Bison - Defenders of Wildlife

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Bison
Defenders of Wildlife

The bison is a member of the bovine family. Commonly called “buffalo” (which is actually a different species not found in North America), it is the largest land mammal in North America. There are two subspecies: the wood bison in northern Canada and the plains bison which once roamed across much of the continent. The bison has a large head with relatively small, curving horns. Its dark brown coat is long and shaggy on the forequarters, including the front legs, neck, and shoulders, while the rest of the body has shorter, finer hair.

Diet
Staples grasses and sedges

Range
Bison once roamed across much of North America. Today bison are ecologically extinct throughout most of their historic range, except for a few national parks and other small wildlife areas. Yellowstone National Park has the largest population of free-roaming plains bison (about 4,000), and Wood Buffalo National Park has the largest population of free-roaming wood bison (about 10,000).

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