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BISON
Female Sienna is pictured above while young bull Aster is seen below.
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Bison bison bison
HOUSE NAME: Male "Aster" Female "Sienna"
HABITAT: The historical range was western Canada, most of conterminous U.S., northeastern Mexico, and possibly Alaska. This is now greatly reduced as most animals are kept on refuges or in captive herds. The only descendants from originally wild stock and continually maintained are in Yellowstone National Park.
CONSERVATION STATUS: Near Threatened
FUN FACT: The North American Bison is often called “buffalo.” Although this is not actually incorrect, it is not specific for only this animal. There are other members of the buffalo family on other continents (the cape buffalo of Africa, for one). “Bison” is specific to the North American member of the buffalo family. The bison is the largest mammal of the American Continent. Its closest relative is the European Bison or Wisent.
DESCRIPTION: The American Bison is a large, heavy-bodied animal with a shaggy furred hump at the shoulders, sloping towards smaller hindquarters. Bulls have massive heads, covered with thick shaggy manes, normally a beard, and dark brown to black pelage. Both sexes have horns that are relatively short, up-curving, and very sharp. Females are generally smaller overall with a lesser hump and thinner neck. Weight ranges from 770-2,200 pounds for adults, with bulls in the 1,700-2,200-pound range. Bison are the largest mammal on the NA continent.
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