American bison

Bison bison · The American bison is a huge, shaggy grazing mammal native to North America, living on prairies, plains and river valleys.

Also called American buffalo.

American bison
Photo: Jack Dykinga, Public domain
American bison
Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0
American bison
Photo: © Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderArtiodactyla
FamilyBovidae
GenusBison
SpeciesBison bison

Where it lives

Great Plains, Yellowstone and other reserves in the US and Canada.

Fun facts

  • Bison look slow and lazy, but they can outrun people, reaching speeds of 65 to 70 km/h (40 to 45 mph).
  • Despite weighing as much as a small car, a bison can jump close to 1.8 m (6 ft) straight up.
  • Bison rub their horns on cedar and pine trees, and the aroma these trees give off afterward seems to help keep biting insects away.
  • Bison roll in shallow dips in the ground called wallows, covering themselves with dust or mud.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).