A bison (pl.: bison) is a large bovine in the genus Bison (Greek: "wild ox" (bison) [1]) within the tribe Bovini. Two extant and numerous extinct species are recognised. Of the two surviving species, the American bison, B. bison, found only in North America, is the more numerous.

On May 9, 2016, President Obama signed the National Bison Legacy Act into law, officially making the American bison the national mammal of the United States. This majestic animal joins the ranks of the bald eagle as the official symbol of our country—and much like the eagle, it's one of the greatest conservation success stories of all time.

Jan 15, 2025 · Bison, either of two species of oxlike grazing mammals that constitute the genus Bison. Hunting drastically reduced the populations of the American bison (B. bison), or buffalo, and the European bison (B. bonasus), or wisent, and now these animals occupy only small fractions of their former ranges.

The American bison (Bison bison; pl.: bison), commonly known as the American buffalo, or simply buffalo (not to be confused with true buffalo), is a species of bison that is endemic (or native) to North America. It is one of two extant species of bison, along with the European bison.

May 21, 2023 · The American bison (also called a buffalo) is iconic, yet what do we know about them? Get to know the bison and how we're helping protect them across the U.S.

1. Bison are the largest mammal in North America. Male bison (called bulls) weigh up to 2,000 pounds and stand 6 feet tall, while females (called cows) weigh up to 1,000 pounds and reach a height of 4-5 feet. Bison calves weigh 30-70 pounds at birth.

Sep 25, 2023 · Bison, or North American Buffalo (Bison bison), are the largest land mammal in North America. Prior to European settlement, millions of bison ranged more widely across the landscape than any other native large herbivore.

American bison are North America's largest terrestrial animals. Millions once roamed the grasslands and prairies of the Great Plains, but today the bison population survives primarily in conservation herds.

Nov 2, 2023 · Bison are much more than America's largest land mammal. They are an essential part of American history and embody the strong and resilient characteristics of the American people - so much so that they were designated as our National Mammal in 2016.

A familiar icon of the American West, the Plains bison (Bison bison bison), also commonly called buffalo, is one of two subspecies of the American bison, with the other being the wood bison (Bison bison athabascae). These large mammals once numbered in the tens of millions and roamed North America in nomadic herds.