Where do bison live? On what continent, in what country? Bison or American bison: description of the animal, photo and video Bison description of the animal

Buffalo - this is how the inhabitants used to call the bison North America. This powerful bull is officially recognized as both a wild and a domestic animal in three countries - Mexico, the USA and Canada.

Description of the bison

The American bison (Bison bison) is assigned to the family of bovids from the order of artiodactyls and is paired with the genus Bison (buffaloes).

Appearance

The American bison would be almost indistinguishable from the bison if it were not for the low-set head and thick, tangled mane that covers the eyes and forms a characteristic shaggy beard on the chin (going down the throat). The longest hair grows on the head and neck, reaching half a meter: a slightly shorter coat covering the hump, shoulders and partly the front legs. In general, the entire front of the body (against the back) is covered with longer hair. Yu.

This is interesting! The extremely low landing of the head, coupled with a tangled mane, gives the bison a special massiveness, although this is unnecessary with its dimensions - adult males at 2 m at the withers grow up to 3 m (from muzzle to tail), gaining about 1.2–1.3 tons of weight.

Due to the abundance of wool on a large broad-browed head, large dark eyes and narrow ears are hardly noticeable, but shortened thick horns are visible, diverging to the sides and turned inward with apices. The bison has a not quite proportional body, since its front part is more developed than the back. The scruff ends with a hump, the legs are not high, but powerful. The tail is shorter than that of the European bison, and is decorated at the end with a thick hair brush.

The coat is usually gray-brown or brown, but on the head, neck and front legs it darkens noticeably, reaching black-brown. Most of the animals are brown and light brown in color, but some bison show atypical colors.

Character and lifestyle

Since the American bison was exterminated before they were studied, it is difficult to judge its lifestyle. It is known, for example, that earlier bison cooperated in huge communities, reaching up to 20 thousand heads. Modern bison are kept in small herds, not exceeding 20-30 animals. There is evidence that bulls and cows with calves create separate groups, as they say, according to gender.

Contradictory information also comes about the herd hierarchy: some zoologists claim that the most experienced cow manages the herd, others are sure that the group is guarded by several old bulls. Bison, especially young ones, are extremely curious: every new or unfamiliar object captures their attention. Adults in every possible way protect the young, prone to outdoor games in the fresh air.

The bison has a developed sense of smell, which helps to smell the enemy at a distance of up to 2 km, and a pond - at a distance of up to 8 km. Hearing and vision are not so sharp, but they perform their role on the four. One look at a bison is enough to appreciate its potential strength, which doubles when the beast is wounded or cornered.

In such a situation, the buffalo, which is not naturally vicious, quickly becomes annoyed, preferring an attack to flight. A sign of extreme excitement is a vertically raised tail and a sharp, musky smell felt from afar. Animals often use their voice - muffledly moo or grunt in different tones, especially when the herd is in motion.

How long do bison live

IN wild nature and on North American ranches, bison live to an average of 20–25 years.

sexual dimorphism

Even visually, females are significantly inferior to males in size, and besides, they do not have an external genital organ, which all bulls are endowed with. A more significant difference can be traced in the anatomy and features of the coat of the two subspecies of the American bison, described as Bison bison bison (steppe bison) and Bison bison athabascae (wood bison).

Important! The second subspecies was discovered at the end of the century before last. According to some zoologists, the wood bison is none other than a subspecies of the primitive bison (Bison priscus), which has survived to this day.

Details of the constitution and coat observed in the steppe bison:

• it is lighter and smaller (within the same age/sex range) than the wood bison;
• on a large head there is a dense “cap” of hair between the horns, and the horns themselves rarely protrude above this “cap”;
• a well-defined cape made of wool, and the color is lighter than that of the wood bison;
• the top of the hump is above the front legs, a thick beard and a pronounced mane on the throat are extended beyond the chest.

The nuances of physique and coat observed in wood bison:

• larger and heavier (within the same age and sex) than the steppe bison;
• a less powerful head, there is a bang of strands hanging over the forehead and horns protruding above it;
• little pronounced fur cape, and the wool is darker than that of the steppe bison;
• the top of the hump extends to the front legs, the beard is thin, and the mane on the throat is rudimentary.

Currently, wood bison are found only in the deaf swampy spruce forests growing in the basins of the Buffalo, Peace and Birch rivers (which flow into the Great Slave and Athabasca lakes).

Range, habitats

Several centuries ago, both subspecies of bison, the total number of which reached 60 million animals, were found almost throughout North America. Now the range, due to the senseless extermination of the species (completed by 1891), has narrowed to several regions west and north of Missouri.

This is interesting! By that time, the number of wood bison had fallen to a critical value: only 300 animals that lived west of the Slave River (south of the Great Slave Lake) survived.

It has been established that a long time ago bison led a habitual nomadic life, going south in anticipation of cold weather and returning from there with the onset of heat. Now long-distance migrations of bison are impossible, since the boundaries of the range are limited by national parks, which are surrounded by farmlands. Bison choose different landscapes for living, including light forests, open prairies (hilly and flat), as well as forests that are closed to one degree or another.

American bison diet

Bison graze in the morning and evening, sometimes feeding during the day and even at night.. Steppe lean on grass, plucking up to 25 kg per day, and in winter they switch to grass rags. Forest, along with grass, diversify their diet with other vegetation:

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

Important! Thanks to their thick wool, bison tolerate well 30-degree frosts, foraging at a snow depth of up to 1 m. Going to feed, they look for little snowy areas where they scatter snow with their hooves, deepening the hole when rotating the head and muzzle (as bison do).

Once a day, the animals go to the watering hole, changing this habit only in severe frosts, when the reservoirs are frozen over and the bison have to eat snow.

Reproduction and offspring

The rut lasts from July to September, when bulls and cows are grouped into large herds with a clear hierarchy. When the breeding season comes to an end, a large herd again breaks up into scattered groups. Bison are polygamous, and dominant males are not satisfied with one female, but gather harems.

Sexual hunting in bulls is accompanied by a rolling roar, audible in clear weather for 5–8 km. How more bulls, the more impressive their chorus sounds. When arguing for females, applicants are not limited to mating serenades, but often enter into violent fights, which periodically end in serious injuries or the death of one of the duelists.

This is interesting! Gestation 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 middle of the herd. In this case, all animals approach the calf, sniffing and licking it. The calf sucks fat (up to 12%) mother's milk for almost a year.

In zoological parks, bison get along not only with representatives of their own species, but also with bison. Good-neighbourly relations often end with love mating and the appearance of small bison. The latter advantageously differ from hybrids with livestock, as they have high fecundity.

natural enemies

It is believed that there are practically no bison, if you do not take into account those who slaughter calves or very old individuals. True, the buffalo was threatened by the Indians, whose way of life and customs largely depended on these powerful animals. Native Americans hunted bison on horseback (sometimes in the snow), armed with a spear, bow or gun. If the horse was not used for hunting, the bison were driven into abysses or paddocks.

The tongue and the fat-rich hump were especially valued, as well as dried and chopped meat (pemmican), which the Indians stocked up for the winter. The skin of young bison became the material for outerwear, thick skins were turned into rough rawhide and tanned leather, from which soles were cut.

The Indians tried to use all the parts and tissues of animals, getting:

• from bison skin - saddles, tipi tents and belts;
• from tendons - threads, bowstrings and more;
• from bones - knives and dishes;
• from hooves - glue;
• from hair - ropes;
• from the litter - fuel.

Important! However, until 1830, man was not the main enemy of the buffalo. The number of the species was not affected either by the hunting of the Indians, or by the single shooting of bison by white colonists who had guns.

The bison is an artiodactyl mammal of the bovid family. Wild big bull known for its large sizes and physical power, as seen in the photographs of the bison. This is the largest herd animal, reaching a height of 2 m, a length of 2.5-3 m, with a weight of 800 kg to 1200 kg.

Habitat

Previously, bison were distributed almost throughout North America. The so-called "buffalo" today are found closer to the west and north of the Missouri. There are plains and forest bison. The first subspecies lives in sparse forests, the second is found in the steppe.

Below is a photo of bison of two species.

Appearance

The bison's closest relative is the bison. It is very difficult to distinguish a bison from a bison in a photo. Between themselves, they are similar in body proportions and color, but the first more massive animals. home distinguishing feature bison is a high withers, which forms a kind of hump in the shoulders. The animal has a very wide forehead, a short neck and a low head. The bison has a particularly thick and long hair, growing up to 50 cm. It covers the hump, shoulders, partly legs, head and neck. The hair on the head has a gray-brown color, on the neck it is black-brown. On a massive head are thick short horns, twisted ends inward. The legs of this animal are low, but very strong.

Key Features

At first glance, it may seem that the clumsy carcass moves slowly and with great difficulty across the steppes of North America. But this powerful and unpredictable animal, feeling threatened, can overcome great distances, while developing a speed of 50 km / h. They gallop, swim across rivers, jump over obstacles. Therefore, despite big weight, bison are quite mobile.

Also, the bison has a well-developed sense of smell. He can smell danger at a distance of 2 km. This animal is not aggressive, but driven into a corner, it quickly goes on the attack.

By their nature, these bulls are quite inquisitive animals. They can watch with interest newborn bison. Having found a dead relative by smell, they kick him with their heads, in the hope that he will get up.

What do bison eat

In summer, the diet of the steppe species of bison mainly includes grassy vegetation; in forest bison, in addition to grass, branches of shrubs and trees, leaves, and shoots are widely used. In winter, grass rags, lichen and moss are eaten. They often graze in the morning and evening. IN winter time can find food under snow cover up to 1 m deep. Newborn animals feed on mother's milk.

Once a day, bulls visit watering holes. If the water is completely covered with ice, they eat snow.

Immigration

Today, animals are not able to immigrate, since their habitat is limited to national parks, around which stretch the lands of companies and farmers. Previously, bison made distant regular migrations to the south, and by spring they returned back to the north.

reproduction

Start mating season comes from May and lasts until September. Males are polygamous, they do not form a pair with one female. At this time, skirmishes are likely between males, reaching not only serious wounds, but also fatal outcomes.

After mating, the female leaves the herd and carries offspring for 9 months. As a rule, one calf is born, although there are cases of twins. Very rarely, a female gives birth in the presence of a herd, where adult bison express special interest in the newborn by licking it. The weight of the calf does not exceed 25 kg, it has no horns and a mound at the withers. The first year of life, the mother stays close to the cub and protects it from dangers.

After 2-3 years, bison reach sexual maturity. They live up to 20 years in the wild and 25-30 years in captivity.

• KEY FACTS
• Name: European bison, or bison (Bison bonasus)
• Area: Reserves in Eastern Europe
• The number of typical social group: 20-40 animals in the family, at certain periods bison form herds of several thousand heads
• Pregnancy period: 9 months
• Independence: 1 year
• Territory: 30-100 sq. km, depending on the season and food availability

The American bison is also known as the buffalo. It is known that the American Indians treated these animals with special reverence. They roamed along with herds of bison, thanks to which they provided themselves with food and clothing.

There are two types of bison: European bison, or bison (Bison bonasus) and american bison, or the American buffalo (Bison bison). Bison are distinguished by a massive body structure, they have a powerful rib cage, and the withers protrude with a hump. These animals belong to the order Artiodactyla (artiodactyla). The bison is in many ways similar to a large cow. These species are indeed so close that they can interbreed.

Even 150 years ago, the bison population was incredibly large. On the open American prairies, their gigantic herds included hundreds of thousands and sometimes millions of heads. Due to the hunting of bison, the populations of these animals were destroyed on both continents. Already by 1920 bison disappeared from the wild, and the number of American bison was reduced to several hundred heads. Scientists sounded the alarm, and thanks to their active actions, this giant was saved. Today, about 3,200 bison live on the territory of Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Lithuania. The American bison population is much larger: there are now about half a million of these animals. Such a number is due, in particular, to the fact that bison are bred on private ranches.

Although bison live mainly in reserves and sanctuaries, they are also released outside of these areas. Therefore, today in social behavior these animals have features characteristic of the huge herds common in the past.

Unlike the American bison, the bison lives in wooded areas, so its diet is more varied.

Due to the insignificant population of bison, they cannot form large herds. Therefore, conclusions about their behavior are made on the basis of observations by scientists of the 18th and 19th centuries. after the American bison, since the way of life of this species in many ways resembles the features of the existence of the bison.

Life in the herd

Usually a herd of bison consists of 10-20 heads. It is controlled by the eldest female, who is the mother and grandmother of most members of the group. The daily diet of bison should be 2-3% of their body weight, so the herd is in constant motion. They devastate pastures very quickly and often have to move to a new place. Unlike American bison, which graze in the meadows, bison seek food in the forest. All year round they feed on leaves, bark and branches, in spring their diet is replenished with tender grass and greens, and in autumn - mushrooms, acorns, nuts and fruits.

Bison have a keen sense of smell, which they need in order to recognize the presence of other animals. This is especially important for the bison, which lives in the forest.

Bison herds have very close family relationships. There are cases when bison come to the bodies of their dead relatives, as if they were visiting them. This behavior makes bison related to elephants.

herd structure

However, bison herds do not always unite. For example, during harsh winters, when it is incredibly difficult to find food and every animal is fighting for survival, the herds are divided into several groups.

Cold climatic conditions not afraid of bison. With massive heads, they dig up snowdrifts, the height of which reaches half a meter, and get to grass, lichens and moss. In winter, water is usually not available, so bison eat snow. To conserve strength in the cold, the herd moves as little as possible. When snow and ice make it difficult to forage in the harshest winters, bison still decide to travel in search of food. Often this turns into disaster: every two out of three bison die, and the survivors lose a lot of strength and suffer from exhaustion. In the spring, they tend to quickly replenish their fat stores in order to get into a healthy shape during the rutting season.

Gon

Late summer, rutting season. These bulls in the prairies of South Dakota (USA) fought for the right to mate with a female. Their main weapons are strong foreheads and muscular shoulders.

The competition of males begins with a roar competition, which is heard within a radius of several kilometers and demonstrates the strength and endurance of bulls. To prove its superiority, the bison bows its head, beats with its hoof, raises its tail, and sometimes butts a tree. At this moment, one of the participants in the confrontation usually recognizes the strength of the opponent and retreats. However, it happens that the conflict between males arises again, when the pair has already formed, and the bulls begin to attack each other. A strong forehead allows the buffalo to use its head as a battering ram, and the characteristic withers, formed by powerful muscles, help to hold strong blows. Violent battles of males do not last long, and sometimes rivals get seriously injured.

The rutting period for bulls is very stressful, since only the strongest male can mate with females and pass on their genes to the next generations. At this time, they eat little and lose up to 10% of body weight. The whole herd becomes much more restless and aggressive than usual, and it is during the rut that the buffalo pose the greatest danger.

That bull, which defended its superiority in battles, mates with most of the females in the herd and does not leave it for several months. At the end of the mating season, the male returns to bachelor life. Sometimes the same bull leads the battle for many years until he is defeated by a younger and stronger male. From that moment on, the defeated bison leads a solitary lifestyle.

The bull usually mates with females from the herd in September and October. A pregnant female carries a cub for 9 months and leaves the herd before giving birth. She brings one calf. It differs from adult animals in its characteristic red-brown color. After an hour or two, the calf is able to stand on its own, but the mother returns to the herd only when the baby is a few days old and can keep up with the herd. For the first few months, babies do not move far from their mother. Females fiercely protect calves, and predators do not risk approaching a female with a cub.

The coat color of these young American bison is rather dull: most calves are usually dark reddish-brown. Brown. Babies are born in the spring, when pastures abound with food.

Youth education

An animal as strong and large as the bison has few enemies in the wild. Early settlers in North America considered it the second most endangered wild animal after the grizzly bear. The European bison has an unpredictable character: a calm state during a stay on a pasture can instantly change into aggressiveness.

Bison are not afraid of such a natural enemy as a wolf. Bison have excellent hearing and smell, and although they cannot see small details, they catch any movement for half a kilometer. Despite the huge body mass, bison are surprisingly agile and mobile. An adult animal is very hardy, can run at speeds up to 50 km / h and jump over a 2-meter fence or a river of three meters wide. In the event of an attack, the bison usually butts or tramples the enemy, inflicts strong blows with its hind legs and injures with sharp horns.

The European and American bison species are descended from a hoofed ancestor that survived glacial period, which is why modern bison are resistant to cold. European species penetrated through Siberia and the Isthmus of Alaska to North America and separated into a separate species.

Most predators only attack weak members of the herd, such as newborns, old or sick animals. But in any case, predators are afraid to approach a herd of bison one by one. In the event of an attack by enemies such as a pack of wolves, the herd forms a circle, in the center of which the calves remain.

american bison

Such differences in social organization bison and bison, obviously, explain the more massive body structure american style. Since the herds are predominantly large, the rivalry between the bulls is very intense. To win the battles, the male American bison must make a lot of effort.

Bison (Bisonbison) is a mammalian artiodactyl animal belonging to the family of bovids. This animal is one of the largest inhabiting the territory of North America.

On the edge of death

By the time colonizers settled 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 meet basic needs:

• for food;
• making clothes;
• providing the tribe with weapons, which were horns and bones;
• the skin of a bison was used to shelter the dwelling.

It cannot be said that the life activity of the Indians greatly influenced the number of these artiodactyls. But with the advent of immigrants from Europe to the mainland, a rapid and sharp decline in bison populations in North America begins. 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 in return were promised firearms, whiskey, knives, gunpowder. In those days, the skin of bison and their meat were in demand. main reason mass murder was the desire to deprive the indigenous population of the basis of existence, and, as a result, bring 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 first attempts were made by the government to save the endangered species: reserves and national parks were created, laws were passed prohibiting unauthorized shooting. These measures made it possible to increase the number to several tens of thousands of heads.

bison subspecies

• forest;
• steppe.

Wood bison are larger than steppe relatives. Distinctive feature steppe is the presence of a throat located directly under the chin. In wood bison, this organ has not reached its final development.

Habitats

The habitat of these artiodactyl mammals strictly defined boundaries National parks. Now they live in Canada and the northern borders of the United States.

On the territory of Russia, bison are not found in the wild. In 2006, the Canadian authorities donated 30 wood bison to the Ust-Buotama nursery (Republic of Sakha) - this species is listed in the Red Book. The nursery plans to revive the forest buffalo population on the territory of 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 a large number 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 hair. On the head, shoulders and chest hairline longer, on the chin like a beard. The hair on the front of the body grows up to 50 cm. The pile on the back is shorter.

The coat has a brown color, sometimes brown. There are individuals of black-brown color. Cubs are born light brown or red, then the color of the pile darkens, the coat becomes more rigid.

Habits and lifestyle

Bison live in herds that number several thousand animals. The top of the hierarchy belongs to several large males, constantly defending their leading positions during numerous fights. Females with cubs and other males often form separate herds.

Bison have well developed eyesight and sense of smell. They are able to smell a stranger who is several kilometers away. Bison are generally calm animals, but, sensing danger, they quickly go on an aggressive offensive. When attacking a herd of wolves or coyotes, adults protect the young by 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 the attackers. Despite their impressive size, bison are agile and fast. They are able, if necessary, to gallop, developing a speed of 50 km / h, i.e. equal to the speed horses, 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 wade through. This gives predators many opportunities for a successful outcome of the attack.

Huge animals are excellent swimmers. This ability is necessary for them during movements to new pastures. In summer, they easily cross rivers. In winter, and especially in spring, crossing frozen rivers is fraught with great danger. The ice in some areas cannot support the weight of the animal. Caught in ice water the beast is doomed to die.

Bison are herbivores. During the summer abundance, their diet is grassy meadow grasses, some species eat tree leaves, shrub 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 muzzle to dig through the snow.

In the summer, animals are gaining weight intensely. 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. Then they burp the mess, after which they chew it thoroughly again. The food then passes through three other sections of the stomach, where the process of digestion continues, and enters the intestines.

Reproduction and education of offspring

From May to September, bison begin the rutting season. This is a hot time for males, bloody battles for the location of the female do not stop in the herd. Skirmishes sometimes end in fatal wounds. Mating fights are always accompanied by a low, thick roar that can be heard at a distance of 8 km in calm weather. During the breeding season, the herd breaks up. Females with one-year-old calves and males graze separately. In autumn, after the end of the period of "weddings", the herd reunites.

Dominant males will fertilize several females, collecting harems, but the choice of a worthy one is still up to the female. Having won the battle, the bull is not always to his taste, and the female runs away from him. Bulls can follow an estrus female for about a week until she "melts". After sexual intercourse, the duration of which does not exceed 20 seconds, the bull stays next to the female for some time, then goes in search of a new passion.

For the first few months, the calf feeds on mother's milk and quickly gains weight, gaining a mass of 300 kg by the year. Young animals are always under the supervision of adults, because playful and careless calves are easy prey for predators. Another danger to the cubs - harsh winter. Not having time to get stronger and gain enough fat, individuals do not survive in severe frosts. According to statistics given by the staff of the Yellowstone National Park, half of the cubs in the herd do not live up to the age of one.

Bison reach sexual maturity at 4 years old. Males are especially vulnerable at this time - they still cannot compete with older and stronger individuals, and often get seriously injured in fights. In the wild, the life expectancy of animals is an average of 20 years. In captivity, some individuals live up to 25 years.

Video: bison (Bison bison)

Niramin - Feb 29th, 2016

American bison (lat. Bison bison) live in North America. As early as the beginning of the 18th century, there were more than 600 million livestock of these animals within the mainland. Huge herds of these animals migrated almost all over the continent, moving from one pasture to another. The herds were so numerous that during migrations they even blocked the movement of trains. However, the offensive white man on the nature of North America and the unbridled hunting of these mighty animals led to a sharp reduction in their numbers. Only at the beginning of the twentieth century, bison were taken under protection. Today, these animals can be found mainly in national parks and reserves. In the wild, bison are almost never found.

The American bison looks like its European counterpart, the bison, but differs from it in larger sizes. The body length of a bison can reach up to 3 meters, and the height at the withers is about 2 meters. The color of the thick shaggy coat is predominantly gray and brown. On the neck and head the coat is darker almost black. The thick coat protects the bison from severe frosts winter and summer heat. The bison's head is crowned with short thick horns. A wide forehead and a hump on the nape give the front of the body more massiveness. Short powerful legs enable the bison to move easily and quickly, developing a speed greater than that of a horse.

bison feed plant food. There are some differences in gastronomic preferences among different types. Steppe bison prefer grass, which each individual can eat about 25 kg per day. Wood bison have a more varied menu. In addition to grass, they use moss, lichen, tree rags.

Bison live in huge herds, led by several strong males. They keep a vigilant eye on their harem and cubs, fiercely protecting them from predators. An adult healthy bison has almost no enemies, as he is able to fight back even a grizzly and a wolf.

See the gallery of photos of American bison:

Photo: Bison in the snow.





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