the bison are small and sharp, but in a buffalo they can be long but not sharp, as in the case of the Asian buffalo (longest horns) or of medium length with a head plate as in the case of the African buffalo.
• The bison is found mostly in wild rugged regions, as compared to the Asian buffalo, which are domesticated. The African buffalo though, is also found in the wild and cannot be domesticated.
• The bison are primarily hunted for their hides and meat, whereas the Asian buffalo is domesticated and is used to obtain milk, hide and meat. The African buffalo was once hunted for sport, but is now used for meat as well.
• The American bison is mostly found in the grassland biomes of North and South America, and the European bison in the countries of central and northern Europe.
• Bison population ranges from 250,000 to 300,000 whereas the Asian buffalo population is very large up to 250 million, because of their economic value to humans.

Bison and buffaloes are two fascinating creatures, and their importance cannot be denied. Though they have been constantly hunted and killed for sport and meat, their value in the ecosystem and even economically is now being understood. Conservation efforts are being made to preserve these magnificent animals. Bison are also an important part in American history and culture, and is a popular symbol in American civilization.