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Wind Cave National Park
Bison (Buffalo)
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| NPS Photo by Pete Bromley |
Bison (Buffalo) - Bison bison Click picture for more information |
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Class
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Mammalia |
| Order |
Artiodactyla (same as deer, sheep, pronghorn) |
| Family |
Bovidae (true horns, not branched, on both sexes, cattle, sheep, goat, musk ox) |
| Genus |
Bison |
| Species |
bison |
| Subspecies |
athabascae (woods)
bison (plains) |
Name/
History |
Late 1800s bison almost became extinct. They were saved by the American Bison Society. Often called buffalo by early scientists who thought they were related to the Africa/Asian water buffaloes. French explorers also called the animals "les boeff" - the cattle. |
Size
Weight (lbs) |
Male
2000
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Female
1000
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Calf
30-70
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| Height (ft) |
5.5-6
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4.5-5.5
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2.5 |
| Rut |
June-September (one bull forms a temporary "tending bond" with one cow at a time). |
| Gestation |
9.5 months |
| Birth |
April -June (reddish, brown fur, no conspicuous hump). |
| # young |
Usually 1. |
| Age |
12-15 years |
Habitat/
Range |
At one time bison roamed North America from Alaska to northern Mexico, western California to western New York.
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| Food |
Grasses, browse |
| Enemies |
Occasionally grizzly, humans, extinct prairie wolf. |
| Disease |
Brucellosis, tuberculosis |
| Communication |
Grunts/snorts between cow-calf, roar by bulls during rut
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Behavior/
Characteristics |
Generally cow/calves in herd together, bulls alone or in small bull herd except during the rut.
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Did You Know?
Porcupine babies are called porcupettes. When they are born they have 15,000 quills. Porcupettes are born in the spring and, lucky for mom, the quills are soft. They can climb trees within an hour of birth.
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Last Updated: August 16, 2007 at 19:31 EST |