Facts about American Bison

The American bison was a very useful animal for the Amerindian tribes. The tribes thrived on the herds of American bison. Their skin, fur, meat and even the bones were utilized by the tribes of the Great Plains.

The American bison has fur that is shaggy and brown. It has curved horns that are black in color and also very strong. A single blow from these natural weapons can prove to be fatal. The bison also has typical humps on its back.

Brief Facts about the American Bison

• Type of Animal: Mammal
• Type of Diet: Herbivorous
• Average Weight: 930 lbs to 2200 lbs
• Average Lifespan: 12 years to 20 years
• Average Size: 7 to 11.5 feet
• Size of Horns: 2 feet
• Family/Tribe: Bovidae/Bovini tribe which also includes the buffalo and the yak.

The American Bison of the Great Plains

Many people confuse the American bison with the buffalo. However, there is a significant difference between both of them. The basic difference between the bison and the buffalo is that the former is found only in the North American continent; whereas the latter is found in Asia and Africa. Another significant difference is the fur on the bodies of the bison and the buffalo. The buffalo has very short hair on its skin, whereas the bison has longer hair on its body. The bison is often described as a shaggy animal. It is also larger in size as compared to the buffalo.

The basic diet of the American bison is a herbivorous one that includes plain grass, herbs, shrubs and twigs. The food is many a times regurgitated and again chewed as cud before the actual digestion.

The bison lives on the plains and many times have to flee from hunters. Despite their enormous weight, the American bison is able to carry itself at a speed of 40 miles per hour.

The female bison gives birth to calves after nine months of pregnancy. When the calf starts developing its horns and hump, it is the saddest time for the mother as it signals the time for them to part ways. It is always astounding to see that the bison is a very affectionate animal. A bond of deep affection always exists between the mother and its calf, even after they have parted ways.

Survival

To survive in the wilderness of North America and walk the journey of life successfully, the American bison has to beware from two dangers, nature and man. As winter sets in and the temperature starts dropping, the bison starts developing a thicker coat of fur. However, it does not migrate or hibernate during winter. The food on the grasslands gets sparse and the bison has to depend on the fat stored under its skin for survival.

In the 19th Century, about 50 million bisons were killed by the settlers either for their meat or fur, or as a sport. Sometimes, the settlers even wiped out thousands of herds so as to deprive the Amerindians of their meat and fur, or indirectly their livelihood. Due to this, the once enormous population of the bison reduced to a mere few hundred. The government and people of North America stepped forward to save the beast from becoming extinct.

Today, there are about 200,000 bisons in North America living in sanctuaries, preserves, and ranches. Many bison ranches have come up across North America, in order to transform them into a domestic animal.

In spite of threat to its life from man or nature itself, this magnificent and majestic beast has survived the test of time and still roams the wilderness of its homeland.