The American bison is also known as the American buffalo, is a north american species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds and became nearly extinct by a combination of hunting and slaughter in the 19th century (Newell). The bison is considered to be the largest land mammal still in existence in North America, where the natural habitat of the bison ranged from Canada to Mexico (Basic). The bison is also known as the American bison and the American buffalo. The bison is one of the largest types of cow in the world with adult bison commonly growing to 2 meters tall or more (American). The bison usually have long shaggy hair if they live in colder regions and bison in warmer climates have shorter hair.
There are three types of bison alive today: Plains - Woods - Wisent. The plains bison is found in North America, the woods bison is found in Canada and the Wisent is found in Europe (Newell). The bison alive today developed during the last ice age and made their way to North America where they could be found from the East Coast to the West Coast (Basics). The Native Americans of the west had a special relationship with the bison herds, but most Native Americans utilized the bison.
A bison has a shaggy, long dark brown winter coat and a lighter weight, lighter brown summer coat. The male bison are slightly larger than the female. Plains bison are often in the smaller range size and Wood bison in the larger range (American). Bison are herbivores, feeding on the grasses and sedges of the North American prairies. Bisons are known for roaming great distances. The females lead family groups and males remain solitary or in small groups for most of the year, but rejoin the group during mating season. Bison are adapted to the extreme weather conditions. They can dig through deep snow with their heads to reach vegetation below (Basic).
Bison can be found from boreal habitats to semi-desert habitats if grazing was suitable.Bison...