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More About Bisons ...
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The American Bison (Bison bison), often called buffalo, is the largest terrestrial mammal in North America, bovine mammal that formerly roamed the open plains of the United States and Canada in massive herds, ranging from the Great Slave Lake to Mexico and from eastern Oregon almost to the Atlantic Ocean. There are two sub-species, Plains bison (flat back) and Wood bison (large humped back).
Bison have a shaggy, dark brown winter coat, and a lighter brown (and lighter weight) summer coat. Bison can reach over 6 ft (2 m) tall, 10 ft (3 m) long and weigh over 2,000 lb (900 kg). The heads and forequarters are massive, and both sexes have short, curved horns, which they use in fighting for status within the herd and defense. Bison mate in August and September; a single reddish-brown calf is born the following spring, and nurses for a year. Bison are mature at three years of age, and have a life expectancy of 18?22 years.
Calves are born with a light brown fur coat which darkens as the animal matures. One very rare condition results in the white buffalo, where the calf has an entirely white coat. It is not to be confused with albino, since pigment still exists in the skin, hair, and eyes, and the animals will end up with a brown-colored coat as they mature. White buffalo are considered sacred by many Native Americans.
Bison were central to the lifestyle of the Plains Indians. Before the introduction of horses, buffalo were herded into large chutes made of rocks and willow branches and then stampeded over cliffs. These buffalo jumps are found in several places in the US and Canada.
Bison were hunted almost to extinction in the 19th century; as few as 750 bison existed in 1890. The Bronx Zoo maintained a remnant herd, from which populations were re-established in Yellowstone National Park and other wildlife preserves, beginning early in the 20th century. Some of these came from Charles Goodnight's ranch in the Texas Panhandle. A variety of privately-owned herds have also been established, starting from this population. The current American Bison population is estimated at 350,000, compared to an estimated 60?100 million before Columbus.
Hunters were paid by large railroad concerns to destroy entire herds for several reasons:
The herds formed the basis of the economies of local Plains tribes of Native Americans.
Herds of these large animals on tracks could damage locomotives when the trains failed to stop in time.
Herds often took shelter in the artificial cuts formed by the grade of the track winding though hills and mountains in harsh winter conditions. This could hold up a train for days.
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Taxonmony
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Phylum: Chordata
Class: mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
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Source: Wikipedia Read more about Bisons
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INFO LINKS
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Center for Bison and Wildlife Health
Montana State University
The primary mission of the center is to serve as a regional center for information exchange and research on all aspects of the biology and management of the American bison Read More
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American Bison
www.buffalo-bison.com
Physical description, habitat and range, reproductcion and young, diet, behavior, life span and interesting facts Read More
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Buffalo War
PBS
An article about the buffalo war Read More
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Prairie Bison
Sedgwick County Zoo
"Bison are the largest land animal in North America". Information on behavior, diet,environmental globe, conservation efforts, etc. Read More
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American Bison
National Geographic
American Bison fact sheet and pictures; video clip; audio clip Read More
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North Ameican Bison
Canadian Wildlife Services
"During the late 1800s, commercial hide hunters, settlers, and thrill seekers shot literally millions of bison". Site contains information on food habits, relationships to people, movements and lifecycle of North American Bison. Read More
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African Cape Buffalo
SeaWorld
"The African buffalo, which is often confused with the Asian water buffalo, shares many of the same characteristics but is considered a separate species". Fun facts Read More
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Bison
Oakland zoo
"Bison came to North America during the Pleistocene Epoch via the Bering land bridge". Includes description, geographical range and habitat, diet, life cycle/social structure, interpretive information, status in wild and special adaptations Read More
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American Bison
National Zoo
American Bison fact sheet Read More
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American Bison
The Living Schoolbook - The Cyberzoo project
"The American bison used to be found on prairies in western Canada and the United States" Brief description Read More
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Bison
Wind Cave National Park
Fact Sheet Read More
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