Bison bison
Range
Bison once lived from Mexico, all over the North American west to Northern Canada.Habitat
They lived on the wide-open grassland (prairie). Now bison live in small, protected herds in national parks or on private farms.Body Traits
Males weigh up to one ton (2,000 pounds). They are up to 12 feet in length. That is as long as a car.Habits
Bison were an important food for Native Americans. There once were 60 million Bison. Then they were hunted by the new settlers in the west, on horseback and with guns. They were almost all gone (extinct). By 1890 there were less than 1000 bison left.Diet
They ate grass (grazed) in large herds.Predators
Predators that hunted them were wolves (back when there were wolves on the plains) and man. Bison are very large animals.Reproduction
Females are pregnant for 9 1/2 months (gestation). They have 1 calf. They are born from mid-April to May.Lifespan and/or Conservation Status
They live for about 15 years in the wild. They are listed as Lower Risk – conservation dependent.
Classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Subphylum: Vertebrata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Artiodactyla
- Family: Bovidae
- Subfamily: Bovinae
- Genus: Bison
- Species: Bison bison