BisonBy,

Leah Caragol

Description The bison is a mammal. In the spring the bison form a light brown to a

gray- brown coat. Usually the bison’s eyes are red, and their tails usually have a short tuff. The only body parts that help it survive are the two layers on the skull so when they fight their head is protected and the muscles in its neck so it can keep the head up. Usually the weight of the females are about 800-1,000 pounds. The males are around 1,800 pounds if not 2,000 pounds. The bison has skin in the back and fur in the front. The bison matches its habitat by being brown. The brown matches its habitat by the dirt and trees.

HabitatThe bison lives in the plains, prairies, and river valleys but only

back then. Today many live on ranches, farms, and wildlife refuge. Over a thousand live in Yellowstone National Park. The bison is the state animal for Oklahoma and Kansas, and the bison is the state mammal for Wyoming. In the winter and fall the bison like to hike to the lower prairies to find food and water. The bison usually migrate to hills and mountains in the spring and summer. Bison migrate for food during the winter so they can find food.(MYE-gray-shun)

DietThe bison eats mostly grasses, sage, berries, and

lichen. The bison gathers its food by eating grass. It usually eats in the morning and in the afternoon. It uses its lips to grab food like grass.

Life cycle

The bison life span is around 18-22 years. Moms usually have one young but two is very rare. Their gestation length is 9 in a half months. The parents care for their young by weaning them at six months and being by the babies side for six months. The babies are usually around 40-50 pounds when they are born. The babies skin color is red/yellow like a calf from a cow. At two months the calves start to grow a horn, hump, and dark hair. The bulls live separately but they all come together for mating season. They always graze in the early morning and late evening and sleep the rest of the day. The only time they shed their coat is in the spring by rubbing against a rock or tree.

Interesting factsWhile mating the bulls roar. Only at the age of two the females can start

mating and the males start mating at 6-7. Only when fighting occurs, the one bison that is not so strong turns its head sideways because the side is stronger than the front. Every time before a fight they roll in the dirt. There use to be 50,000,000 bison; then, they all died. mating season starts in July and can go to September. Order: artiodactyls Phylum: chordate class: mammilla family: boride genus: bison.

BibliographyHere are my book sources:

Potts, Steve. The American Bison. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press, 1997. National Geographic Book of Mammals. Washington, DC:

National Geographic, 1999. These are my internet sources for my Bison Power point: 3. The Bison of Yellow Stone

http://wwhttpw.cvgs.k12.va.us/bison/BRUCELLA/BACKLTT/index.htm 4. Defenders of Wildlife

http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/bison.php

The End