American Bison
Bison bison
Classification
- Domain Eukarya: Eukaryotes have organisms whose cells have a nucleus that may be single-celled or multicelled
- Kingdom Animalia: This Kingdom does not contain prokaryotes, or protists. Animalia is also multicellular and hetrotrophic, meaning an organism obtaining its nutritional needs. This Kingdom is also lacks the rigid cell walls that are in plant cells.
- Phylum Chordata: Chordata contain Bilateral symmetry, as of their physical appearance. This Kingdom has a complete digestive system. They also have a segmented body, meaning they have divided body fragments.
- Subphylum Vertebrata: Vertebrata have red blood, with a complete digestive system, with large digestive glands, liver and pancreas. Movement is provided by muscles attached to the skeleton, which all Vertebrae have a spinal column.
- Class Mammalia: Mammals may swim, run, fly, glide, burrow, or climb for moving from place to place in their environment. Some live in groups from tens to hundreds to even thousands or more. Mammals are generally alone except when mating or raising young. Teeth are the mammals main tool for tearing up meat.
- Order Artiodactyla: Most have two or four toes to keep balance. Groups are often separated by gender, which may help reduce inter sexual competition for food which will help the survival of the group. To avoid fighting against each other, some species use displays, which may include body language and vocal language as a signal of warning for others.
- Family Bovidae: Many Bovids live in large groups to form even larger groups. Horns help Bovidae for the mating season, they also have the trademark of for-gut for digestion with its food.
- Genus Bison: Bison
- Species: Bison
General Description
- Height: For an Average American Bison, from the ground to the shoulders is 5 to 6 feet.
- Length: Average Bison's length is approximately 7 to 13 feet, while its tail is 12 to 36 inches long.
- Weight: On average a Male is 2,000 pounds, while the Female Bison is 1,100 pounds.
- Color: The American Bison's Fur is a brown when its grown up. When its still a calve, it is a reddish-brown color.
- Natural Range: American Bison are widespread from Alaska to Northern Mexico, on private and protected lands in the areas of Western United States and Canada, and also most of Yellowstone National park in Wyoming and Wood Buffalo park and Northwest Territory Canada.
- Diet: American Bison eat mostly herbs, Bark, Shoots, and Acorns when not Grazing.
- Habitat Description: Bison live in open grasslands, prairies, river valleys, and Wild Forests.
- Predators: Healthy adult Bison are safe from predators because of their large size and defenses. Elderly and ill Bison and calves are preyed large predators, such as Mountain lions, Wolves, and Humans.
Bison in its natural habitat
Herds
Map
Physical Adaptations
Behavioral Adaptations
References
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<http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Bison_bison/>
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<http://www.hww.ca/en/species/mammals/north-american-bison.html>.
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<http://www.ultimateungulate.com/Artiodactyla/Bison_bison.html>.