American Bison
Bison are buffalo. They are in the sheep, goat, and cattle family.
What does a bison look like?
Bison are brown and black. They have shaggy fur. Bison are very large mammals. They have a big head with horns. Bison have short legs, but they run very fast.
 
Bison can be taller than a teacher. They can weigh as much as a car! The male is larger than the female.
 
In spring, a cow has one baby. It is called a calf. They are red and brown.
What do bison eat?
Bison eat grass. They eat five times a day. It is hard to find grass in the winter. They dig in the snow for grass.
Where can I find a bison?
Bison travel in groups. The groups are called herds. Herds can have more than 60 bison. Most of the bison were killed in the 1800s. Today, bison are found in parks.
 
Who are the friends and enemies of a bison?

Bison do not have many enemies. Sometimes wolves and bear eat calves. They also eat sick bison.

 
Where can I find more information?
Here are a few other websites where you can get more information about bison.
 
American Bison
http://www.oaklandzoo.org/atoz/azbison.html
Here you find more information on bison life cycle, diet, habitat, and history from the Oakland Zoo.
 
American Buffalo: Spirit of a Nation from the Nature television program
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/buffalo/index.html
Site has information about the history of the buffalo in the United States.
 
Bison Roundup (Newton's Apple, Teacher's Guides)
http://www.ktca.org/newtons/11/bison.html
What role did bison play in North America's history? What factors contributed to their near extinction? What has been done to ensure their place in North America's future.
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Note: All photographs taken with a digital camera in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming (July 1999).
Developed by Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson, 6/99.
Updated 02/01.