At one time, bison were widespread from Alaska to northern Mexico. Now bison have been exterminated in the wild except in Yellowstone Park in Wyoming and Wood Buffalo Park, Northwest territory, Canada. The bison are gone in the prairie of the United States along with many of the ecosystem's species. Deep scars mar the landscape where the soil has been swept way by water runoff. The life of the rancher and farmer is vanishing.
The body of the bison is huge. They are also tall animals and have two distinctive features, one being the shoulder hump and the other being their huge head. They are brown, their color varying slightly from the front and back of the animal. Their horns are black and curve upward and inward ending in a sharp tip. Their legs are short but firm. Bison are year round grazers. They feed primarily on grasses, but when food is scarce, the will eat other vegetation such as sagebrush. They require water every day. Females are sexually mature in two to three years . The breeding season begins in late June and lasts through September. Gestation is around 285 days, so the calving season in from mid-April through May. Bison are arranged in groups according to sex, age, season and habitat. Grazing takes place during several periods each day conducted in groups. When bison travel, they form a line. Their traveling pattern is determined by the terrain and habitat condition. Bison!
are good swimmers and runners. Bison can hear very well. They communicate vocally through grunts and snorts.
Bison were once a major source of meat and hides in the United States. Their population was once at 60 million. By 1890 the number was reduced to less than 1,000. Prior to the Civil War, hunters would trade and sell buffalo hide. Although they were killed for meat, their hide was in higher demand. The main reason the buffalo population declined was the industrial revolution. Buffalo hide was used as belts that would drive the machines in factories. Because of...
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