Buffalo and Bison

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History

 The bison/buffalo is the largest land animal since the Ice Age. Before nothern Europeans settled in North America, about 30-70 million bisons were roaming North America. The two bisons and buffalos have similarities and differcences. For example, bison is Greek for ox-like animals while buffalos originated from France who called them boeufs meaning ox or bullock. Bisons once inahabited the grasslands of North America in groups of massive herds. Even though a long time ago thousands of bisons roamed the land, only two species still exists today, the American Bison and the European Bison.  

 Bisons

Bisons are herbivores meaning they only eat plants. They normally feed on grass and sedges of the North American prairies. Bisons eat during day and night and they rest during the day. In the winter, bisons that are living in the snow areas have to search through the white blanket to get the grass they prey on. If there is no grass hidden in the snow, bisons eat the twigs of shrubs and plants. Bisons are the largest land animal in both North America and Europe. Bisons are known for living in the Great Plains and they normally travel in herds. Both the American and European Bisons almost went extinct when they were being hunted in the 19th and 20th century. Although they have survived the extinction, the European Bisons are still endangered. Bisons can live for approximately twenty-years. Bisons normally grow to maturity in two to three years although male bisons continue to grow until about their seventh. Male bisons express a high degree of competetiveness during their mating seasons. Male bisons normally fight for female bisons and these fight most of the time result in injury or death. After the bisons mate, they split into smaller groups. Calves are born about nine months after mating. The calves mother usually take care of them for a year or so.

Buffalo 

  Just like bisons, buffalos are herbivores. They eat during day and night and rest during the day. Buffalos mate in August or September. A single calf is born the next spring. Buffalos mature at the age of three. Buffalos can reach up to two meters long and three meters wide and can weigh from nine-hundred to twenty-two hundred pounds. In the 19th century, buffalos were almost hunted down to extinction. The reason they were hunted were for their skin. After the buffalo skin rotted, their bones were shipped to the east. Buffalos now are found in the northwestern part of North America around Yellowstone Park in Wyoming, the Henry Mountains in Utah and the Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota.

Symbolism 

The Buffalo is a national symbolism in many parts of North America. The Wyoming State uses a buffalo in its state flag. Many sports team include the bison as its mascot. Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming has adopted buffalo as its state mammal. Several American coins feature the buffalo, mainly the buffalo nickel.

          Wallowing Behavior                              

     When a buffalo or bison wallows, they are covering themselves in soil or mud. Scientists hypothesize that buffalo are trying to help it shed, get rid of insects especially tick or lice, and a play behavior.

Buffalo/Bison Meat and Bison/Buffalo Hunting 

     Bisons now are raised for meat and hides. Bison can be found in publicity or privately held herds. Bisons are low in fat and cholesteral. Bison meat are now called beefalo. In 2005, about 35,000 bisons/buffalo were processed for meat in the United States. Some markets in the United States sell buffalo meat. Bison hunting is legal in some states. In Montana, a public hunt was reestablised in 2005 with fifty permits being issued. In Alberta, bisons are hunted to protect disease-free public and privately herds of bisons.

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