Mammal · Herbivore · Grassland and meadow
American bison
Bison bison
The American bison is a grazing bovid of North American grasslands. Near extinction in the nineteenth century was followed by recovery in protected herds; most animals today live under some management.
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Characteristics
- 400–1,000 kg (adult)
- ≈ 881.8–2,204.6 lb (adult)
- 1.5–1.9 m (adult)
- ≈ 4.9–6.2 ft (adult)
- up to 55 km/h (maximum recorded)
- ≈ up to 34.2 mph (maximum recorded)
- 15–25 years
- ≈ 15–25 years
Scale
Bars are proportional to a linear dimension (height or length). They are not mass. Human reference is 1.7 m.
- American bison1.7 m
- Average adult human1.7 m
- Double-decker bus4.4 m
- Two-storey house8 m
Activity: Mostly diurnal
Taxonomy
Life stages
Calf
Born in spring; follows the mother within hours.
Adult
Lives in mixed herds; bulls compete during the rut.
Adaptations
Massive forequarters
A heavy head and shoulder hump help sweep snow aside to reach winter forage.
Behaviour
Gregarious grazer; herd size varies with season and management.
Habitat and range
- North America (native)
Conservation
Near Threatened
Population trend: Stable
Assessment year 2017 (curated, not live).
- Habitat loss
- Genetic introgression from cattle
Source: Bison bison. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Compare
Sources
- Bison bison. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — conservation
- Bison bison on Animal Diversity Web or equivalent secondary literature — measurement
- Bison bison on Animal Diversity Web or equivalent secondary literature — text
Photograph: Jack Dykinga, Wikimedia Commons, PUBLIC DOMAIN