Bison bison
The bison is the largest land animal in North America. A bison can stand 2 m high and weigh more than a tonne. Two hundred years ago there were anywhere between 30 and 70 million buffalos in North America. Wild herds are alert and quick to detect changes in their environment. Bison have keen senses of smell and hearing; they can distinguish smells from 3 km away. As summer approaches, buffalo shed their thick winter coats. It takes two months for the new coat to appear.
The picture of this bison was taken at the zoo of Syracuse, New York.
Genus Bison
Subfamily Bovinae
Family Bovidae
Order Artiodactyla
Subclass Eutheria
Class Mammalia
Subphylum Vertebrata
Phylum Chordata
Kingdom Animalia
Life on Earth
Index