Bison is pardonflower mammal Solo family. Wild large bull It is known for its big size and physical power, which is visible in the photos of Bizon. This is the largest rapid animal reaching in a height of 2 m, in length - 2.5-3 m, with weight from 800 kg to 1200 kg.



Bizon look.

Habitat

Previously, the bison was distributed almost throughout North America. So-called "Buffalo" today are closer to the west and north of Missouri. Distinguish the plain and forest bison. The first subspecies live in rude forests, the second is found in the steppe.

Below photos of bison two types.



Appearance

The closest Sorry for Bizon is a bison. The photo of the bison from the bison is very difficult to distinguish. Between themselves, they are similar to the proportions of the body and the color, but the first more massive animals. The main distinguishing feature of the Bizon is a high withers, which forms a kind of hump in the shoulders. The animal has a very wide forehead, a short neck and low-lowered head. The bison is especially thick and long hair growing up to 50 cm. It covers hump, shoulders, partly legs, head and neck. Wool on the head has a gray-brown color, on the neck - black and brown. In the massive head there are thick short horn, swirling ends into the ends. The legs of this animal are low, but very strong.


Photo of bison in winter.
Bison goes river.
Photo of bison.

Main features

At first glance it may seem that the clumsy carcass moves slowly and with great difficulty in the steppes of North America. But this is a powerful and unpredictable animal, feeling a threat, can overcome huge distances, while developing speed 50 km / h. They jump with gallop, swam rivers, jump through obstacles. Therefore, despite big weight, Bison is quite movable.

Also, the bison is well developed smelling. He can teach danger at a distance of 2 km. This animal is not aggressive, but drove into the angle, quickly turns into an attack.

By nature, these bulls are quite inquisitive animals. They can observe with interest behind newborns bison. After writing the murdered relative on the smell, they kick him with their heads, in the hope that he will rise.




Bison in winter.

What are bison feeds

In the summer in the diet steppe species Bizonov enters mainly herbal vegetation, in forest bison, except herbs, spans of shrubs and trees, leaves, shoots. In winter, herbal rods, lichen and moss goes. Let's face in the morning and in the evening. IN winter time can find food under snowpot A depth of 1 m. Newborn animals feed on maternal milk.

Once a day, bulls attend waterworks. If the water is completely covered with ice, they eat snow.




Bison for water.

Immigration

To date, animals are not able to immigrate, as their habitat is limited to national parks, the circle of which the land of companies and farmers stretch. Previously, the bison was committed distant regular migration to the south, and in the spring they returned back to the north.

Reproduction

Start marriage period It comes from May and stretches until September. Polygamy males, they do not form a couple with one female. At this time, there is a skirmish between the males who reach not only to serious wounds, but also to death.


The female after mating leaves herd and wearing offspring for 9 months. As a rule, one calon appears on the light, although there are cases of twins. A very rare female gives birth in the presence of a herd, where adults are of particular interest in the newborn, licking it. The weight of the calf does not exceed 25 kg, he has no horns and a boogue on the withers. The first year of life Mother remains next to the cub and protects him from dangers.

After 2-3 years, the bison reaches puberty. Live up to 20 years in wildlife And 25-30 years in captivity.




Bison with cubs.
Tenderness of bison.
Caring for bison.

Even only from the type of these animals, horrid covers, driving along the body. it huge bison. The ancient Indians ranked these individuals to the sacred. The population of them today is small. About this amazingly strong animal, about where Bizon lives (in what area of \u200b\u200bthe planet), about its features can be found in this article.

They are distinguished by surprisingly volumetric size and large massive physique. They are similar in appearance with bison. And in nature, even with the latter, cross each other, in connection with this, they are combined into one species.

Description

Where does the Bizon live, what kind of mainland do these amazingly large animals live?
Before finding out this, consider what they represent.

Bizon has an amazing dimensions: height in the withers - up to 2 meters, body length - up to 3 meters. The weight of males is approximately 1.2 tons. These are the largest earthly animals. The female of the Bizon, as in most animals, is significantly inferior to male relatives. The weight of their body is approximately 700 kg.

Bison covered with thick hair torson grey colour with brought tint. Color them can vary from light redhead to dark brown and almost black tones. Young calves are born with yellow painting wool, but over time she darkens. Light (almost white) The color of the Bison is quite rare.

Wool is longer and darker in bison on the chest, head and beard, and on the rest of the body she is shorter. Such a feature gives the appearance of the animal even more volume and threshing.

The bison head is quite massive, with a wide forehead. Thick and short horns, divergent on the sides of the head itself, bend on the ends into the ends. This animal has narrow and small ears, massive and short neck, big dark eyes.

Samoa characteristic feature Bizon's buildings is an unusual hump, which is located on its zoom.

Where does Bizon live?

The mainland in which the Bison lives is North America. For a long time, the bison (or buffalo) lived in the territories almost all but today this population exists only in the northern and western plots from p. Missouri.

Alternatively, the populations of forest bizonov remained completely. These individuals live mainly in the most deaf and wetlands of the Buffalo River Basins, Berch (and Big Sloughness) and Prach.

Today, Bizonon is grown for commercial purposes. Their number is approximately 500 thousand heads ( for the most part steppe bison). About 4,000 private ranch of North America are used for their breeding.

In the wild, it lives about 30 thousand individuals, and they are as the appearance on the verge of extinction are listed in the Red Book.

Views, subspecies

In nature, today there are two subspecies: forest (bull forest) and steppe. They differ in the cover of fur and the characteristics of the structure of the body. Where do the bridges live these species? And how do they differ?

Bison steppe is a major hoofing animal, weighing up to 700 kg. It is slightly smaller by weight and sizes than forest. A rather large head has a big drain of thick wool between large horns and the same thick beard. His hump towers above the grounds of the front legs. One of the distinguishing features of the steppe bison is a pronounced throat, which is stretched by the chest. Thick fur cover has

Forest Bizon, as noted above, surpasses steppe according to its size. But his head is slightly smaller and framed a dark bang, his horns are long and thin. He also has a rudimentary throat and hump. Dark red shade of forest bison wool is not very thick. The weight of the male often exceeds 900 kg. The fur of this species is darker and warmer.

Habitat

For the first time, Forest Bizonakh became known at the end of the 19th century. Scientists believe that the ancestors were primitive bison.

Where do the bison live? And where lived? Start this link They once laid (Rod Leptobos), which lived in Pliocene (about 35,000 years ago) in India. Today there is a hypothesis that they were spread to the north in wide steppes and evolved in the bucons steppe.

From the expanses of Siberian Bizon on the earth's pass, which existed in those days came to North America. This version appeared in connection with the find in 1979 on Alaska (about. Yukon) of the fossil copy of this bull.

And where are the bison lives (in which country)? In addition to Canada and the United States, forest reintroduction is currently produced american Bizonov back to Alaska. The very first of their party in the amount of 53 individuals was delivered to these places in 2008.
But, despite the efforts made to preserve the population, the future of Bizonov remains in question. Dangers for their lives: various diseases, massively striking cattle, and their mixing with steppe bison, which is undesirable.

Animal behavior

Where they live bison in different times of the year? They lead a nomadic lifestyle. In the summer they live on spacious northern plains, and in the winter it is moving in the southern seats. In those times, when there were many of them, they were huge inspired herds (thousands of individuals), occupying huge territories. And the route they chose themselves, and it was connected with waterproofs.

In periods of such migrations, there were cases that these herds were blocked by the movement of trains, steamers stopped.

And how do they behave with their relatives where they live their tabunos? In essence, these pet animals. Their family organization is largely similar to branches of bison. Females and males outside the reproduction period are kept separately.

After the birth of the calves of females with their cubs form groups, which takes up to 30 individuals. The males usually graze one by one, but it also happens in bachelor herds (up to 15 individuals). Compared with the bison, the bison form form clusters on pastures consisting of only several cells of individuals.

At night, the bison sleeps, however, their sleep is short. Let's graze around the clock. In general, it is a calm and balanced animal, but in rare cases (in concern) they are able to show aggression. Despite the huge mass of the body, bison can develop most speed (about 50 km / h), and during the run they publish sounds (snoring or grunting).

Conclusion

Where bison live, we found out. But it should be remembered that a long time ago on the vast expanses of the middle section of the North American continent, their total number was approximately 60 million individuals.

Of course, it is impossible to return that it is impossible, but with certain common efforts of people, you can at least suspend the reduction in the number of such an exotic animal and even increasingly increase.

Once wild and militant animals lived on Earth. They had pretty improving sizes. Most of them extorted as a result of sharp climate changebut close relatives of some have been preserved to this day, they live in modern world And are an integral part of the earth's fauna. American Bison - bright things example. Bison belongs to the family of a part-drawing squad and are representatives of the kind of bison.

Based on the finds of scientists, the bison appeared on our planet like private view, about five million years ago. How did they manage to survive all the cataclysms on the planet Earth and continue their existence? Most likely, the fact is that they had very big sizes (twice as large as modern bison), lived numerous herds and their population was so great that gave them an advantage in the fight for survival.

Modern population of bison is represented by two species: forest bison (it is very similar to) and steppe bison.


Exterior of American Bizonov

Animal growth is about two meters. At the same time, the body length is about three meters. With such dimensions, the bison and the corresponding mass, it reaches 1.2 tons (the weight of the male, the weight of the female is about 700 kilograms).

The hair cover in the animal is very thick, the wool is painted in gray tones with a tinge of brown color, however, there are and light-red individuals, and dark brown.

This mammal deserves special attention - it is very massive. A very stern look of Bison gives a wide forehead and powerful curved horns. The head is mounted on a short strong neck, and the Bizon will be seen on the uplift, this feature is also distinctive feature. The tail is not very long, at the end - brush. To withstand such a massive body, nature has provided very strong and strong legs in the bison.


Distribution of wild bison

The main territory of Buffalo residence (the Americans are so called) is considered to be the territory of the continent of North America, mainly the server and western part of the Missouri River.


The lifestyle of the American Bison

Despite its dimensions and external clumsiness, the bison is capable of running very quickly. More surprising: Bison - Excellent Swimmers!

Listen to American Bison


Buffalo - classic herd animals, they do not see their existence without a huge number relatives nearby. In each herd, there are leaders. The oldest and experienced males play this role, the whole herd is unquestioned.

Thanks to the abundant wool, the bison is perfectly tolerated even very coldy (minus 30 degrees).

The life of the bison in the wildlife conditions lasts about 20-25 years.

What are the bison feed?

The forest view of these animals uses grass as a meal, moss, branches of shrubs, lichens. As for the steppe bizons, the basis of their diet is grassy plants. One animal can eat about 25 kilograms of grass!


Reproduction of Bizonov

The marriage of these animals occurs from July to September. One male begins to assemble a small harem. Having gathered around himself a few females, the male fellow proceeds to fertilization.

The pregnancy of females lasts approximately 9 months, after which one calf appears on the light. The first year of his life of the young Bizon feeds on maternal milk.

Buffalo - So accustomed to call the bison residents of North America. This powerful bull is officially recognized as wild and pets in three countries - Mexico, USA and Canada.

Description Bizona

The American Bison Bison (Bison Bison) is attributed to the family of slightly from the detachment of man-fated and steamed with a part of Bison (Bison).

Appearance

American Bison almost did not differ from the bison, if it were not for a low head and a thick-matted mane, which fits on the eye and forms a characteristic rude beard on the chin (with an approach to the throat). On the head and neck grow the most long hairAchieving half-meter: a little shorter wool cover, closing hump, shoulders and partly the front legs. In general, the entire front of the hull (on the backdrop of the back) is covered with longer woolyu.

It is interesting! An extremely low landing of the head with a tangled mane give a particular massiveness, although it is superfluous - adult males at 2 m in the withers grow up to 3 m (from the muzzle to the tail), gaining about 1.2-1.3 tons of weight.

Because of the abundance of wool on a large wooden head, great dark eyes and narrow ears are noticeable, but shortened thick horns are visible, divergen to the sides and peaks turned inside. The bison is not a completely proportional torso, since its front part is stronger than the rear. Podlevok ends the hump, legs are not high, but powerful. The tail is shorter than the European bison, and decorated with a thick hair brush on the end.

Sheer cover, as a rule, gray-brown or brown, but on the head, neck and front legs markedly darkens, reaching black and brown. Most animals have a brown and light-brown color, but some bison demonstrate atypical suit.

Character and lifestyle

Since the American bison was destroyed earlier than studied, it's hard to judge about the image of his life. It is known, for example, that before the bison coexisted into huge communities, reaching 20 thousand heads. Modern bison It is held by small herds not exceeding 20-30 animals. There is information that bulls and cows with calves create separate groups, which is called genderly.

Contradictory information is also about the herd hierarchy: some of the zoologists claim that the herd is managed by the most experienced cow, others are confident that the group is under the protection of several old bulls. Bison, especially young, extremely curious: their attention is caught by every new or unfamiliar object. Adults protect the young people in everywhere, prone to rolling games in the fresh air.

Bizon has a developed sense of smell that helps to hurt the enemy at a distance of 2 km, and the reservoir - at a distance of 8 km. Rumor and vision is not so sharp, but they perform their role on the Four. One look at the bison is enough to evaluate its potential strength that doubles when the beast is wounded or drive into the angle.

In such a situation, the bison is not angry from nature quickly annoying, preferring the attack of escape. A sign of extreme excitement becomes a vertically raised tail and sharp, from afar, a felt musky smell. Animals often enjoy voice - dull mock or grunt in different tone, especially when the herd is in motion.

How many bison live

In the wild and on the North American ranch, the bison is survived on average until 20-25 years.

Sexual dimorphism

Even visually females are significantly inferior to males on the size, and besides, they do not have an outdoor childbearing authority, which are endowed with all bulls. A more significant difference is traced in the anatomy and features of the coarse cover of two subspecies of the American Bison, described as Bison Bison Bison (Steppe Bison) and Bison Bison AthaBascae (Forest Bison).

Important! The second subspecies was opened at the end of a last century. According to individual zoologists, Forest Bizon is no other as the subspecies of primitive bison (Bison Priscus), which lived to this day.

Details of the Constitution and the Schedule observed in the steppe bison:

  • it is easier and less (within the boundaries of one age / floor) than forest bison;
  • on a large head there is a dense "hat" of the hair between horns, and the horns themselves rarely protrude above this "cap";
  • well-pronounced pelterine from wool, and to suit lighter than the forest bison;
  • the top of the hump is over the front legs, a dense beard and a pronounced mane on the throat stretched out of the chest.

The nuances of the physique and the cooler, marked in the forest bison:

  • larger and harder (within one age and gender) than steppe bison;
  • less than powerful head, there is a bang from hanging it is necessary to forehead and protruding the horns;
  • a little pronounced fur pelterine, and the wool is darker than that of the bison steppe;
  • the top of the hump is located to the front legs, the beard is liquid, and the mane on the throat is rudimentary.

Currently, forest bison meets only in deaf wetlands growing in the Buffalo, Prach and Berch river basins (which fall into the lake a large slave and Athastka).

Area, habitats

A few centuries ago both subspecies of bison, the total population of which was reached by 60 million animals, were found almost all over North America. Now the range, due to the meaningless extermination of the species (completed by 1891), narrowed to several regions west and north of Missouri.

It is interesting! By that time, the number of forest bison fell to critical meaning: only 300 animals survived survived west of the River Slave (south of a big slave lake).

It has been established that the long-time bison led the usual nomadic life, in the run-ups of the cold, going south and returning from there with the onset of heat. Now the long-range migration of bison is impossible, since the boundaries of the range are limited to national parks that are surrounded by farm lands. For accommodation, the bison is chosen by different landscapes, including gentlemen, open prairies (hilly and plain), as well as forests, closed in one way or another.

American Bizon's diet

Graze bison in the morning and in the evening, sometimes feeding the day and even at night. Steppe are lined on the grass, plucking up to 25 kg per day, and in winter they go to herbal rods. Forest, along with grass, diverse their diet with other vegetation:

  • shoots;
  • leaves;
  • lichens;
  • branches of trees / shrubs.

Important! Thanks to thick wool, the bison is well tolerated by 30-degree frosts, extracting food with a snow height to 1 m. Going to the feeder, looking for low-track areas, where they spread the snow with hooves, deepening a hole when rotating the head and muzzle (as the bison is rotating).

Once a day, the animals walk on the water, changing this habit only in tall frosts when the reservoirs are dragging ice and the bison has to have snow.

Reproduction and offspring

Gon continues from July to September, when bulls and cows are grouped into large herds in compliance with a clear hierarchy. When the breeding season comes to an end, the big flock is again disintegrating into the scattered groups. Bison polygamans, and dominant males are not satisfied with one female, but collect the harem.

The sex hunt for bulls is accompanied by a rival roar, hearing with clear weather For 5-8 km. Than more Bykov, the more impressive their choir sounds. In disputes for females, applicants are not limited to wedding serenades, and often enter fierce fights, which periodically end with serious injury or death of one of the duelists.

It is interesting! Running takes about 9 months, after which the cow gives birth to one calf. If she does not have time to find a secluded corner, the newborn appears in the midst of herd. In this case, all animals are suitable for a calf, sniffing and losing it. Calf sucks fatty (up to 12%) Mother milk almost up to a year.

In zoological parks, the bison is getting around not only with representatives of their species, but also with bison. Good neighborly relations are often completed by the mating and the appearance of small bivocons. The latter are distinguished from livestock hybrids, since they have high fertility.

Natural enemies

It is believed that there are practically no bison that, if you do not take into account that they cut calves or very old individuals. True, the Bizonam threatened the Indians whose life links and customs depended in many respects depend on these mighty animals. The indigenous people of America hunted on the bison riding (sometimes in the snow), armed with a spear, onion or a rifle. If the horse on the hunt was not used, the bison was driven into the abyss or pens.

The tongue and saturated with fat ripples, as well as dried and crushed meat (pemmican), which the Indians were pointed for the winter. The skin of young bizonov became the material for outerwear, thick skins turned into a coarse raw and dubbed skin from which the soles were cut.

The Indians tried to put into the case of all parts and fabrics of animals, receiving:

  • from the skin of the bison - saddle, tent-typi and belt;
  • from tendons - threads, a tutor and not only;
  • from bones - knives and dishes;
  • from hoofs - glue;
  • from hair - rope;
  • from the litter - fuel.

Important! Nevertheless, until 1830, a person was not the main enemy of Bizonov. The number of species did not affect the hunt of the Indians, nor a single shot of the bison sheonons with white colonists who had guns.

Bison lives in the northern and western banks of Missouri in North America. Local residents They call Bizonon Buffalo, that in translating from English means "buffalo".

Bison exists on our planet already five million years. True, the ancestors of modern animals were significantly larger than modern. Perhaps the huge sizes and the stadium lifestyle of the Bizonov gave the opportunity to these animals and survive all the cataclysms occurring in the history of the earth's development.

In the North American continent there are two types of these animals: steppe bison and forest bison.

Sleva right - Giant Bizon, Forest Bison, Bison, Steppe Bison.


Steppe bison.

Forest bison.

The two-meter height of the animal, its three-meter length and the mass reaching 1.2 tons in the male, and the females of the 7 centners are striking the imagination with huge sizes.

The body of the animal is covered with thick wool of dark shades, which protects the animal from supercooling into tiety thirty-perdus frosts.

The massive head is crowned with powerful curved horns, and a wide forehead gives the bison angry image. The feature of the Bizon is hump, located on its zoom. With the help of strong and strong legs, the bridges, despite the seeming slowness, are able to run ripper and even swim. Tassel at the tip is not very long tail makes it possible to hide from annoying insects.

In the flock of Bizonov there is a clear hierarchy, where all animals are strictly obeying the old experienced leader. Food bison depends on their living environment. Forest Bizon feeds on the grass, moss, branches of shrubs, lichens, and the steppe of his relative is eating more herbatous plants. Both species are distinguished by enviable appetite, and each of them alone can consume about 25 kg of food.

From July to September, each male collects around himself and is actively engaged in the process of continuing a kind. After 9 months, females bring one calf, which for the year feed on Mother's milk.

About two centuries ago, the bison threatened a complete extermination.

Breeding livestock in farms required space for pastures and growing crops. Therefore, farmers who drives off the bison from their territories, simply destroyed them.

Construction of a transcontinental iron highway in the 60s of the XIX century demanded large number Food for workers. Filling from immigrants firearms, Indians began to hunt Buffalo to sell the traders to the skin and meat of animals. It came to the fact that languages \u200b\u200bcut out from the dead bizons, and the carcass remained rotten in the open sky.

Later, the hunt for buses buses began, of which fertilizer and black paint were produced.

It should be noted that it was spun in time and took these animals under protection in 1905, when the first american organization By saving Buffalo.

For the protection of these long-suffering animals in the USA and Canada national parks and reserves, where strictly followed the observance of security measures, and violators of laws are strictly punished.