American bison

The American bison (also called American buffalo or just buffalo) is a species of bison, a bovine mammal. The name "buffalo" is a misnomer, because the bison is only distantly related to the water buffalo and the African buffalo. 

Bison are a keystone species. They once roamed the North American continent in great herds, and their grazing helped in shaping the ecology of the Great Plains. However, buffalo hunters killed a massive number of bison. There used to be as many as 30 million bison in the United States, but because of hunting, by the year 1890, only 1,000 bison were left. 

 Description 
The bison has a large head with relatively small, curving horns. Its dark brown coat is long and shaggy on the forequarters, including the front legs, neck, and shoulders, while the rest of the body has shorter, finer hair.

Their staple foods are grasses and sedges. 

 Habitat 
American bison live in river valleys, on prairies, and on plains.  Their typical habitat is open or semi-open grassland, as well as sagebrush, semi-arid lands and scrublands.  Bison will 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 are frequently found at elevations above . The bison herd on the plains and valleys around the Henry Mountains in Utah go up to an altitude of .

 Endangerment 
Although bison once roamed across North America, they are now ecologically extinct over most of their historic range. They live on in a few national parks and other small wildlife areas.

There used to be as many as 30 million bison in the United States, but because of hunting, by 1890, only 1,000 bison were left. Through conservation efforts, there are now more American bison than there used to be, but still far fewer than there were before the 1800s.

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.

As livestock
Bisons have been used as livestock. They are known for having cattle-like meat, but it is leaner and slightly sweeter than beef.

The beefalo

Bisons can interbreed with cattle to make a hybrid known as the beefalo.

References

Category:Bovines
Category:Symbols of the United States
Category:Symbols of Oklahoma
Category:Symbols of Kansas
Category:Mammals of North America