The American bison, sometimes called a buffalo, is the biggest mammal in North America. These amazing animals have furry bodies, breathe air, and feed their babies with milk, which makes them mammals just like us!
Bison are not as tall as moose, but they are longer and heavier. A grown-up male bison can be as long as 11.5 feet (about 3.5 meters) and weigh up to 1,600 pounds (around 730 kilograms). Both male and female bison have short, curved horns, big heads, and strong shoulders, making them look very powerful.
Bison are herbivores, which means they eat plants. They love munching on grasses found in wide open spaces like plains and prairies. They also eat weeds, leafy plants, and shrubs. To keep their big bodies healthy, bison spend 9 to 11 hours each day eating. They have a special stomach with four parts that helps them digest tough plants.
In the spring and summer, bison like to hang out in big groups called herds. These herds can have hundreds or even thousands of bison! This is important for their survival, especially when baby bison, called calves, are born. Calves are light reddish-tan and a bit wobbly at first, but they quickly learn to run with the herd.
In the winter, bison form smaller groups of about 20 to help them find food in the snow. They use their strong heads and shoulders to push away snow and find grass. Their thick winter coats keep them warm in the cold weather.
A long time ago, there were about 60 million bison roaming North America. But by 1900, there were only about 300 left because settlers hunted them a lot. The settlers wanted to use the land for farming and raising cattle, and they also wanted to move the Plains Indians to reservations.
Because the bison were disappearing, people started working hard to save them. One important person was Theodore Roosevelt, who helped start the American Bison Society in 1905. Thanks to these efforts, there are now over 500,000 bison. The American bison is now the national mammal of the United States, showing how important they are.
The American bison’s story is one of strength and recovery. From almost disappearing to becoming a thriving population, these incredible animals continue to represent the wild spirit of North America.
Bison Observation Journal: Start a bison observation journal. Imagine you are a bison living in the plains. Draw pictures of what you see around you. What plants do you eat? What animals do you see? Write a short story about a day in the life of a bison. Share your story with your family or friends and discuss how bison live and survive in their environment.
Build a Bison Habitat: Using materials like clay, paper, and natural items like leaves and twigs, create a small model of a bison habitat. Include elements like grasslands, water sources, and other animals that might live nearby. Think about what bison need to survive and how their habitat helps them. Display your habitat and explain to others why each part is important for the bison.
Discussion Question: Why do you think it was important for people to save the bison from disappearing? Discuss with your classmates or family how the efforts to save the bison have helped other animals and the environment. Think about what might happen if bison were not protected and how that would affect the ecosystem.
