American bison - wikipedia American bison American bison Temporal range : 0.01 -- 0 Ma PreЄ Є Pg ↓ Early Holocene -- present Plains bison ( Bison bison bison ) Alternative image Historic drawing Bison call audio Conservation status Near Threatened ( IUCN 3.1 ) Scientific classification Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata Class : Mammalia Order : Artiodactyla Family : Bovidae Subfamily : Bovinae Subtribe : Bovina Genus : Bison Species : B. bison Binomial name Bison bison ( Linnaeus, 1758 ) Subspecies B. b. athabascae B. b. bison Synonyms Bos americanus Bos bison Bison americanus Bison bison montanae The American bison ( Bison bison ), also commonly known as the American buffalo or simply buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds. They became nearly extinct by a combination of commercial hunting and slaughter in the 19th century and introduction of bovine diseases from domestic cattle, and have made a recent resurgence largely restricted to a few national parks and reserves. Their historical range roughly comprised a triangle between the Great Bear Lake in Canada 's far northwest, south to the Mexican states of Durango and Nuevo León, and east to the Atlantic Seaboard of the United States ( nearly to the Atlantic tidewater in some areas ) from New York to Georgia and per some sources down to Florida. Bison were seen in North Carolina near Buffalo Ford on the Catawba River as late as 1750. Two subspecies or ecotypes have been described : the plains bison ( B. b. bison ), smaller in size and with a more rounded hump, and the wood bison ( B. b. athabascae ) -- the larger of the two and having a taller, square hump. Furthermore, the plains bison has been suggested to consist of a northern ( B. b. montanae ) and a southern subspecies, bringing the total to three. However, this is generally not supported. The wood bison is one of the largest wild species of bovid in the world, surpassed by only the Asian gaur and wild water buffalo. It is the largest extant land animal in the Americas. The American bison is the national mammal of the United States. Male plains bison in the Wichita Mountains of Oklahoma Contents 1 Etymology 2 Description 2.1 Differences from European bison 3 Evolution 4 Range and population 5 Habitat 6 As livestock 7 Behavior and ecology 7.1 Social behavior and reproduction 7.2 Horning 7.3 Wallowing behavior 7.4 Predation 7.5 Dangers to humans 8 Hunting 9 Genetics 10 Bison trails 11 As a symbol 11.1 Native Americans 11.2 United States and Canada 12 See also 13 References 14 Further reading 15 External links Etymology The term buffalo is sometimes considered to be a misnomer for this animal, and could be confused with `` true '' buffalos, the Asian water buffalo and the African buffalo. However, bison is a Greek word meaning ox - like animal, while buffalo originated with the French fur trappers who called these massive beasts bœufs, meaning ox or bullock -- so both names, bison and buffalo, have a similar meaning. The name buffalo is listed in many dictionaries as an acceptable name for American buffalo or bison. In reference to this animal, the term buffalo dates to 1625 in North American usage when the term was first recorded for the American mammal. It thus has a much longer history than the term bison, which was first recorded in 1774. The American bison is very closely related to the wisent or European bison. In Plains Indian languages in general, male and female buffaloes are distinguished, with each having a different designation rather than there being a single generic word covering both sexes. Thus : in Arapaho : bii ( buffalo cow ), henéécee ( buffalo bull ) in Lakota : pté ( buffalo cow ), tȟatȟáŋka ( buffalo bull ) Such a distinction is not a general feature of the language ( for example, Arapaho possesses gender - neutral terms for other large mammals such as elk, mule deer, etc. ), and so presumably is due to the special significance of the buffalo in Plains Indian life and culture. Description Adult male ( farther ) and adult female ( closer ) with a background of rich autumn colors, in Yellowstone National Park A bison has a shaggy, long, dark - brown winter coat, and a lighter - weight, lighter - brown summer coat. As is typical in ungulates, the male bison is slightly larger than the female and, in some cases, can be considerably heavier. Plains bison are often in the smaller range of sizes, and wood bison in the larger range. Head - and - body lengths range from 2 to 3.5 m ( 6.6 to 11.5 ft ) long, the tail adding 30 to 91 cm ( 12 to 36 in ). Shoulder heights in the species can range from 152 to 186 cm ( 60 to 73 in ). Weights can range from 318 to 1,000 kg ( 701 to 2,205 lb ) Typical weight ranges in the species were reported as 460 to 988 kg ( 1,014 to 2,178 lb ) in males and 360 to 544 kg ( 794 to 1,199 lb ) in females, the lowest weights probably representing typical weight around the age of sexual maturity at 2 to 3 years of age. Mature bulls tend to be considerably larger than cows. Cow weights have had reported medians of 450 to 495 kg ( 992 to 1,091 lb ), with one small sample averaging 479 kg ( 1,056 lb ), whereas bulls may reportedly weigh a median of 730 kg ( 1,610 lb ) with an average from a small sample of 765 kg ( 1,687 lb ). The heaviest wild bull ever recorded weighed 1,270 kg ( 2,800 lb ). When raised in captivity and farmed for meat, the bison can grow unnaturally heavy and the largest semidomestic bison weighed 1,724 kg ( 3,801 lb ). The heads and forequarters are massive, and both sexes have short, curved horns that can grow up to 2 ft ( 61 cm ) long, which they use in fighting for status within the herd and for defense. Bison are herbivores, grazing on the grasses and sedges of the North American prairies. Their daily schedule involves two - hour periods of grazing, resting, and cud chewing, then moving to a new location to graze again. Bison bulls of that age may try to mate with cows, but if more mature bulls are present, they may not be able to compete until they reach five years of age. For the first two months of life, calves are lighter in color than mature bison. One very rare condition is the white buffalo, in which the calf turns entirely white. Differences from European bison Although they are superficially similar, the American and European bison exhibit a number of physical and behavioral differences. Adult American bison are slightly heavier on average because of their less rangy build, and have shorter legs, which render them slightly shorter at the shoulder. American bison tend to graze more, and browse less than their European relatives, because their necks are set differently. Compared to the nose of the American bison, that of the European species is set farther forward than the forehead when the neck is in a neutral position. The body of the American bison is hairier, though its tail has less hair than that of the European bison. The horns of the European bison point forward through the plane of its face, making it more adept at fighting through the interlocking of horns in the same manner as domestic cattle, unlike the American bison which favors charging. American bison are more easily tamed than the European, and breed more readily with domestic cattle. Evolution. The bovine family ( taurids and bisonids ) diverged from the common ancestral line with water buffalo and African buffalo about 5 to 10 million years ago. Thereafter, the family lineage of bison and taurine cattle does not appear to be a straightforward `` tree '' structure as is often depicted in much evolution, because evidence exists of interbreeding and crossbreeding between different species and members within this family, even many millions of years after their ancestors separated into different species. This cross breeding was not sufficient to conflate the different species back together, but it has resulted in unexpected relationships between many members of this group, such as yak being related to American bison, when such relationships would otherwise not be apparent. A 2003 study of mitochondrial DNA indicated four distinct maternal lineages in tribe Bovini : Taurine cattle and zebu Wisent ( European bison ) American bison and yak Banteng, gaur, and gayal However, Y chromosome analysis associated wisent and American bison. An earlier study using amplified fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting showed a close association of wisent and American bison and probably with yak, but noted that the interbreeding of Bovini species made determining relationships problematic. It is shown, however, the wisent may have emerged by species divergence initiated by the introgression of bison bulls in a separate ancestral species, the aurochs. Last of the Canadian Bisons, 1902, photograph : Steele and Company The steppe bison ( Bison priscus ) diverged from the lineage that led to cattle ( Bos taurus ) about 2 to 5 million years ago. The bison genus is clearly in the fossil record by 2 million years ago. The steppe bison spread across Eurasia and was the bison that was pictured in the ancient cave paintings of Spain and Southern France. The European bison arose from the steppe bison, without fossil evidence of other ancestral species between the steppe bison and the European bison, though the European bison might have arisen from the lineage that led to American bison if that lineage backcrossed with the steppe bison. Again, the web of relationships is confusing, but some evidence shows the European bison is descended from bison that had migrated from Asia to North America, and then back to Europe, where they crossbred with existing steppe bison. At one point, some steppe bison crossbred with the ancestors of the modern yak. After that cross, a population of steppe bison ( Bison priscus ) crossed the Bering Land Bridge to North America. Evidence has been found of multiple crossings of bison to and from Asia starting before 500,000 years ago and continuing until at least 220,000 years ago. The steppe bison spread through the northern parts of North America and lived in Eurasia until roughly 11,000 years ago and North America until 4,000 to 8,000 years ago. Bison latifrons ( giant bison or longhorn bison ) is thought to have evolved in midcontinent North America from B. priscus, after the steppe bison crossed into North America. Giant bison ( B. latifrons ) appeared in the fossil record around 500,000 years ago. B. latifrons was one of many species of North American megafauna which became extinct during the Quaternary extinction event. It is thought to have disappeared some 21,000 -- 30,000 years ago, during the late Wisconsin glaciation. The B. latifrons species was replaced by the smaller Bison antiquus. B. antiquus appeared in the North American fossil record approximately 250,000 years ago. B. antiquus, in turn, evolved into B. occidentalis, then into the yet smaller B. bison -- the modern American bison -- some 5,000 to 10,000 years ago. Some researchers consider B. occidentalis to be a subspecies of B. antiquus. Pile of American bison skulls to be used for fertilizer in the mid-1870s During the population bottleneck, after the great slaughter of American bison during the 1800s, the number of bison remaining alive in North America declined to as low as 541. During that period, a handful of ranchers gathered remnants of the existing herds to save the species from extinction. These ranchers bred some of the bison with cattle in an effort to produce `` cattlo ''. Accidental crossings were also known to occur. Generally, male domestic bulls were crossed with buffalo cows, producing offspring of which only the females were fertile. The crossbred animals did not demonstrate any form of hybrid vigor, so the practice was abandoned. The proportion of cattle DNA that has been measured in introgressed individuals and bison herds today is typically quite low, ranging from 0.56 to 1.8 %. In the United States, many ranchers are now using DNA testing to cull the residual cattle genetics from their bison herds. The U.S. National Bison Association has adopted a code of ethics which prohibits its members from deliberately crossbreeding bison with any other species. Range and population Bison herd grazing at the National Bison Range in Montana Despite being the closest relatives of domestic cattle native to North America, bison were never domesticated by Native Americans. Later attempts of domestication by Europeans prior to the 20th century met with limited success. Bison were described as having a `` wild and ungovernable temper '' ; they can jump close to 6 ft ( 1.8 m ) vertically, and run 35 -- 40 mph ( 56 -- 64 km / h ) when agitated. This agility and speed, combined with their great size and weight, makes bison herds difficult to confine, as they can easily escape or destroy most fencing systems, including most razor wire. About 500,000 bison currently exist on private lands and around 30,000 on public lands which includes environmental and government preserves. According to the IUCN, roughly 15,000 bison are considered wild, free - range bison not primarily confined by fencing. In 2009, bison were reintroduced to the Janos Biosphere Reserve in northern Chihuahua ; this is the only free - roaming herd on Mexican federal land. Efforts to bring back the bison population have recently reintroduced bison to Indiana, which included the introduction of a herd consisting of 23 bison. In 2014, U.S Tribes and Canadian First Nations signed a treaty to help with the restoration of bison, the first to be signed in nearly 150 years. Habitat A group of bison trudge across the landscape at the National Elk Refuge. See also : Great bison belt American bison live in river valleys, and on prairies and plains. Typical habitat is open or semiopen grasslands, as well as sagebrush, semiarid lands, and scrublands. Some lightly wooded areas are also known historically to have supported bison. Bison also graze in hilly or mountainous areas where the slopes are not steep. Though not particularly known as high - altitude animals, bison in the Yellowstone Park bison herd are frequently found at elevations above 8,000 feet and the Henry Mountains bison herd is found on the plains around the Henry Mountains, Utah, as well as in mountain valleys of the Henry Mountains to an altitude of 10,000 feet. As livestock Bison are increasingly raised for meat and hides ; the majority of American bison in the world are raised for human consumption. Bison meat is generally considered to taste very similar to beef, but is lower in fat and cholesterol, yet higher in protein than beef, which has led to the development of beefalo, a fertile hybrid of bison and domestic cattle. In 2005, about 35,000 bison were processed for meat in the U.S., with the National Bison Association and USDA providing a `` Certified American Buffalo '' program with birth - to - consumer tracking of bison via RFID ear tags. A market even exists for kosher bison meat ; these bison are slaughtered at one of the few kosher mammal slaughterhouses in the U.S., and the meat is then distributed nationwide. Canned Bison meat for sale Bison are found in publicly and privately held herds. Custer State Park in South Dakota is home to 1,500 bison, one of the largest publicly held herds in the world, but some question the genetic purity of the animals. Wildlife officials believe that free roaming and genetically pure herds on public lands in North America can be found only in the Yellowstone Park bison herd, the Henry Mountains bison herd at the Book Cliffs and Henry Mountains in Utah, at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota, Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana, Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary in the Northwest Territories, Elk Island National Park and Wood Buffalo National Park in Alberta, and Prince Albert National Park in Saskatchewan. Another population, the Antelope Island bison herd on Antelope Island in Utah, consisting of 550 to 700 bison, is also one of the largest and oldest public herds in the United States, but the bison in that herd are considered to be only semifree roaming, since they are confined to the Antelope Island. In addition, recent genetic studies indicate that, like most bison herds, the Antelope Island bison herd has a small number of genes from domestic cattle. In 2002, the United States government donated some bison calves from South Dakota and Colorado to the Mexican government. Their descendants live in the Mexican nature reserves El Uno Ranch at Janos and Santa Elena Canyon, Chihuahua, and Boquillas del Carmen, Coahuila, located near the southern banks of the Rio Grande, and around the grassland state line with Texas and New Mexico. Recent genetic studies of privately owned herds of bison show that many of them include animals with genes from domestic cattle. For example, the herd on Santa Catalina Island, California, isolated since 1924 after being brought there for a movie shoot, were found to have cattle introgression. As few as 12,000 to 15,000 pure bison are estimated to remain in the world. The numbers are uncertain because the tests used to date -- mitochondrial DNA analysis -- indicate only if the maternal line ( back from mother to mother ) ever included domesticated bovines, thus say nothing about possible male input in the process. Most hybrids were found to look exactly like purebred bison ; therefore, appearance is not a good indicator of genetics. The size of the Canadian domesticated herd ( genetic questions aside ) grew dramatically through the 1990s and 2000s. The 2006 Census of Agriculture reported the Canadian herd at 195,728 head, a 34.9 % increase since 2001. Of this total, over 95 % was located in Western Canada, and less than 5 % in Eastern Canada. Alberta was the province with the largest herd, accounting for 49.7 % of the herd and 45.8 % of the farms. The next - largest herds were in Saskatchewan ( 23.9 % ), Manitoba ( 10 % ), and British Columbia ( 6 % ). The main producing regions were in the northern parts of the Canadian prairies, specifically in the parkland belt, with the Peace River region ( shared between Alberta and British Columbia ) being the most important cluster, accounting for 14.4 % of the national herd. Canada also exports bison meat, totaling 2,075,253 kilograms ( 4,575,150 lb ) in 2006. A proposal known as Buffalo Commons has been suggested by a handful of academics and policymakers to restore large parts of the drier portion of the Great Plains to native prairie grazed by bison. Proponents argue that current agricultural use of the shortgrass prairie is not sustainable, pointing to periodic disasters, including the Dust Bowl, and continuing significant human population loss over the last 60 years. However, this plan is opposed by some who live in the areas in question. Behavior and Ecology Herd of bison in Yellowstone National Park Play media Grazing in winter, Yellowstone National Park : Bison use their heads to clear out snow for the grass. American bison galloping, photos by Eadweard Muybridge, first published in 1887 in Animal Locomotion Bison are migratory and herd migrations can be directional as well as altitudinal in some areas. Bison have usual daily movements between foraging sites during the summer. In a montane valley, bison have been recorded traveling, on average, 3.2 km a day. The summer ranges of bison appear to be influenced by seasonal vegetation changes, interspersion and size of foraging sites, the rut, and the number of biting insects. The size of preserve and availability of water may also be a factor. Bison are largely grazers, eating primarily grasses and sedges. On shortgrass pasture, bison predominately consume warm - season grasses. On mixed prairie, cool - season grasses, including some sedges, apparently compose 79 -- 96 % of their diet. In montane and northern areas, sedges are selected throughout the year. Bison also drink water or consume snow on a daily basis. Social behavior and reproduction Bison fighting in Grand Teton National Park in Moose, Wyoming Female bison live in maternal herds which include other females and their offspring. Male offspring leave their maternal herd when around three years old and either live alone or join other males in bachelor herds. Male and female herds usually do not mingle until the breeding season, which can occur from July through September. However, female herds may also contain a few older males. During the breeding season, dominant bulls maintain a small harem of females for mating. Individual bulls `` tend '' cows until allowed to mate, by following them around and chasing away rival males. The tending bull shields the female 's vision with his body so she will not see any other challenging males. A challenging bull may bellow or roar to get a female 's attention and the tending bull has to bellow / roar back. The most dominant bulls mate in the first 2 -- 3 weeks of the season. More subordinate bulls mate with any remaining estrous cow that has not mated yet. Male bison play no part in raising the young. Bison herds have dominance hierarchies that exist for both males and females. A bison 's dominance is related to its birth date. Bison born earlier in the breeding season are more likely to be larger and more dominant as adults. Thus, bison are able to pass on their dominance to their offspring as dominant bison breed earlier in the season. In addition to dominance, the older bison of a generation also have a higher fertility rate than the younger ones. Calf Bison mate in August and September ; gestation is 285 days. A single reddish - brown calf nurses until the next calf is born. If the cow is not pregnant, a calf will nurse for 18 months. Cows nurse their calves for at least 7 or 8 months, but most calves seem to be weaned before the end of their first year. At three years of age, bison cows are mature enough to produce a calf. Bison have a life expectancy around 15 years in the wild and up to 25 years in captivity. Bison have been observed to display homosexual behaviors, males much more so than females. In the case of males, it is unlikely to be related to dominance, but rather to social bonding or gaining sexual experience. Horning Bison mate in late spring and summer in more open plain areas. During fall and winter, bison tend to gather in more wooded areas. During this time, bison partake in horning behaviors. They rub their horns against trees, young saplings, and even utility poles. Aromatic trees like cedars and pine seem to be preferred. Horning appears to be associated with insect defense, as it occurs most often in the fall when the insect population is at its highest. Cedar and pines emit an aroma after bison horn them and this seems to be used as a deterrent for insects. Wallowing behavior A bison wallow is a shallow depression in the soil, which bison use either wet or dry. Bison roll in these depressions, covering themselves with dust or mud. Past and current hypotheses to explain the purpose of wallowing include grooming associated with shedding, male - male interaction ( typically rutting ), social behavior for group cohesion, play, relief from skin irritation due to biting insects, reduction of ectoparasite ( tick and lice ) load, and thermoregulation. Predation American bison standing its ground against a wolf pack. Wolf - Bison Demonstration at Wolf Park, Indiana. While often secure from predation because of their size and strength, in some areas, bison are regularly preyed upon by wolves. Wolf predation typically peaks in late spring and early summer, with attacks usually being concentrated on cows and calves. Wolves more actively target herds with calves than those without. The length of a predation episode varies, ranging from a few minutes to over nine hours. Bison display five apparent defense strategies in protecting calves from wolves : running to a cow, running to a herd, running to the nearest bull, running in the front or center of a stampeding herd, and entering water bodies such as lakes or rivers. When fleeing wolves in open areas, cows with young calves take the lead, while bulls take to the rear of the herds, to guard the cows ' escape. Bison typically ignore wolves not displaying hunting behavior. Wolf packs specializing in bison tend to have more males, because their larger size than females allows them to wrestle prey to the ground more effectively. Healthy, mature bulls in herds rarely fall prey. Grizzly bears can also pose a threat to calves and sometimes old, injured, or sick adult bison. Dangers to humans Bison are among the most dangerous animals encountered by visitors to the various U.S. and Canadian national parks and will attack humans if provoked. They appear slow because of their lethargic movements, but can easily outrun humans ; bison have been observed running as fast as 40 mph ( 64 km / h ). Between 1980 and 1999, more than three times as many people in Yellowstone National Park were injured by bison than by bears. During this period, bison charged and injured 79 people, with injuries ranging from goring puncture wounds and broken bones to bruises and abrasions. Bears injured 24 people during the same time. Three people died from the injuries inflicted -- one person by bison in 1983, and two people by bears in 1984 and 1986. Hunting Main article : Bison hunting Map from 1889 by William T. Hornaday, illustrating the Extermination of the American Bison Bison hunt under the wolf - skin mask, 1832 -- 33 Bison being chased off a cliff as `` seen '' and painted by Alfred Jacob Miller Buffalo hunting ( hunting of the American bison ) was an activity fundamental to the Midwestern Native Americans, which was later adopted by American professional hunters, leading to the near - extinction of the species around 1890. It has since begun to recover. Year American bison ( est ) Pre-1800 60,000,000 1830 40,000,000 1840 35,650,000 1870 5,500,000 1880 395,000 1889 541 ( U.S. ) 1900 300 ( U.S. ) 1944 -- 47 5,000 ( U.S. ) 15,000 ( Canada ) 1951 23,340 2000 360,000 Range history of bison in North America Original distribution of plains bison and wood bison in North America along the `` Great bison belt ''. Holocene bison ( Bison occidentalis ) is an earlier form at the origin of plains bison and wood bison. Holocene bison Wood bison Plains bison Map of the extermination of the bison to 1889. This map based on William Temple Hornaday 's late - 19th century research. Original range Range as of 1870 Range as of 1889 Distribution of public herds of plains bison and of free - ranging or captive breeding wood bison in North America as of 2003. Wood bison Plains bison Genetics A major problem that bison face today is a lack of genetic diversity due to the population bottleneck the species experienced during its near - extinction event. Another genetic issue is the entry of genes from domestic cattle into the bison population, through hybridization. Officially, the `` American buffalo '' is classified by the United States government as a type of cattle, and the government allows private herds to be managed as such. This is a reflection of the characteristics that bison share with cattle. Though the American bison is not only a separate species, but also is usually regarded as being in a separate genus from domestic cattle ( Bos taurus ), they clearly have a lot of genetic compatibility and American bison can interbreed with cattle, although only the female offspring are fertile in the first generation. These female hybrids can be bred back to either bison or domestic bulls, resulting in either 1 / 4 or 3 / 4 bison young. Female offspring from this cross are also fertile, but males are not reliably fertile unless they are either ​ ⁄ bison or ​ ⁄ domestic. Moreover, when they do interbreed, crossbreed animals in the first generation tend to look very much like purebred bison, so appearance is completely unreliable as a means of determining what is a purebred bison and what is a crossbred cow. Many ranchers have deliberately crossbred their cattle with bison, and some natural hybridization could be expected in areas where cattle and bison occur in the same range. Since cattle and bison eat similar food and tolerate similar conditions, they have often been in the same range together in the past, and opportunity for crossbreeding may sometimes have been common. In recent decades, tests were developed to determine the source of mitochondrial DNA in cattle and bison, and most private `` buffalo '' herds were actually crossbred with cattle, and even most state and federal buffalo herds had some cattle DNA. With the advent of nuclear microsatellite DNA testing, the number of herds known to contain cattle genes has increased. Though about 500,000 bison exist on private ranches and in public herds, perhaps only 15,000 to 25,000 of these bison are pure and not actually bison - cattle hybrids. `` DNA from domestic cattle ( Bos taurus ) has been detected in nearly all bison herds examined to date. '' Significant public bison herds that do not appear to have hybridized domestic cattle genes are the Yellowstone Park bison herd, the Henry Mountains bison herd, which was started with bison taken from Yellowstone Park, the Wind Cave bison herd, and the Wood Buffalo National Park bison herd and subsidiary herds started from it, in Canada. A landmark study of bison genetics performed by James Derr of Texas A&M University corroborated this. The Derr study was undertaken in an attempt to determine what genetic problems bison might face as they repopulate former areas, and it noted that bison seem to be adapting successfully, despite their apparent genetic bottleneck. One possible explanation for this might be the small amount of domestic cattle genes that are now in most bison populations, though this is not the only possible explanation for bison success. A wood bison around Coal River in Canada In the study, cattle genes were also found in small amounts throughout most national, state and private herds. `` The hybridization experiments conducted by some of the owners of the five foundation herds of the late 1800s, have left a legacy of a small amount of cattle genetics in many of our existing bison herds. '' He also said, `` All of the state owned bison herds tested ( except for possibly one ) contain animals with domestic cattle mtDNA. '' It appears that the one state herd that had no cattle genes was the Henry Mountains bison herd ; the Henry Mountain herd was started initially with transplanted animals from Yellowstone Park. However, the extension of this herd into the Book Cliffs of central Utah involved mixing the founders with additional bison from another source, so it is not known if the Book Cliffs extension of the herd is also free of cattle hybridization. A separate study by Wilson and Strobeck, published in Genome, was done to define the relationships between different herds of bison in the United States and Canada, and to determine whether the bison at Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada and the Yellowstone Park bison herd were possibly separate subspecies. The Wood Buffalo Park bison were determined to actually be crossbreeds between plains and wood bison, but their predominant genetic makeup was that of the expected `` wood buffalo ''. However, the Yellowstone Park bison herd was pure plains bison, and not any of the other previously suggested subspecies. Another finding was that the bison in the Antelope Island herd in Utah appeared to be more distantly related to other plains bison in general than any other plains bison group that was tested, though this might be due to genetic drift caused by the small size of only 12 individuals in the founder population. A side finding of this was that the Antelope Island bison herd appears to be most closely related to the Wood Buffalo National Park bison herd, though the Antelope Island bison are actually plains bison. Bison trails The first thoroughfares of North America, except for the time - obliterated paths of mastodon or muskox and the routes of the mound builders, were the traces made by bison and deer in seasonal migration and between feeding grounds and salt licks. Many of these routes, hammered by countless hoofs instinctively following watersheds and the crests of ridges in avoidance of lower places ' summer muck and winter snowdrifts, were followed by the aboriginal North Americans as courses to hunting grounds and as warriors ' paths. They were invaluable to explorers and were adopted by pioneers. Bison traces were characteristically north and south, but several key east - west trails were used later as railways. Some of these include the Cumberland Gap through the Blue Ridge Mountains to upper Kentucky. A heavily used trace crossed the Ohio River at the Falls of the Ohio and ran west, crossing the Wabash River near Vincennes, Indiana. In Senator Thomas Hart Benton 's phrase saluting these sagacious path - makers, the bison paved the way for the railroads to the Pacific. As a symbol Native Americans Among Native American tribes, especially the Plains Indians, the bison is considered a sacred animal and religious symbol. According to University of Montana anthropology and Native American studies professor S. Neyooxet Greymorning, `` The creation stories of where buffalo came from put them in a very spiritual place among many tribes. The buffalo crossed many different areas and functions, and it was utilized in many ways. It was used in ceremonies, as well as to make tipi covers that provided homes for people, utensils, shields, weapons and parts were used for sewing with the sinew. '' The Sioux consider the birth of a white buffalo to be the return of White Buffalo Calf Woman, their primary cultural prophet and the bringer of their `` Seven Sacred Rites ''. Among the Mandan and Hidatsa, the White Buffalo Cow Society was the most sacred of societies for women. United States and Canada Wyoming uses a bison in its state flag Manitoba uses a bison in its provincial flag, as seen inside the Manitoban coat of arms The 1935 Buffalo nickel -- this style of coin featuring an American bison was produced from 1913 to 1938 Series 1901 $10 legal tender depicting military explorers Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and an American bison First postage stamp with image of bison was issued US in 1898 -- 4 ¢ `` Indian Hunting Buffalo '', part of the Trans - Mississippi Exposition commemorative series The American bison is often used in North America in official seals, flags, and logos. In 2016, the American bison became the national mammal of the United States. The bison is a popular symbol in the Great Plains states : Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming have adopted the animal as their official state mammal, and many sports teams have chosen the bison as their mascot. In Canada, the bison is the official animal of the province of Manitoba and appears on the Manitoba flag. It is also used in the official coat of arms of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Several American coins feature the bison, most famously on the reverse side of the `` buffalo nickel '' from 1913 to 1938. In 2005, the United States Mint coined a nickel with a new depiction of the bison as part of its `` Westward Journey '' series. The Kansas and North Dakota state quarters, part of the `` 50 State Quarter '' series, each feature bison. The Kansas state quarter has only the bison and does not feature any writing, while the North Dakota state quarter has two bison. The Montana state quarter prominently features a bison skull over a landscape. The Yellowstone National Park quarter also features a bison standing next to a geyser. Other institutions which have adopted the bison as a symbol or mascot include : U.S. Department of the Interior Bethany College ( West Virginia ) Bucknell University and its athletic program, the Bucknell Bison Buffalo, New York Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bisons Buffalo Grove High School Buffalo Sabres University at Buffalo, The State University of New York and its athletic program, the Buffalo Bulls University of Colorado and its athletic program, the Colorado Buffaloes Gallaudet University Harding University and its athletic program, the Harding Bisons Howard University and its athletic program, the Howard Bison Seal of the State of Indiana Lipscomb University and its athletic program, the Lipscomb Bisons Coat of arms of Manitoba Flag of Manitoba University of Manitoba and its athletic program, the Manitoba Bisons Marshall University and its athletic program, the Marshall Thundering Herd Milligan College Independence Party of Minnesota Ralph Nader ( mascot for his 2008 campaign for president ) Nichols College North Dakota State University and its athletic program, the North Dakota State Bison Oklahoma Baptist University and its athletic program, the Oklahoma Baptist Bison Point Park University Royal Canadian Mounted Police Rumble the Bison ( the official mascot of the Oklahoma City Thunder ) Southwestern Law School CFB Wainwright West Texas A&M University and its athletic program, the West Texas A&M Buffaloes Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo See also American Bison Society Buffalo Commons -- proposed multistate nature preserve of Great Plains habitat for American bison The Great Plains Ecoregion Buffalo Hunters ' War Plains hide painting References Jump up ^ Gates, C. & Aune, K ( 2008 ). `` Bison bison ''. 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Jump up ^ The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species ( version 2009.1 ) -- Bison bison Jump up ^ `` Bison Come to Kankakee Sands ''. The Nature Conservancy. Jump up ^ `` Historic Treaty Supports Restoration of Bison ''. TCA Regional News. September 25, 2014. Jump up ^ `` National Bison Association ''. Bisoncentral.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Bison from Farm to Table ''. USDA. Retrieved January 6, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Staff ( November 15, 2011 ). `` Restoring a Prairie Icon ''. National Wildlife. National Wildlife Federation. 50 ( 1 ) : 20 -- 25. Jump up ^ Chang, Alicia ( September 21, 2007 ). `` Study : Catalina bison are n't purebred ''. USA Today. Associated Press. Retrieved March 14, 2008. ^ Jump up to : `` Canadian Agriculture at a Glance : Bison on the comeback trail ''. Statcan.gc.ca. 2009 - 04 - 09. Retrieved 2013 - 05 - 29. Jump up ^ `` Table 1 Bison meat exports continue to climb, 2001 to 2006 ''. Statcan.gc.ca. 2009 - 04 - 03. Retrieved May 29, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Meagher M ( 1973 ). `` The bison of Yellowstone National Park ''. National Park Service Science Monographs. 1 : 1 -- 161. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Jump up ^ Van Vuren, D. ( 1983 ). `` Group dynamics and summer home range of bison in southern Utah ''. Journal of Mammalogy. 64 ( 2 ) : 329 -- 332. doi : 10.2307 / 1380570. JSTOR 1380570. ^ Jump up to : McHugh, T. ( 1958 ). `` Social behavior of the American buffalo ( Bison bison bison ) ''. Zoologica. 43 : 1 -- 40. Jump up ^ Peden, D.G. Van Dyne ; R. Rice ; R. Hansen ( 1974 ). `` The trophic ecology of Bison bison L. on shortgrass plains ''. Journal of Applied Ecology. 11 ( 2 ) : 489 -- 497. doi : 10.2307 / 2402203. JSTOR 2402203. Jump up ^ Popp, Jewel Kay. ( 1981 ). `` Range Ecology of Bison on Mixed Grass Prairie at Wind Cave National Park ''. Unpubl. M.S. Thesis. Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. 59 p. 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( 1997 ). `` Agonistic behavior associated with orphan bison ( Bison bison ) claves released into a mixed resident population ''. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 55 : 1 -- 10. doi : 10.1016 / S0168 - 1591 ( 97 ) 00035 - X. Jump up ^ McMillan, Brock R. ; Cottam, Michael R. ; Kaufman, Donald W. ( 2000 ). `` Wallowing Behavior of American Bison ( Bos Bison ) in Tallgrass Prairie : An Examination of Alternate Explanations ''. American Midland Naturalist. 144 ( 1 ) : 159 -- 67. doi : 10.1674 / 0003 - 0031 ( 2000 ) 144 ( 0159 : WBOABB ) 2.0.CO ; 2. ISSN 0003 - 0031. JSTOR 3083019. Jump up ^ Mary Ann Franke ( 2005 ). To save the wild bison : life on the edge in Yellowstone. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 199. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8061 - 3683 - 7. Jump up ^ Douglas W. Smith ; Gary Ferguson ( November 1, 2006 ). Decade of the Wolf : Returning the Wild to Yellowstone. Globe Pequot. p. 68. ISBN 978 - 1 - 59228 - 886 - 1. Jump up ^ Carbyn LN ; Trottier T ( 1988 ). `` Descriptions of Wolf Attacks on Bison Calves in Wood Buffalo National Park '' ( pdf ). Arctic. 41 ( 4 ) : 297 -- 302. doi : 10.14430 / arctic1736. Jump up ^ Smith, Doug ( March 1, 2009 ). `` Bigger is better if you 're a hungry wolf ''. Billings Gazette. Retrieved September 7, 2014. Jump up ^ Tom Olliff ; Jim Caslick ( 2003 ). `` Wildlife - Human Conflicts in Yellowstone : When Animals and People Get Too Close '' ( PDF ). Yellowstone Science. Artcraft Inc. 11 ( 1 ) : 18 -- 22. Archived ( PDF ) from the original on October 28, 2011. ^ Jump up to : Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife ( January 1965 ). `` The American Buffalo ''. Conservation Note. 12. ^ Jump up to : Roe, Frank Gilbert ( 1951 ). The North American Buffalo. Toronto Canada : University of Toronto Press. Jump up ^ Hornaday, William T. ( 1904 ). The American Natural History. New York : C. Scribner 's Sons. Jump up ^ Cahalane, Victor H. ( 1947 ). Mammals of North America. New York : The McMillan Company. Jump up ^ Collins, Henry H. ( 1959 ). Complete Field Guide to American Wildlife. New York : Harper & Row. Jump up ^ Liberty Hyde Bailey ( 1908 ). Cyclopedia of American Agriculture, Volume III : Animals. The MacMillan Company. p. 291. Jump up ^ Remove Threats to Irreplaceable Bison Herd at Wind Cave National Park Archived July 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine... PDF. FY 2006 Challenge Cost Share Program. Final Project Report. September 30, 2007. Retrieved on September 16, 2011. ^ Jump up to : Derr, James ( October 24, 2006 ). American Bison : The Ultimate Genetic Survivor ( PDF ). The Ecological Future of North American Bison. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on July 25, 2011. Retrieved July 27, 2011. Jump up ^ Adams, James Truslow ( 1940 ). Dictionary of American History. New York : Charles Scribner 's Sons. ISBN 0 - 8226 - 0349 - 7. Jump up ^ Jawort, Adrian ( May 9, 2011 ). `` Genocide by Other Means : U.S. Army Slaughtered Buffalo in Plains Indian Wars ''. Indian Country Today. Retrieved April 3, 2014. Jump up ^ Elahe Izadi ( May 9, 2016 ). `` It 's official : America 's first national mammal is the bison ''. Washington Post. Jump up ^ Nader, The ( October 18, 2008 ). `` Buffalo T - Shirt Sale -- Ralph Nader for President in 2008 ''. Votenader.org. Retrieved February 19, 2011. Further reading Branch, E. Douglas. ( 1997 ) The Hunting of the Buffalo ( 1929, new ed. University of Nebraska Press, ), classic history Dary David A. The Buffalo Book. ( Chicago : Swallow Press, 1974 ) Flores Dan Louie ( 1991 ). `` Bison Ecology and Bison Diplomacy : The Southern Plains from 1800 to 1850 ''. Journal of American History. 78 ( 2 ) : 465 -- 85. doi : 10.2307 / 2079530. JSTOR 2079530. Gard, Wayne. The Great Buffalo Hunt ( University of Nebraska Press, 1954 ) Isenberg, Andrew C. The Destruction of the Bison : An Environmental History, 1750 -- 1920 ( Cambridge University press, 2000 ) Lott, Dale F ( 2002 ). American Bison : A Natural History. University of California Press. ISBN 0 - 520 - 24062 - 6. McHugh, Tom. The Time of the Buffalo ( University of Nebraska Press, 1972 ). Meagher, Margaret Mary. The Bison of Yellowstone National Park. ( Washington DC : Government Printing Office, 1973 ) Rister Carl Coke ( 1929 ). `` The Significance of the Destruction of the Buffalo in the Southwest ''. Southwestern Historical Quarterly. 33 : 34 -- 49. Roe, Frank Gilbert. The North American Buffalo : A Critical Study of the Species in Its Wild State ( University of Toronto Press, 1951 ). Shaw, James H. `` How Many Bison Originally Populated Western Rangelands ? '' Rangelands, Vol. 17, No. 5 ( Oct., 1995 ), pp. 148 -- 150 Smits, David D. `` The Frontier Army and the Destruction of the Buffalo, 1865 -- 1883, '' Western Historical Quarterly 25 ( 1994 ) : 313 -- 38 and 26 ( 1995 ) 203 - 8. Zontek Ken ( 1995 ). `` Hunt, Capture, Raise, Increase : The People Who Saved the Bison ''. Great Plains Quarterly. 15 : 133 -- 49. External links Wikispecies has information related to Bison bison Wikimedia Commons has media related to : Bison bison ( category ) Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe / module on Bison `` Bison bison ''. Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved March 18, 2006. American Bison National Bison Association Buffalo Field Campaign Species profile : American bison by The Nature Conservancy Bison safety information at Yellowstone National Park from the National Park Service The Extermination of the American Bison, by William T. Hornaday from Project Gutenberg Wild Bison Reference Project - Collaborative Bibliography for the Conservation, Management and Advocacy of Wild Bison American Prairie Foundation Papers, 1871 -- 1917 and undated, of buffalo hunter John Wesley Mooar in the Southwest Collection, Special Collections Libraries at Texas Tech University Watch the NFB documentary The Great Buffalo Saga Traditional use of Tatanka ( buffalo ) Smithsonian Institution -- North American Mammals : Bison bison Bison skeletal structure and bones Public television series episode on history of American Bison Extant Artiodactyla species Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata Class : Mammalia Infraclass : Eutheria Superorder : Laurasiatheria Suborder Ruminantia Antilocapridae Antilocapra Pronghorn ( A. americana ) Giraffidae Okapia Okapi ( O. johnstoni ) Giraffa Northern giraffe ( G. camelopardalis ) Southern giraffe ( G. giraffa ) Reticulated giraffe ( G. reticulata ) Masai giraffe ( G. tippelskirchi ) Moschidae Moschus Anhui musk deer ( M. anhuiensis ) Dwarf musk deer ( M. berezovskii ) Alpine musk deer ( M. chrysogaster ) Kashmir musk deer ( M. cupreus ) Black musk deer ( M. fuscus ) Himalayan musk deer ( M. leucogaster ) Siberian musk deer ( M. moschiferus ) Tragulidae Hyemoschus Water chevrotain ( H. aquaticus ) Moschiola Indian spotted chevrotain ( M. indica ) Yellow - striped chevrotain ( M. kathygre ) Sri Lankan spotted chevrotain ( M. meminna ) Tragulus Java mouse - deer ( T. javanicus ) Lesser mouse - deer ( T. kanchil ) Greater mouse - deer ( T. napu ) Philippine mouse - deer ( T. nigricans ) Vietnam mouse - deer ( T. versicolor ) Williamson 's mouse - deer ( T. williamsoni ) Cervidae Large family listed below Bovidae Large family listed below Family Cervidae Cervinae Muntiacus Indian muntjac ( M. muntjak ) Reeves 's muntjac ( M. reevesi ) Hairy - fronted muntjac ( M. crinifrons ) Fea 's muntjac ( M. feae ) Bornean yellow muntjac ( M. atherodes ) Roosevelt 's muntjac ( M. rooseveltorum ) Gongshan muntjac ( M. gongshanensis ) Giant muntjac ( M. vuquangensis ) Truong Son muntjac ( M. truongsonensis ) Leaf muntjac ( M. putaoensis ) Sumatran muntjac ( M. montanus ) Pu Hoat muntjac ( M. puhoatensis ) Elaphodus Tufted deer ( E. cephalophus ) Dama Fallow deer ( D. dama ) Persian fallow deer ( D. mesopotamica ) Axis Chital ( A. axis ) Rucervus Barasingha ( R. duvaucelii ) Panolia Eld 's deer ( P. eldii ) Elaphurus Père David 's deer ( E. davidianus ) Hyelaphus Hog deer ( H. porcinus ) Calamian deer ( H. calamianensis ) Bawean deer ( H. kuhlii ) Rusa Sambar deer ( R. unicolor ) Rusa deer ( R. timorensis ) Philippine sambar ( R. mariannus ) Philippine spotted deer ( R. alfredi ) Cervus Red deer ( C. elaphus ) Elk ( C. canadensis ) Thorold 's deer ( C. albirostris ) Sika deer ( C. nippon ) Capreolinae Alces Moose ( A. alces ) Hydropotes Water deer ( H. inermis ) Capreolus Roe deer ( C. capreolus ) Siberian roe deer ( C. pygargus ) Rangifer Reindeer ( R. tarandus ) Hippocamelus Taruca ( H. antisensis ) South Andean deer ( H. bisulcus ) Mazama Red brocket ( M. americana ) Small red brocket ( M. bororo ) Merida brocket ( M. bricenii ) Dwarf brocket ( M. chunyi ) Gray brocket ( M. gouazoubira ) Pygmy brocket ( M. nana ) Amazonian brown brocket ( M. nemorivaga ) Yucatan brown brocket ( M. pandora ) Little red brocket ( M. rufina ) Central American red brocket ( M. temama ) Ozotoceros Pampas deer ( O. bezoarticus ) Blastocerus Marsh deer ( B. dichotomus ) Pudu Northern pudú ( P. mephistophiles ) Southern pudú ( P. pudu ) Odocoileus White - tailed deer ( O. virginianus ) Mule deer ( O. hemionus ) Family Bovidae Cephalophinae Cephalophus Abbott 's duiker ( C. spadix ) Aders 's duiker ( C. adersi ) Bay duiker ( C. dorsalis ) Black duiker ( C. niger ) Black - fronted duiker ( C. nigrifrons ) Brooke 's duiker ( C. brookei ) Harvey 's duiker ( C. harveyi ) Jentink 's duiker ( C. jentinki ) Ogilby 's duiker ( C. ogilbyi ) Peters 's duiker ( C. callipygus ) Red - flanked duiker ( C. rufilatus ) Red forest duiker ( C. natalensis ) Ruwenzori duiker ( C. rubidis ) Weyns 's duiker ( C. weynsi ) White - bellied duiker ( C. leucogaster ) White - legged duiker ( C. crusalbum ) Yellow - backed duiker ( C. Sylvicultor ) Zebra duiker ( C. zebra ) Philantomba Blue duiker ( P. monticola ) Maxwell 's duiker ( P. maxwellii ) Walter 's duiker ( P. walteri ) Sylvicapra Common duiker ( S. grimmia ) Hippotraginae Hippotragus Roan antelope ( H. equinus ) Sable antelope ( H. niger ) Oryx East African oryx ( O. beisa ) Scimitar oryx ( O. dammah ) Gemsbok ( O. gazella ) Arabian oryx ( O. leucoryx ) Addax Addax ( A. nasomaculatus ) Reduncinae Kobus Upemba lechwe ( K. anselli ) Waterbuck ( K. ellipsiprymnus ) Kob ( K. kob ) Lechwe ( K. leche ) Nile lechwe ( K. megaceros ) Puku ( K. vardonii ) Redunca Southern reedbuck ( R. arundinum ) Mountain reedbuck ( R. fulvorufula ) Bohor reedbuck ( R. redunca ) Aepycerotinae Aepyceros Impala ( A. melampus ) Peleinae Pelea Grey rhebok ( P. capreolus ) Alcelaphinae Beatragus Hirola ( B. hunteri ) Damaliscus Topi ( D. korrigum ) Common tsessebe ( D. lunatus ) Bontebok ( D. pygargus ) Bangweulu tsessebe ( D. superstes ) Alcelaphus Hartebeest ( A. buselaphus ) Red hartebeest ( A. caama ) Lichtenstein 's hartebeest ( A. lichtensteinii ) Connochaetes Black wildebeest ( C. gnou ) Blue wildebeest ( C. taurinus ) Pantholopinae Pantholops Tibetan antelope ( P. hodgsonii ) Caprinae Large subfamily listed below Bovinae Large subfamily listed below Antilopinae Large subfamily listed below Family Bovidae ( subfamily Caprinae ) Ammotragus Barbary sheep ( A. lervia ) Budorcas Takin ( B. taxicolor ) Capra Wild goat ( C. aegagrus ) Domestic goat ( C. aegagrus hircus ) West Caucasian tur ( C. caucasia ) East Caucasian tur ( C. cylindricornis ) Markhor ( C. falconeri ) Alpine ibex ( C. ibex ) Nubian ibex ( C. nubiana ) Spanish ibex ( C. pyrenaica ) Siberian ibex ( C. sibirica ) Walia ibex ( C. walie ) Capricornis Japanese serow ( C. crispus ) Taiwan serow ( C. swinhoei ) Sumatran serow ( C. sumatraensis ) Mainland serow ( C. milneedwardsii ) Red serow ( C. rubidusi ) Himalayan serow ( C. thar ) Hemitragus Nilgiri tahr ( H. hylocrius ) Arabian tahr ( H. jayakari ) Himalayan tahr ( H. jemlahicus ) Naemorhedus Red goral ( N. baileyi ) Long - tailed goral ( N. caudatus ) Himalayan goral ( N. goral ) Chinese goral ( N. griseus ) Oreamnos Mountain goat ( O. americanus ) Ovibos Muskox ( O. moschatus ) Ovis Argali ( O. ammon ) Domestic sheep ( O. aries ) Bighorn sheep ( O. canadensis ) Dall sheep ( O. dalli ) Mouflon ( O. musimon ) Snow sheep ( O. nivicola ) Urial ( O. orientalis ) Pseudois Bharal ( P. nayaur ) Dwarf blue sheep ( P. schaeferi ) Rupicapra Pyrenean chamois ( R. pyrenaica ) Chamois ( R. rupicapra ) Family Bovidae ( subfamily Bovinae ) Boselaphini Tetracerus Four - horned antelope ( T. quadricornis ) Boselaphus Nilgai ( B. tragocamelus ) Bovini Bubalus Water buffalo ( B. bubalis ) Wild Water Buffalo ( B. arnee ) Lowland anoa ( B. depressicornis ) Mountain anoa ( B. quarlesi ) Tamaraw ( B. mindorensis ) Bos Banteng ( B. javanicus ) Gaur ( B. gaurus ) Gayal ( B. frontalis ) Domestic yak ( B. grunniens ) Wild yak ( B. mutus ) Cattle ( B. taurus ) Kouprey ( B. sauveli ) Pseudonovibos Kting voar ( P. spiralis ) Pseudoryx Saola ( P. nghetinhensis ) Syncerus African buffalo ( S. caffer ) Bison American bison ( B. bison ) European bison ( B. bonasus ) Tragelaphini Tragelaphus ( including kudus ) Sitatunga ( T. spekeii ) Nyala ( T. angasii ) Kéwel ( T. scriptus ) Cape bushbuck ( T. sylvaticus ) Mountain nyala ( T. buxtoni ) Lesser kudu ( T. imberbis ) Greater kudu ( T. strepsiceros ) Bongo ( T. eurycerus ) Taurotragus Common eland ( T. oryx ) Giant eland ( T. derbianus ) Family Bovidae ( subfamily Antilopinae ) Antilopini Ammodorcas Dibatag ( A. clarkei ) Antidorcas Springbok ( A. marsupialis ) Antilope Blackbuck ( A. cervicapra ) Eudorcas Mongalla gazelle ( E. albonotata ) Red - fronted gazelle ( E. rufifrons ) Thomson 's gazelle ( E. thomsonii ) Gazella Mountain gazelle ( G. gazella ) Neumann 's gazelle ( G. erlangeri ) Speke 's gazelle ( G. spekei ) Dorcas gazelle ( G. dorcas ) Chinkara ( G. bennettii ) Cuvier 's gazelle ( G. cuvieri ) Rhim gazelle ( G. leptoceros ) Goitered gazelle ( G. subgutturosa ) Litocranius Gerenuk ( L. walleri ) Nanger Dama gazelle ( N. dama ) Grant 's gazelle ( N. granti ) Soemmerring 's gazelle ( N. soemmerringii ) Procapra Mongolian gazelle ( P. gutturosa ) Goa ( P. picticaudata ) Przewalski 's gazelle ( P. przewalskii ) Saigini Pantholops Tibetan antelope ( P. hodgsonii ) Saiga Saiga antelope ( S. tatarica ) Neotragini Dorcatragus Beira ( D. megalotis ) Madoqua Günther 's dik - dik ( M. guentheri ) Kirk 's dik - dik ( M. kirkii ) Silver dik - dik ( M. piacentinii ) Salt 's dik - dik ( M. saltiana ) Neotragus Bates 's pygmy antelope ( N. batesi ) Suni ( N. moschatus ) Royal antelope ( N. pygmaeus ) Oreotragus Klipspringer ( O. oreotragus ) Ourebia Oribi ( O. ourebi ) Raphicerus Steenbok ( R. campestris ) Cape grysbok ( R. melanotis ) Sharpe 's grysbok ( R. sharpei ) Suborder Suina Suidae Babyrousa Buru babirusa ( B. babyrussa ) North Sulawesi babirusa ( B. celebensis ) Togian babirusa ( B. togeanensis ) Hylochoerus Giant forest hog ( H. meinertzhageni ) Phacochoerus Desert warthog ( P. aethiopicus ) Common warthog ( P. africanus ) Porcula Pygmy hog ( P. salvania ) Potamochoerus Bushpig ( P. larvatus ) Red river hog ( P. porcus ) Sus ( Pigs ) Palawan bearded pig ( S. ahoenobarbus ) Bornean bearded pig ( S. barbatus ) Indo - chinese warty pig ( S. bucculentus ) Visayan warty pig ( S. cebifrons ) Celebes warty pig ( S. celebensis ) Flores warty pig ( S. heureni ) Oliver 's warty pig ( S. oliveri ) Philippine warty pig ( S. philippensis ) Wild boar ( S. scrofa ) Timor warty pig ( S. timoriensis ) Javan warty pig ( S. verrucosus ) Tayassuidae Tayassu White - lipped peccary ( T. pecari ) Catagonus Chacoan peccary ( C. wagneri ) Pecari Collared peccary ( P. tajacu ) Giant peccary ( P. maximus ) Suborder Tylopoda Camelidae Lama Llama ( L. glama ) Guanaco ( L. guanicoe ) Vicugna Vicuña ( V. vicugna ) Alpaca ( V. pacos ) Camelus Dromedary ( C. dromedarius ) Bactrian camel ( C. bactrianus ) Wild Bactrian camel ( C. ferus ) Whippomorpha ( unranked clade ) Hippopotamidae Hippopotamus Hippopotamus ( H. amphibius ) Choeropsis Pygmy hippopotamus ( C. liberiensis ) National symbols of the United States Symbols Flag of the United States Seal of the United States Bald eagle Uncle Sam Columbia General Grant ( tree ) American 's Creed Pledge of Allegiance Rose Oak American bison Phrygian cap Songs `` The Star - Spangled Banner '' `` Dixie '' `` America the Beautiful '' `` The Stars and Stripes Forever '' `` Hail to the Chief '' `` Hail, Columbia '' `` My Country, ' Tis of Thee '' `` God Bless America '' `` Lift Every Voice and Sing '' `` The Army Goes Rolling Along '' `` Anchors Aweigh '' `` Marines ' Hymn '' `` Semper Fidelis '' `` The Air Force Song '' `` Semper Paratus '' `` National Emblem '' `` The Washington Post March '' `` The Battle Hymn of the Republic '' `` Yankee Doodle '' `` You 're a Grand Old Flag '' `` When Johnny Comes Marching Home '' Mottos In God We Trust E Pluribus Unum Novus ordo seclorum Annuit cœptis Landmarks Statue of Liberty ( Liberty Enlightening the World ) Liberty Bell Mount Rushmore National Mall West Potomac Park Game animals and shooting in the United States Game birds Bobwhite quail Chukar Hungarian partridge Prairie chicken Mourning dove Ring - necked pheasant Ptarmigan Ruffed grouse Sharp - tailed grouse Snipe ( common snipe ) Spruce grouse Turkey Woodcock Waterfowl Black duck Canada goose Canvasback Gadwall Greater scaup Lesser scaup Mallard Northern pintail Redhead Ross 's goose Snow goose Wood duck Big game Bighorn sheep Black bear Razorback Brown bear Bison ( buffalo ) Caribou Cougar ( mountain lion ) Elk Moose White - tailed deer Gray wolf Mountain goat Mule deer Pronghorn Muskox Dall sheep Polar bear Other quarry American alligator Bobcat Coyote Fox squirrel Gray fox Gray squirrel Opossum Rabbit Red fox Snowshoe hare See also Bear hunting Big game hunting Bison hunting Deer hunting Waterfowl hunting Whaling Fishing Wolf hunting Upland hunting Meat Main articles Entomophagy Fish Game Livestock Meat Poultry Seafood Poultry and game Alligator Chicken Crocodile Duck Goose Grouse Kangaroo Monkey Ostrich Partridge Pheasant Bat Pigeon Quail Rabbit Seal Snake Turkey Turtle Venison Livestock and minilivestock Beef Bison Black soldier fly maggots Camel Cat Crickets Dog Elephant Frog Goat Grasshoppers Guinea pig Horse Lamb and mutton Llama Mealworm Silkworm Mopane worm Palm grub Pork Veal Yak Fish and seafood Abalone Anchovy Basa Bass Calamari Carp Catfish Cod Crab Crappie Crayfish Dolphin Eel Flounder Grouper Haddock Halibut Herring Kingfish Lobster Mackerel Mahi Mahi Marlin Milkfish Mussel Octopus Orange roughy Oyster Pacific saury Perch Pike Pollock Salmon Sardine Scallop Shark Shrimp / prawn Sole Swai Swordfish Tilapia Trout Tuna Sea urchin Walleye Whale Cuts and preparation Aged Bacon Barbecued Braised Burger Charcuterie Chop Corned Cured Cutlet Dried Dum Fillet / Supreme Fried Ham Kebab Liver Luncheon meat Marinated Meatball Meatloaf Offal Pickled Poached Roasted Salt - cured Salumi Sausage Smoked Steak Stewed Tandoor Tartare List articles Beef dishes Chicken dishes Countries by meat consumption Fish dishes Food and drink prohibitions Goat dishes Lamb dishes Meatball dishes Pork dishes Ham dishes Sausage dishes Sausages Seafood dishes Smoked foods Steaks Veal dishes Meat consumption Related subjects Animal rights Bushmeat Butcher Cannibalism Carnism Christian vegetarianism Cultured meat Ethics of eating meat Factory farming Feed conversion ratio Environmental impact of meat production List of meat dishes Meat cutter Meat tenderness Pescetarianism Plant - based diet Preservation Psychology of eating meat Meat paradox Red meat Semi-vegetarianism Slaughter Slaughterhouse Veganism Vegetarianism White meat Taxon identifiers Wd : Q82728 ADW : Bison_bison ARKive : bison - bison BioLib : 33791 EoL : 328109 Fossilworks : 44511 GBIF : 2441176 iNaturalist : 42408 ITIS : 180706 IUCN : 2815 MSW : 14200669 NCBI : 9901 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_bison&oldid=817346373 '' Categories : IUCN Red List near threatened species Bison Fauna of the Great Plains Megafauna of North America Mammals of Canada Mammals of the United States Fauna of the Plains - Midwest ( United States ) Fauna of the Rocky Mountains Fauna of the Western United States Great Plains Livestock Beef Native American cuisine Pre-Columbian Great Plains cuisine Mammals described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus National symbols of the United States Cuisine of the Western United States American Old West Symbols of Wyoming Provincial symbols of Manitoba Conservation - reliant species Vulnerable fauna of the United States Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from December 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links Webarchive template wayback links Use mdy dates from April 2012 Articles with ' species ' microformats Articles containing French - language text All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2014 Articles containing Arapaho - language text Articles containing Lakota - language text Articles with unsourced statements from October 2016 Articles with unsourced statements from July 2010 Articles containing video clips Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikimedia Commons Wikispecies Afrikaans Aragonés Azərbaycanca Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български Boarisch Brezhoneg Català Чӑвашла Cebuano Čeština Dansk Deutsch Diné bizaad Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Føroyskt Français Frysk Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Bahasa Indonesia Interlingua Italiano עברית Basa Jawa ქართული Қазақша Кыргызча Лезги Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Magyar Македонски മലയാളം Bahasa Melayu Nāhuatl Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk پنجابی Polski Português Română Runa Simi Русский Scots Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska தமிழ் Tsetsêhestâhese Türkçe Тыва дыл Удмурт Українська ئۇيغۇرچە / Uyghurche Vahcuengh Tiếng Việt Winaray 粵語 Zazaki 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 27 December 2017, at 19 : 59. 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Question: what area of north america once provided food for millions of buffalo
Answer: historical range roughly comprised a triangle between the Great Bear Lake in Canada's far northwest, south to the Mexican states of Durango and Nuevo León, and east to the Atlantic Seaboard of the United States (nearly to the Atlantic tidewater in some areas) from New York to Georgia and per some sources down to Florida