Bison (Bisonbison) is a mammal that belongs to the bovid family. This animal is one of the largest inhabiting the territory North America.
On the brink of death
By the time the colonialists settled in North America, the number of bison on this continent was about 60 million individuals. Individual herds numbered up to 20-30 thousand animals. The indigenous inhabitants of these lands - the Indians - hunted bison solely to satisfy basic needs:
- for food;
- clothing manufacturing;
- providing the tribe with weapons, which were horns and bones;
- Bison skin was used to cover the home.
It cannot be said that the life activity of the Indians greatly influenced the number of these artiodactyls. But with the arrival of settlers from Europe to the mainland, a rapid and sharp decline in bison populations in North America began. Their killing was turned into fun by the colonialists, and with the commercial and industrial revolution that began in Europe, the extermination of animals was put on stream. The destruction was carried out by both white hunters and Indians, who were promised in return firearms, whiskey, knives, gunpowder. In those days, bison skins and their meat were in demand. The main reason massacre was the desire to deprive the indigenous population of the basis of existence, and, as a result, lead the Indians to starvation.
As a result of bloody atrocities, by the beginning of the 20th century there were about 800 animals in the New World. In 1907, the government made the first attempts to save the endangered species: reserves and National Parks were created, and laws were passed prohibiting unauthorized shooting. These measures made it possible to increase the number to several tens of thousands of animals.
Bison subspecies
There are two known subspecies of animals:- forest;
- steppe.
Wood bison are larger than their steppe relatives. Distinctive feature steppe is the presence of a throat located directly under the chin. In the wood bison this organ has not reached final development.
Habitats
The habitat of these artiodactyl mammals is strictly defined by boundaries National parks. They now live in Canada and northern borders USA.
On the territory of Russia in wildlife bison are not found. In 2006, the Canadian authorities donated 30 wood bison to the Ust-Buotama nursery (Sakha Republic) - this species is listed in the Red Book. The nursery plans to revive the population of wood bison in the Russian Federation.
Appearance
Bison are one of the most large mammals North America. The body has a massive structure and reaches a length of 3 meters. The animal is characterized by broad shoulders and low hips. The height at the withers is up to 2 meters due to the hump, the length of the vertebrae in which is 30-33 cm. The legs are low, but strong and dense due to large quantity muscles. Adult males reach a weight of more than a ton. Females are more modest - 700-800 kg.
The animal has a powerful wide forehead, short hollow horns, a low-set head with small black, barely noticeable eyes. The body of the animal is covered with thick dark dark brown fur. On the head, shoulders and chest hairline longer, on the chin it looks like a beard. The hair on the front part of the body grows up to 50 cm. The hair on the back part is shorter.
The coat is brown in color, sometimes brown. There are individuals of black-brown color. Cubs are born light brown or red, then the color of the pile darkens and the coat becomes coarser.
Habits and lifestyle
Bison live in herds that number several thousand animals. The top of the hierarchy belongs to several large males, who constantly defend their leading positions during numerous fights. Females with cubs and other males often form separate herds.
Bison have well-developed vision and sense of smell. They are able to smell a stranger located several kilometers away. Bison are generally calm animals, but when they sense danger, they quickly go on an aggressive offensive. When a herd of wolves or coyotes attacks, the adults protect the young, driving away predators with their powerful horns and hooves. As a rule, wolves attack calves, trying to take them away from the female and relatives. IN summer months strong and well-fed animals give a worthy rebuff to attackers. Despite impressive size, bison are agile and fast. They are capable, if necessary, of galloping at a speed of 50 km/h, i.e. equal to the speed of a horse, and overcome vertical obstacles more than 1.5 m high. In winter, bison are weakened by a lack of food, low temperatures, snow drifts, which are difficult to walk through. This gives predators many opportunities to good luck attacks.
Huge animals swim well. They need this ability when moving to new pastures. In summer they cross rivers without difficulty. In winter and, especially, in spring time crossing frozen rivers involves great danger. The ice in some areas cannot support the weight of the animal. Caught in ice water the beast is doomed to death.
Bison are herbivores. During summer abundance, their diet consists of herbaceous meadow grasses; some species eat tree leaves, bush branches and young shoots. In winter they feed on moss and lichen. They find food under snowdrifts up to 1 meter deep, using their massive snout to dig through the snow.
In summer, animals gain weight rapidly. The daily norm of consumed vegetation is 23-25 kg. Food enters one of the chambers of the stomach, where cellulose is broken down under the influence of enzymes. They then regurgitate the mess, after which they chew thoroughly again. The food then passes through the other three sections of the stomach, where the digestion process continues, and enters the intestines.
Reproduction and raising offspring
The rutting season for bison begins from May to September. It's a hot time for males, the herd doesn't stop bloody battles for the location of the female. Skirmishes sometimes result in fatal wounds. Mating fights are always accompanied by a low, thick roar, which can be heard at a distance of 8 km in calm weather. During the breeding season, the herd splits up. Females with one-year-old calves and males graze separately. In the fall, after the end of the “wedding” period, the herd reunites.
Dominant males will impregnate several females, collecting harems, but the choice of a worthy one is still up to the female. Having won the fight, the bull is not always to his taste, and the female runs away from him. Bulls can follow a female in heat for about a week until she “melts.” After sexual intercourse, the duration of which does not exceed 20 seconds, the bull remains next to the female for some time, then goes in search of a new passion.
9 months after fertilization, a baby is born (very in rare cases- two). Before giving birth, the mother leaves her relatives, looking for a secluded place. Sometimes she does not have time to leave, and the birth takes place in the herd. In this case, other bison “fall” on the newborn with licks, which displeases the mother. Instead of resting and helping the baby recover, she is forced to drive them away. Newborn bison cubs weigh 18-20 kg. They have no horns, and their limbs are disproportionately long, like many newborn ungulates. For a calf, the first hours of life are the most critical: within the first 10 minutes it must stand firmly on its feet, and an hour later it must run next to its mother in the herd.For the first few months, the calf feeds on its mother’s milk and quickly gains weight, reaching a weight of 300 kg by one year. Young animals are always under the supervision of adults, because playful and carefree calves are easy prey for predators. Another danger to the cubs is harsh winter. Individuals that do not have time to grow stronger and gain enough fat do not survive in very coldy. According to statistics provided by Yellowstone staff national park, half of the cubs in the herd do not survive to one year of age.
Bison reach sexual maturity at 4 years of age. Males are especially vulnerable at this time - they cannot yet compete with older and stronger individuals, and often receive serious injuries in fights. In the wild, the life expectancy of animals is on average 20 years. In captivity, some individuals live up to 25 years.
Video: Bison bison
Bison live on the northern and western banks of Missouri in North America. Locals Bison are called buffalo, which means “buffalo” in English.
Bison have existed on our planet for five million years. True, the ancestors of modern animals were much larger than modern ones. Perhaps the enormous size and herd lifestyle of bison made it possible for these animals to survive all the cataclysms occurring in the history of the Earth.
There are two species of these animals on the North American continent: the steppe bison and the wood bison.
From left to right - giant bison, wood bison, bison, steppe bison.
Steppe bison.
Wood bison.
The animal's two-meter height, three-meter length and weight, reaching 1.2 tons for the male and 7 centners for the female, amaze the imagination with its enormous size.
The animal's body is covered with thick fur of dark shades, which protects the animal from hypothermia in severe thirty-degree frosts.
The massive head is crowned with powerful curved horns, and the wide forehead gives the bison an angry image. A special feature of the bison is the hump located on the back of its neck. With the help of strong and strong legs, bison, despite their apparent slowness, are able to run briskly and even swim. The brush on the tip is not very good long tail makes it possible to brush off annoying insects.
There is a clear hierarchy in the bison herd, where all animals strictly obey the old, experienced leader. The food of bison depends on their environment. The wood bison eats grass, moss, branches of bushes, and lichens, while its steppe relative eats more herbaceous plants. Both species have an enviable appetite, and each of them alone can consume about 25 kg of food.
From July to September, each male gathers a harem around himself and is actively involved in the process of procreation. After 9 months, the females give birth to one calf, which feed on their mother’s milk throughout the year.
About two centuries ago, bison were threatened with complete extinction.
Livestock breeding in farms required areas for pastures and growing crops. Therefore, farmers, driving bison away from their territories, simply destroyed them.
The construction of the transcontinental railroad in the 60s of the 19th century required a large amount of food for the workers. Having received firearms from the settlers, the Indians began to hunt buffalo to sell the skin and meat of the animals to traders. It got to the point that the tongues of the killed bison were cut out, and the carcass was left to rot in the open air.
Later, the hunt began for bison bones, from which fertilizer and black paint were produced.
It should be noted that they realized it in time and took these animals under protection in 1905, when the first American organization for Buffalo Rescue.
To protect these long-suffering animals, national parks and reserves have been created in the USA and Canada, where compliance with protective measures is strictly monitored, and lawbreakers are severely punished.
Even just the sight of these animals fills you with horror and a shiver runs through your body. This huge bison. The ancient Indians considered these individuals sacred. Their population today is small. You can learn about this amazingly strong animal, where the bison lives (in which zone of the planet), and its characteristics in this article.
They are distinguished by their surprisingly voluminous size and large, massive build. They are similar in appearance to bison. And in nature, they even interbreed with the latter, which is why they are combined into one species.
Description
Where does the bison live, on what continent do these amazingly large animals live?
Before we find out, let's look at what they are.
The bison has striking dimensions: height at 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 terrestrial animals. Female bison, like most animals, are significantly inferior to their male relatives. Their body weight is approximately 700 kg.
The bison's body, covered with thick hair, has grey colour with a brownish tint. Their color can vary from light red to dark brown and almost black tones. Baby calves are born with a yellow coat color, but it darkens over time. Light (almost white) colored bison are quite rare.
The hair of bison is longer and darker on the chest, head and beard, and shorter throughout the rest of the body. This feature gives the animal’s appearance even more volume and menacingness.
The bison's head is quite massive, with a wide forehead. Thick and short horns, diverging to the sides at the very base of the head, bend inward at the ends. This animal has narrow and small ears, massive and short neck, big dark eyes.
Most characteristic feature The structure of the bison is an unusual hump, which is located on its nape.
Where does the bison live?
The continent where bison live is North America. For a long time, bison (or buffalo) lived in the territories of almost the entire But today this population exists only in the northern and western sections of the river. Missouri.
The populations of wood bison remained very small. These individuals live mainly in the most remote and swampy forests of the Buffalo, Birch (and Great Slave) and Peace river basins.
Today, bison are raised commercially. Their number is approximately 500 thousand heads ( for the most part steppe bison). About 4,000 private ranches in North America are used to breed them.
There are approximately 30 thousand individuals living in the wild, and they are listed as a critically endangered species in the Red Book.
Types, subspecies
In nature today there are two subspecies: forest (forest bull) and steppe. They differ in the cover of their fur and the structural features of the body. Where do bison of these species live? And how are they different?
The steppe bison is a large ungulate animal, weighing up to 700 kg. It is slightly smaller in weight and size than the forest one. The rather large head has a large head of thick hair between large horns and an equally thick beard. Its hump rises above the bases of its front legs. One of distinctive features the steppe bison has a pronounced throat that extends beyond the chest. The thick fur cover has
The forest bison, as noted above, exceeds the steppe bison in size. But his head is slightly smaller and framed by darkish bangs, his horns are long and thin. It also possesses a vestigial throat and hump. The dark red color of the wood bison's fur is not very thick. The weight of a male often exceeds 900 kg. The fur of this species is darker and warmer.
Habitats
Wood bison first became known in the late 19th century. Scientists believe that their ancestors were primitive bison.
Where do bison live? And where did you live? Start to this genus put once (genus Leptobos), which lived in the Pliocene (about 35,000 years ago) in India. Today there is a hypothesis that it was they who spread north in wide steppes and evolved into steppe bison.
From the expanses of the Siberian bison, along the earthly passage that existed at that time, they came to North America. This version appeared in connection with the discovery of a fossil specimen of this bull in Alaska (Yukon Island) in 1979.
And where do bison live (in which country)? In addition to Canada and the United States, American wood bison are currently being reintroduced back to Alaska. The very first batch of 53 individuals was brought to these places in 2008.
But despite efforts being made to preserve the population, the future of the bison remains in doubt. Dangers to their lives: various diseases, massively affecting cattle, and their mixing with steppe bison, which is undesirable.
Animal behavior
Where do bison live in different times of the year? They lead a nomadic lifestyle. In summer they live on the spacious northern plains, and in winter they migrate to the southern areas. In those days when there were many of them, they walked in huge impressive herds (thousands of individuals), occupying vast territories. Moreover, they chose the route themselves, and it was connected with watering places.
During periods of such migrations, there were cases when these herds blocked train traffic and steamships stopped.
How do they behave with their relatives where bison live in herds? At their core, these animals are herd animals. Their family organization is in many ways similar to the habits of bison. Females and males stay separate outside the breeding season.
After the birth of calves, females with their cubs form groups of up to 30 individuals. Males usually graze alone, but sometimes in bachelor herds (up to 15 individuals). Compared to former times, bison form aggregations on pastures consisting of only a few hundred individuals.
At night, bison sleep, but their sleep is short-lived. They graze around the clock. In general, this is a calm and balanced animal, but in rare cases (when anxious) they can show aggression. Despite their enormous body mass, bison can develop higher speed(about 50 km/h), and while running they make sounds (snoring or grunting).
Conclusion
We found out where bison live. But it should be remembered that a long time ago, in the vast expanses of the middle part of the northern American continent, their total number was approximately 60 million individuals.
Of course, it is impossible to return that number, but with certain common efforts of people, it is possible to at least stop the decline in the number of such an exotic animal and even increase it a little.
American bison, also known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison, millions of which once roamed the plains of North America. This type of large cattle deviated from common line ancestors with the buffalo and African buffalo about 5–10 million years ago. Photo of a bison.
The historical habitat of these mammals was the vast area between the Great Bear Lake in northwestern Canada, Mexican states Durango and Nuevo Leon in the south, Atlantic coast United States from New York to Florida. These animals were also seen in North Carolina in 1750.
At the turn of the 9th and 20th centuries, they almost disappeared due to a combination of commercial hunting, slaughter for meat, and the importation of cattle diseases from the Old World to America.
Today, after saving this species from complete extinction, the bison's habitat is mainly limited to a few national parks and reserves.
American bison
Bison represents species of large artiodactyl mammal of the bull family. It has a shaggy long body, dark brown coat in winter and lighter, light brown coat in summer. The length of the head and body can reach up to 3.5 m. The height of the shoulders varies from 152 cm to 186 cm. Typical weight ranges from 460 to 988 kg in males and from 360 to 544 kg in females. Mature bulls tend to be significantly larger than cows. The head and forelimbs are massive, and both sexes have short, curved horns that can grow up to 61 cm in length.
There are two subspecies - steppe and forest bison. The forest one is larger and heavier than the steppe one within the same age and sex.
Bison are herbivores. Their daily schedule includes two-hour periods of grazing, resting and ruminating, then moving on to a new location. They make daily treks in search of food throughout the summer. In mountain valleys, these animals travel an average of 3.2 km per day. Summer ranges appear to depend on seasonal changes vegetation, the intersection and size of feeding areas and the number of biting insects. Availability of water is also important factor migration.
The main habitats are river valleys, as well as prairies and plains. Their typical environment is open grasslands and semi-arid lands. They also graze in hilly or mountainous areas. Bison herds yellowstone park were encountered at an altitude of more than 2 thousand meters, and the herd living in the Henry Mountains region grazes in mountain valleys at an altitude of more than 3 thousand meters.
Differences from the European bison
Although they are similar in appearance, the American bison and European bison exhibit a number of physical and behavioral differences. American look slightly heavier and has shorter legs. Its body is more hairy, it is easier to tame than the bison, and breeds with livestock.
Although bison are the closest relatives to cattle, they were never domesticated by Native Americans. Attempts at domestication by Europeans before the 20th century had limited success. This animal was described as having a wild and uncontrollable nature. Its maneuverability and speed combined with large sizes and weight make it difficult to contain a herd, as they can easily destroy most fencing systems.
Where does the bison live?
Today these animals are found in public and private herds. State Park Custer, South Dakota is home to 1,500 individuals. This is one of the largest publicly accessible herds in the world, but some scientists doubt the genetic purity of these animals. They claim genetically pure herds on public lands in North America can only be found in:
The Antelope Island herd in Utah, consisting of 550–700 individuals, is one of the largest and oldest herds in the United States. However, recent genetic studies have shown that, like most American bison, the bison on Antelope Island have livestock genes. Researchers estimate that there are only 12,000–15,000 purebreds in the world. It has been found that most hybrids look exactly like purebred bison, so appearance This animal is not an indicator of purebredness.
In 2002 The United States government donated several bison from South Dakota and Colorado to the Mexican government. Their descendants live in Mexican reserves:
- El Uno Ranch in Janos;
- in Santa Elena Canyon;
- Chihuahua;
- Boquillas del Carmen;
- Coahuila southern shores Rio Grande;
- around the grassland line near Texas and New Mexico.
Bisons and their offspring
To date about 30,000 individuals live on public lands, which include environmental and state reserves. Approximately 15,000 bison are considered wild. In 2009, bison were reintroduced into biosphere reserve on Mexican federal soil. In 2014, American tribes and Canadian First Nations signed a treaty to restore their populations.
Social behavior and reproduction
Female bison live in maternal herds that include other females and their offspring. Male offspring leave the mother herd at approximately the age three years, and the bison either lives alone or joins other males in bachelor herds. Male and female herds usually do not mix until the breeding season, which occurs from July to September. However, female herds may also contain several adult males.
Bison have a lifespan of about 15 years in the wild and up to 25 years in captivity.
In some areas Bison are regularly hunted by wolves. This typically occurs in late spring and early summer, with attacks usually concentrated on cows and calves. Healthy mature bulls in herds rarely become victims. Grizzly bears can also pose a threat to calves and sometimes to old, injured or sick animals.
Bison are among the most dangerous animals in American and Canadian national parks. They can attack people even if not provoked. They seem slow, but they easily catch up with a running person. Their running speed is about 60 km per hour.
Hunting for American bison was a staple activity for Midwesterners. Later, American professional hunters became involved, which almost led to the extinction of this species in 1890. After the great slaughter in 1800, the number of these animals in North America dropped to 541 individuals.
After measures were taken to save this species, the number gradually began to increase. The size of the Canadian domesticated herd increased dramatically in the 1990s and 2000s. Below is the number of these animals in North America by year:
the main problem The problem facing bison today is a lack of genetic diversity. Another genetic problem is the introduction of genes from livestock into the population through hybridization. Many ranchers intentionally crossed it with cattle. The National Bison Association of the United States has adopted a code of ethics that prohibits its members from knowingly interbreeding these animals with any other species.
Among the Indian tribes Bison are considered sacred animals and a religious symbol. Images of these animals are often used in North America for official seals, flags and emblems. In 2016, the American bison became the national animal of the United States. It is the symbol of Kansas, Oklahoma and Wyoming, which have adopted the animal as their official state symbol, and many sports teams have chosen it as a mascot. In Canada, it is the official animal of the province of Manitoba and is depicted on the coat of arms of the mounted police.
Bison bison Linnaeus, 1758
Bison americanus
| Taxonomy on Wikispecies |
Images on Wikimedia Commons |
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Among the bison of the usual brown and light brown color, there may be individuals with a sharply abnormal color.
Within the species, two subspecies are distinguished - the plain bison (Bison bison bison) and the wood bison (Bison bison atabascae), clearly distinguishable by their structural features and fur cover.
Plains bison (Bison bison bison)
Wood bison (Bison bison atabaskae)
Features of the structure and fur of the plain bison - Bison bison bison:
- Large head, dense head of hair between the horns, horns rarely protrude above the head of hair
- The highest point of the hump above the front legs, a thick beard and a pronounced mane of the throat, extended behind the chest, a well-defined fur cape, lighter in color than wood bison
- Smaller and lighter than wood bison (within the same age and sex),
Features of the structure and fur of the forest bison - Bison bison athabascae:
- Reduced head, dark bangs of hanging strands above the forehead, horns usually protrude above the bangs
- The highest point of the hump in front of the forelegs, a thin beard and rudimentary throat mane, an indistinct fur cape, the coat is usually darker than that of the plains bison
- Larger and heavier than plains bison (within the same age and sex).
Wood bison were discovered in late XIX V. Some scientists consider the wood bison to be a surviving subspecies of the primitive bison (Bison priscus). To this day, they have survived only in dense swampy spruce forests in the basins of the Peace, Buffalo, and Birch rivers (flowing into lakes Athabasca and Great Slave).
The number of bison kept for commercial use is approximately 500,000 (mostly plains bison) on approximately 4,000 private ranches. However, according to the IUCN Red List Guidelines, commercial herds are not eligible to be considered in the Red List guide, so the total bison population is estimated at approximately 30,000 individuals, of which 20,000 have reached the age of sexual maturity. In the IUCN Red Book, the species is defined as being in a state close to threatened (NT) - (NEAR THREATENED).
Genetics
The species Bison bison has a diploid set of 60 chromosomes (2n 60).
The American bison interbreeds freely with the European bison, producing fertile offspring, the bison.
The presence of bovine genes is almost ubiquitous among the commercial plains bison herds tested to date, a legacy of long-term efforts to create improved livestock breeds by crossing cattle (Bos taurus) and bison. Many social herds also have variable levels of bovine gene introgression.
Legal status
Spreading
Formerly bison, or buffalo, as it is called by North Americans, was distributed throughout almost all of North America, but is now found only north and west of Missouri.
Mass extermination in the USA
In the 19th century, the American bison population was massively exterminated for commercial purposes. Indian tribes, given firearms and horses, began killing more buffalo than they needed for food and hides, selling the surplus to American traders. Great amount American hunters killed hundreds of thousands of bison every year for the skins that were used in great demand both in the USA and in Europe. American ranchers destroyed bison to create territory and resources for their animals. US Army soldiers from posts located on the plains, as well as construction workers, ate bison meat railways. Bison hunting also became a popular pastime, even attracting Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich during his visit to North America in 1872. The US authorities were reluctant to take measures to protect the bison population, realizing the detrimental impact of extermination on the lives of the Indians, whom the government, not without problems, tried to resettle on land allocated on reservations. According to researchers, in 1800 the number of bison was 30-40 million animals, and by the end of the century they were almost completely exterminated: less than one thousand remained. The creation of Yellowstone National Park in 1872 was the first event to avoid the complete extinction of the species. However, the laws of that time only prohibited commercial hunting on federal lands, which was used by poachers to evade responsibility. Military patrols were unable to put an end to poaching, and only in 1894 was a law passed that completely prohibited any hunting of all animals not authorized by the park management.
Bison as a symbol
The bison, as the largest and most famous animal in North America, certainly had to appear on US banknotes (coins and banknotes).
Bison in philately
1898 US Postage Stamp - 4 cents, Indian Hunting Bison
The first postage stamp depicting an American bison was issued back in the century before last - on June 17, 1898 in the USA as part of a commemorative series for the Trans-Mississippi Exhibition. Since that time, postage stamps featuring the American bison have been issued.
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