Bison (Bisonbison) is a mammalian artiodactyl animal belonging to the family of bovids. This animal is one of the largest inhabiting the territory of North America.

On the edge of death

By the time colonizers settled North America, the number of bison on this continent was about 60 million individuals. Individual herds numbered up to 20-30 thousand animals. The indigenous inhabitants of these lands - the Indians - hunted bison solely to meet basic needs:

  • for food;
  • making clothes;
  • providing the tribe with weapons, which were horns and bones;
  • the skin of a bison was used to shelter the dwelling.

It cannot be said that the life activity of the Indians greatly influenced the number of these artiodactyls. But with the advent of migrants from Europe to the mainland, a rapid and sharp decline in bison populations begins in North America. Their killing was turned into fun by the colonialists, and with the commercial and industrial revolution that began in Europe, the extermination of animals was put on stream. The destruction was carried out by both white hunters and Indians, who in return were promised firearms, whiskey, knives, gunpowder. In those days, the skin of bison and their meat were in demand. The main reason for the massacre was the desire to deprive the indigenous population of the basis of existence, and, as a result, lead the Indians to starvation.

As a result of bloody atrocities, by the beginning of the 20th century, there were about 800 animals in the New World. In 1907, the first attempts were made by the government to save the endangered species: reserves and national parks were created, laws were passed prohibiting unauthorized shooting. These measures made it possible to increase the number to several tens of thousands of heads.

bison subspecies

Two subspecies of animals are known:
  • forest;
  • steppe.

Wood bison are larger than steppe relatives. Distinctive feature steppe is the presence of a throat located directly under the chin. In wood bison, this organ has not reached its final development.

Habitats

The habitat of these artiodactyl mammals is strictly defined by the boundaries National parks. Now they live in Canada and the northern borders of the United States.

On the territory of Russia, bison are not found in the wild. In 2006, the Canadian authorities donated 30 wood bison to the Ust-Buotama nursery (Republic of Sakha) - this species is listed in the Red Book. The nursery plans to revive the forest buffalo population on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Appearance


Bison are one of the most large mammals North America. The body has a massive structure and reaches a length of 3 meters. The animal is characterized by broad shoulders and low hips. The height at the withers is up to 2 meters due to the hump, the length of the vertebrae in which is 30-33 cm. The legs are low, but strong and dense due to a large number muscles. Adult males reach a weight of more than a ton. Females are more modest - 700-800 kg.

The animal has a powerful wide forehead, short hollow horns, a low-set head with small black, barely noticeable eyes. The body of the animal is covered with thick dark dark brown hair. On the head, shoulders and chest, the hairline is longer, on the chin it looks like a beard. The hair on the front of the body grows up to 50 cm. The pile on the back is shorter.

The coat has a brown color, sometimes brown. There are individuals of black-brown color. Cubs are born light brown or red, then the color of the pile darkens, the coat becomes more rigid.

Habits and lifestyle

Bison live in herds that number several thousand animals. The top of the hierarchy belongs to several large males, constantly defending their leading positions during numerous fights. Females with cubs and other males often form separate herds.

Bison have well developed eyesight and sense of smell. They are able to smell a stranger who is several kilometers away. Bison are generally calm animals, but, sensing danger, they quickly go on an aggressive offensive. When attacking a herd of wolves or coyotes, adults protect the young by driving away predators with their powerful horns and hooves. As a rule, wolves attack calves, trying to take them away from the female and relatives. IN summer months strong and well-fed animals give a worthy rebuff to the attackers. Despite their impressive size, bison are agile and fast. They are able, if necessary, to gallop, developing a speed of 50 km / h, i.e. equal to the speed of a horse, and overcome vertical obstacles more than 1.5 m high. In winter, bison are weakened by a lack of food, low temperatures, snow drifts, which are difficult to wade through. This gives predators many opportunities to good luck attacks.

Huge animals are excellent swimmers. This ability is necessary for them during movements to new pastures. In summer, they easily cross rivers. In winter, and especially in spring, crossing frozen rivers is fraught with great danger. The ice in some areas cannot support the weight of the animal. The beast that fell into the icy water is doomed to death.

Bison are herbivores. During the summer abundance, their diet is grassy meadow grasses, some species eat tree leaves, shrub branches and young shoots. In winter they feed on moss and lichen. They find food under snowdrifts up to 1 meter deep, using their massive muzzle to dig through the snow.

In the summer, animals are gaining weight intensely. The daily norm of consumed vegetation is 23-25 ​​kg. Food enters one of the chambers of the stomach, where cellulose is broken down under the influence of enzymes. Then they burp the mess, after which they chew it thoroughly again. The food then passes through three other sections of the stomach, where the process of digestion continues, and enters the intestines.

Reproduction and education of offspring

From May to September, bison begin the rutting season. This is a hot time for males, bloody battles for the location of the female do not stop in the herd. Skirmishes sometimes end in fatal wounds. Mating fights are always accompanied by a low, thick roar that can be heard at a distance of 8 km in calm weather. During the breeding season, the herd breaks up. Females with one-year-old calves and males graze separately. In autumn, after the end of the period of "weddings", the herd reunites.

Dominant males will fertilize several females, collecting harems, but the choice of a worthy one is still up to the female. Having won the battle, the bull is not always to his taste, and the female runs away from him. Bulls can follow an estrus female for about a week until she "melts". After sexual intercourse, the duration of which does not exceed 20 seconds, the bull stays next to the female for some time, then goes in search of a new passion.

9 months after fertilization, a cub is born (in very rare cases, two). Before giving birth, the mother leaves her relatives, looking for a secluded place. Sometimes she does not have time to leave, and childbirth takes place in the herd. In this case, other buffaloes “fall down” with licks on the newborn, which displeases the mother. Instead of resting and helping the baby recover, she is forced to drive them away. Newborn cubs of bison weigh 18-20 kg. They do not have horns, limbs are disproportionately long, like many newborn ungulates. For a calf, the first hours of life are the most critical: within the first 10 minutes, he must stand firmly on his feet, and after an hour, he must already run next to his mother in the herd.

For the first few months, the calf feeds on mother's milk and quickly gains weight, gaining a mass of 300 kg by the year. Young animals are always under the supervision of adults, because playful and careless calves are easy prey for predators. Another danger to the cubs is a harsh winter. Not having time to get stronger and gain enough fat, individuals do not survive in severe frosts. According to statistics given by the staff of the Yellowstone National Park, half of the cubs in the herd do not live up to the age of one.

Bison reach sexual maturity at 4 years old. Males are especially vulnerable at this time - they still cannot compete with older and stronger individuals, and often get seriously injured in fights. In conditions wildlife Animals have an average lifespan of 20 years. In captivity, some individuals live up to 25 years.

Video: bison (Bison bison)

Once upon a time, wild and warlike animals lived on Earth. They were quite impressive in size. Most of them died out as a result of drastic climatic changes, but close relatives of some have survived to this day, they live in modern world and are an integral part of the terrestrial fauna. The American bison is a prime example of this. Bison belong to the bovid family of the artiodactyl order and are representatives of the bison genus.

Based on the findings of scientists, bison appeared on our planet as separate view about five million years ago. How did they manage to survive all the cataclysms on planet Earth and continue their existence? Most likely, the fact is that they had very big sizes(twice the size of modern bison), lived in numerous herds and their population was so large that it gave them an advantage in the struggle for survival.

The modern bison population is represented by two species: the forest bison (it is very similar to) and the steppe bison.


Appearance of American bison

The growth of the animal is about two meters. The length of the body is about three meters. With such dimensions, bison also have a corresponding mass, it reaches 1.2 tons (the weight of a male, the weight of a female is about 700 kilograms).

The hairline of the animal is very thick, the coat is colored in gray tones with a shade of brown, however, there are also light red individuals and dark brown ones.

The head of this mammal deserves special attention - it is very massive. a very stern look to the bison is given by a wide forehead and powerful curved horns. The head is attached to a short, strong neck, and a hump is visible on the back of the bison’s neck, this feature is its hallmark. The tail is not very long, at the end there is a tassel. To withstand such a massive body, nature provided for the bison to have very strong and strong legs.


Distribution of wild bison

The main territory of the buffalo (as the Americans call bison) is the territory of the continent of North America, mainly the server and western part of the Missouri River.


American bison lifestyle

Despite their size and outward clumsiness, bison are able to run very fast. What is even more amazing: bison are excellent swimmers!

Listen to the voice of the American bison


Buffalo are classic herd animals, they do not see their existence without a huge number of relatives nearby. Every herd has its leaders. This role is played by the oldest and most experienced males, the whole herd obeys them unquestioningly.

Thanks to their abundant wool, bison perfectly tolerate even severe frosts (minus 30 degrees).

The life of bison in the wild lasts about 20-25 years.

What do bison eat?

The forest species of these animals consumes grass, moss, branches of shrubs, lichens as food. As for the steppe bison, the basis of their diet is herbaceous plants. One animal can eat about 25 kilograms of grass!


bison breeding

mating season in these animals comes from July to September. One male begins to collect small harems for himself. Having gathered several females around him, the male begins fertilization.

Pregnancy of females lasts approximately 9 months, after which one calf is born. For the first year of its life, a bison cub feeds on mother's milk.

Most recently was the master of the North American continent. But man has almost completely destroyed these animals and now they are fighting for survival.

The appearance of a bison

Buffalo very large and strong animal. Its body length can reach three meters. Big head on a thick neck black-brown. On the head are short narrow ears. The bison's eyes are large and dark. The color of the body is slightly different from the head. It is covered with gray-brown wool. It is long and thick, so animals can easily endure severe frosts.

There is a hump on the back. The front of the body is more developed, the back is slightly weaker. The tail is short with a brush at the end. The hooves are small but very strong.

Males are slightly larger than females. They can weigh up to 1.5 thousand kg. Many people confuse bison with bison. They are really very similar, but they are two different species. Some scientists are of the opinion that if you cross them, you can get the new kind which will continue to multiply.

bison habitat

Bison are found mainly in North America. They can also be found near the Missouri River.

Animals live in herds. The oldest male is considered the main one. Males and females with calves form separate herds.

Bison feels great in flat areas, prairies, light forests, forests. When choosing a habitat, herds are guided by the availability of means for subsistence on it. Therefore, they can only be found in areas with dense vegetation.

What do bison eat

The diet depends on the area where the bison lives. If it is a steppe, then animals eat grassy vegetation. For life, they need 25 kg of grass per day.

If bison live in the forest, then in addition to grass they eat moss, tree branches, lichens. In winter, they can find food under the snow, if its height is not more than one meter.

Features of the behavior of a bison

At first glance, it may seem that the bison is clumsy, but it is not. They are fast and agile animals. Having accelerated, they can be compared with a horse in speed. Feels great in the water element.

Bison have excellent hearing and sense of smell. They communicate with each other with the help of deaf mooing.

In most cases, bison behave calmly and balanced, but if they are disturbed, they can become furious. In this state, they are unstoppable and dangerous to any opponent.

bison breeding

Bison do not form a pair with one female. They are polygamous. A dominant male in a harem can have 4-5 females.

The mating season begins in May and ends in September. At this time, the males join the females and form one herd. There are fierce battles between males for the attention of females. They converge nose to nose and butt heads resting their foreheads. Bulls can inflict serious wounds on the enemy, sometimes the fight ends with the death of one of the males.

After mating, the female leaves the herd. The calf gestation period lasts 9 months. In some cases, the female gives birth while in the herd. In this case, the bison show interest in the baby and lick it. Mostly the female brings one calf at a time, although there are cases of twins. The newborn feeds on mother's milk. An hour after birth, the calf can already stand on its feet.

Young calves are playful, they run and frolic under the supervision of adults.

Bison reach sexual maturity at 3-5 years. Average duration life 20-25 years. They do great in captivity. Many representatives of the species live in the zoo.

Reasons for the decline in the number of bison

Bison have practically no enemies in nature. On very rare occasions, they may be attacked by wolves. These predators are dangerous only for the female or calf; it is not easy for them to overcome an adult bull. In the event of an attack, females and young animals run ahead, and older males repel the attack. Confident in their strength, they often win the fight, the wolves leave with nothing.

During the colonization of America, innumerable herds of bison lived on the continent. Settlers from Europe decided to fix this and began to destroy animals not so much for food, but for fun.

Bison were killed in order to deprive the local population of food. Also, fertilizer and black paint were produced from animal bones. The Europeans became so carried away that in the 19th century, 835 of the 600 million heads remained on the continent.

The bison found salvation in Yellowstone National Park. The surviving individuals began to multiply, and gradually the number of the species increased, although it was still very far from the previous figure.

On this moment in the territories of the USA and Canada there are 30,000 heads. Parks and reserves have been created to protect these animals.

wild bison no longer meet. They are listed in the Red Book, although the state of the species is regarded as relatively safe. Compliance with security measures is strictly monitored, their violation is punishable by law. Buffalo sport hunting is now allowed on some ranches.


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The bison is an American relative of the European bison. It belongs to the order artiodactyls, the family bovids. It is considered the largest herd animal. It reaches a length of 3 m, a height of 2 m, and weighs up to 1.5 tons. The length of the tail is from 30 to 60 cm. The front of the back forms a large hump. Buffaloes have long hair, which forms something like a beard on the neck and partially covers the forelimbs. Thick, shaggy wool of black-brown color falls off the skin in whole shreds in summer. The bison's head is decorated with curved horns.
At first glance, he hardly carries his massive carcass across the prairies of the Far West. But this is far from true. The bison, or ta-tanka, as the Sioux Indians called him, is an excellent marathon runner, capable of running long distances, galloping at a speed of up to 60 km / h, jumping over obstacles, and swimming across rivers.
Bison is a very strong and unpredictable animal. If he feels threatened, he rushes with his horns down at his opponent without hesitation. This bull has well-developed hearing and sense of smell (this animal can distinguish smells at a distance of 3 km).

Currently, there are only two species: American bison (Bison bison) and bison (Bison bonasus), which are less massive compared to their American relatives. The most numerous part of bison in Europe lives in forests in Poland and Belarus.
Most bison live in mixed herds, which consist of mothers of newborns, young bison, and a few adult males. Single males also gather in herds. A herd can number in the thousands.
An adult healthy bison is not only naturally strong - he is a professional fighter. Every year from May to September, the bulls fight, establishing a hierarchy and attracting females. Standing against each other and lowering their heads to the ground, the bulls first roar and dig the ground with their hooves, and then knock their foreheads together, trying to knock the enemy down or gouge his side with a sharp horn. As a result of these skirmishes, animals are often seriously injured and even die. The winner leads the herd of females.
Bison is a herbivore. It feeds on grasses and other plants. In winter, the bison withstands frosts and snowstorms due to thick wool up to 50 cm long. Bison can get last year's grass with snow cover up to 1 m deep: first they tear the snow with their hooves, and then, like bison, they dig a hole with their muzzles. From this, a bald spot forms on their forehead.
In the wild, bison live in forests (European bison) or on large plains (prairies), in forests and on mountain slopes in North America (American bison). Unfortunately, today there is almost no wild bulls. They can only be found in nature reserves and natural parks, for example in Yellowstone national park, Wyoming, USA.
The age of puberty occurs by 2-3 years. Mating occurs from July to mid-September. The duration of pregnancy is from 9 to 10 months. In the spring, most often one cub is born, whose weight does not exceed 25 kg. A couple of hours after birth, calves walk in the herd. Newborns are born without a mound at the withers and without horns. They grow only after a few months. At birth, their coat has a reddish tint. During the first year of life, the calf stays close to the mother, who protects it from dangers and, if necessary, can even pounce on the enemy. In case of danger, adults form a living wall around the cubs.
When the young bison grows up and gets stronger, he, along with his peers, will go to wild pastures. Bison are very curious by nature. With great interest they watch newborn calves and injured animals. They find the dead buffalo by smell and push it with their heads, hoping that it will rise.
The lifespan of a bison is approximately 20 years vivo and 30 years in captivity. In addition to humans, the main enemies of the bison are bears. Wolves and cougars can sometimes threaten newborn, sick, and old bison.
Approximately 200,000 years ago, the ancestors of the bison crossed the land that connected Asia with North America. At that time, these animals were much larger than modern bison, and probably weighed twice as much. In a new place, they found a wonderful habitat, but over many thousands of years they have decreased in size.
It is known that to early XVIII century, more than 600 million bison lived in North America. Huge herds of bison roamed the prairie from the Mississippi Valley to the Rocky Mountains and from northern Mexico to Alaska. Every autumn, fleeing the cold, the animals migrated to the southern plains, sometimes hundreds of kilometers from their summer pastures. They walked in thousands - the land seemed to be covered with endless brown waves of shaggy backs. The herd chose the shortest and most convenient route - the main thing is that there are watering places along the way. In the spring, the bison went back to the north - to where the lush grass was green again. Herds of buffalo during their migrations could block the movement of not only trains, but also steamboats on the rivers for long hours.
The indigenous people - the Indians - hunted them. After waiting for the ta-tanka to gather in herds, the Indians organized a big hunt: the well-being of the tribe depended on it until the next bison migration season. They ate bison meat (fresh and dried), their skins were used for clothes, sheathing for tipis (portable dwellings) and canoes, weapons and tools were made from bones and horns, strings for bows were made from tendons and were used instead of threads, skins were pulled over the bones of the spine and made sleds out of them - nothing was wasted.
The life of the Indians on the North American prairies was as inextricably linked with the buffalo as the life of the Eskimo with walruses and polar bears. Bison were the most important object of hunting among the Indians. Therefore, to exterminate the bison for the Indians was unthinkable.
But everything changed with the advent of Europeans, who competed among themselves who would kill more bison. Hundreds of these animals were shot not for food, but for fun, leaving unnecessary carcasses to rot in the steppe. Bison and pronghorns are on the brink of extinction.
In the middle of the XIX century. Americans mercilessly killed bison because of the skin and tongue, which was considered a delicacy, shot because they interfered with cultivating the fields. In addition, they saw bison as competitors to their herds of cows. But main reason The destruction of these animals became a feud between whites and Indians. The whites could not defeat the Indians, so they decided to kill the bison, which were the main source of food for their enemies. Left without food, the Indians surrendered.
During the development of the Wild West, the wars with the Indians, and especially when laying a transcontinental railway white settlers shot almost all the bison. There were even competitions: who will kill the most animals! William Cody gained dubious fame by shooting a record number of buffalo daily. In 18 months, he laid down 4,280 animals, earning him the nickname Buffalo Bill.
The number of bison was rapidly declining, and in 1889 only 835 bison remained from millions of herds. In 1905, when they were finally taken under protection, there were about 800 animals left, including one "large" herd of 300 individuals. The descendants of these animals still live in Yellowstone National Park in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.
Today, thanks to successful rescue programs in reserves, as well as in national and state parks There are about 350,000 bison in North America. This, of course, is only a small part of the former population, but the main thing is that this majestic animal was saved. Wild bison are no longer found. Now these animals are under protection, their number is gradually increasing. Since the prairies were destroyed by wolves, bison and pronghorns have not natural enemies in nature.

American bison (Bison bison)

Value Body length up to 3.8 m; tail up to 90 cm; height at the withers up to 1.95 m; weight up to 1000 kg
signs A massive animal with a large head and a high hump; long dark brown hair covers the head, neck, hump and partially front legs; horns short and blunt, steeply curved upwards
Nutrition Prairie grasses, sometimes shrubs and trees
reproduction Rutting from July to October; pregnancy 9 months; usually 1 calf; birth weight about 30 kg
habitats Open prairie, also woodlands in the north; many areas of North America

In the section on the question of bison, where does it live ??? given by the author Petos Bukin the best answer is Bison (lat. Bison) - a common genus in the northern hemisphere from the family of bovids. It consists of two species - the European bison (Bison bonasus) and the American bison (Bison bison).

American bison (lat. Bos bison s. Bison americanus)
Formerly the bison, or buffalo, as the North Americans call it, was distributed almost throughout North America, but now it is found only north and west of the Missouri. In summer it grazes on wide plains, and in winter it enters woodlands, migrating to the south, and in the summer returning to the north.

Bison (lat. Bison bonasus) or European bison - European look from the genus of bison of the family of bovids of the order of artiodactyls. It is very similar to the American bison and both species can interbreed without restriction. For this reason, they are sometimes treated as one species.
The original habitat of bison extended from the Iberian Peninsula to Western Siberia and also included England and southern Scandinavia. In this large area, bison inhabited not only forests, but also open areas. It was only because of intense human hunting that the bison became an animal found only in dense forests. The last bison living in freedom died in Poland in 1921 and in the Caucasus in 1929. Today, evicted special programs from zoos to nature, bison populations live in Poland, Belarus, the Baltic States and the Caucasus in Caucasian Reserve. The Prioksko-Terrasny reserve with a unique bison nursery is located on the territory of the Serpukhov district of the Moscow region.