Bison

Bison bison

The bison is a large, sturdy, hump-shouldered bovid covered with wooly hair from North America (a closely related species used to live in Eurasia). Bison live in prairies, mountains, and open forests. They group into herds of thousands or even millions of individuals. The bulls are typically found alone or in small groups, but durring the rut, from July to September, they join the main herds and fight fiercely for access to females. Combat consists of two bulls ramming each other head first.

In modern times, bison have been greatly reduced in numbers but still occur in the wild in a few areas. There are many captive bison, which are ranched for their meat and hides.

Back to Bovids