Bison: Difference between revisions
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<!-- comment -->:''This is an article about an animal. For other uses, see [[Bison (disambiguation)]].'' |
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{{Taxobox |
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| name = Bison |
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| image = American bison Bison bison in Yellowstone NP.jpg |
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| image_width = 250px |
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| image_caption = [[American Bison]] (''Bison bison'') |
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| image2 = Wisent.jpg |
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| image2_width = 250px |
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| image2_caption = [[Wisent]] (''Bison bonasus'') |
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| regnum = [[Animal]]ia |
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| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]] |
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| classis = [[Mammal]]ia |
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| ordo = [[Artiodactyla]] |
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| familia = [[Bovidae]] |
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| subfamilia = [[Bovinae]] |
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| genus = '''''Bison''''' |
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| genus_authority = [[Charles Hamilton Smith|Hamilton Smith]], 1827 |
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| species = [[Bison bonasus]] |
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| subdivision_ranks = [[Species]] |
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| subdivision = |
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†''[[Bison antiquus|B. antiquus]]''<br> |
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''[[American Bison|B. bison]]''<br> |
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''[[Wisent|B. bonasus]]''<br> |
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†''[[Bison latifrons|B. latifrons]]''<br> |
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†''[[Bison occidentalis|B. occidentalis]]''<br> |
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†''[[Steppe Wisent|B. priscus]]''<br> |
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}} |
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'''Bison''' is a taxonomic group containing six species of large [[even-toed ungulate]]s within the subfamily [[Bovinae]]. Only two of these species still exist: the [[American bison]] (''B. bison'') and the European bison, or [[wisent]] (''B. bonasus''), each with two subspecies. |
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== Name == |
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In American [[Western (genre)|Western]] culture, the bison is commonly referred to as "buffalo"; however, this is a misnomer: though both bison and buffalo belong to the [[Bovidae]] family, the term "buffalo" properly applies only to the Asian [[Domestic buffalo|water buffalo]] and [[African buffalo]]. The [[gaur]], a large, thick-coated [[ox]] found in [[Asia]], is also known as the "Indian bison", although it is in the genus ''[[Bos]]'' and thus not a true bison. |
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== Description == |
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The American and European bison are the largest terrestrial [[mammal]]s in [[North America]] and [[Europe]]. Bison are nomadic [[grazers]]{{Fact|date=March 2008}}<!-- Does this apply to all species? --> and travel in [[herd]]s, except for the non-dominant bulls, which travel alone or in small groups during most of the year. American bison are known for living in the [[Great Plains]]. Both species were hunted close to [[extinction]] during the 19th and 20th centuries but have since rebounded, although the European bison is still [[endangered species|endangered]]. |
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Unlike the Asian water buffalo, bison have never been [[domesticated]], although the American bison is kept on some farms. |
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Bison are born without their trademark hump and horns and live for approximately twenty years. They grow to maturity at two to three years, although males continue to grow until about their seventh year. Adult bulls express a high degree of dominance competitiveness during mating season. Male bison fight for females and these fights often result in injury or death. After the bison mate, the herd splits up into smaller herds. Calves are born nine months after mating. The [[mother]]s take care of and nurse their young for a year. |
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Male bison grow to as much as to 11.5 feet (3.5m) long, and 6.5 feet (2m) tall at the shoulder and can weigh up to 2200lbs (998 kg). |
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== Behaviour == |
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===Wallowing=== |
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[[Image:American Bison is taking a dust bath.jpg|left|thumb|200px|A bison wallowing in dust in [[Yellowstone National Park]].]]Wallowing is a common behavior of bison.{{Fact|date=October 2008}}<!-- Is this true of the European sp too? If not, this whole section belongs in "American bison" article. --> A bison wallow is a shallow depression in the soil, either wet or dry. Bison roll in these depressions, covering themselves with mud or dust. Possible explanations suggested{{Fact|date=October 2008}} for wallowing behavior include grooming behavior associated with moulting, male-male interaction (typically rutting behavior), social behavior for group cohesion, play behavior, relief from skin irritation due to biting insects, reduction of ectoparasite load (ticks and lice), and thermoregulation.<ref name="JSTOR">{{cite news | title = Wallowing Behavior of American Bison (Bos Bison) |publisher = JSTOR| date = [[April 10]] [[2008]]| url = http://www.jstor.org/pss/3083019}}</ref> |
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In the process of wallowing bison may become infected by the fatal disease [[anthrax]], which may occur naturally in the soil.<ref name="Anthrax kills bison in southern N.W.T.">{{cite news | title = Anthrax kills bison in southern N.W.T. |publisher = CBC.CA| date = [[July 6]] [[2006]]| url = http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2006/07/06/anthrax-nwt-bison.html}}</ref> |
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==Diet== |
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Bison have a fairly simple [[Diet (nutrition)|diet]]. The bison's main [[food]] is [[grass]]. Bison also eat the low lying [[shrub]]bery that is available. In the [[winter]], bison forage in the [[snow]] looking for grass. If there is little grass available, bison have to resort to eating the twigs of the shrubs and plants. |
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==Predators== |
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Due to their large size few predators attack bison. [[Wolf]] packs, but not single wolves, could take down a bison. [[brown_bear|Brown bears]] will also prey on calves but when they are found eating bison they generally have driven off wolves and taken over their kill.[[Image:Canis lupus pack surrounding Bison.jpg|thumb|left|An American Bison standing its ground against a [[wolf]] pack]] |
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In [[Yellowstone Park]] the strongest and most dominant wolf packs have been observed to take [[elk]] and [[deer]]; they leave the bison, which is much harder to kill, to the weaker wolf packs{{Fact|date=August 2008}}. |
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==See also== |
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[[Image:Bison antiquus p1350717.jpg|thumb|''Bison antiquus'' skeleton]] |
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* [[Bovid hybrid]]s |
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* [[American Bison]] |
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* [[Plains Bison]] |
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* [[Wood Bison]] |
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* [[Ancient Bison]] |
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* [[Domestic buffalo|Water Buffalo]] |
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* [[African Buffalo]] |
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* [[Buffalo]] (disambiguation page) |
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* [[Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo]] - a linguistic anomaly |
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==Gallery== |
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<gallery> |
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Image:bison herd grazing.JPG|Herd of bison grazing in [[Elk Island National Park]], [[Alberta]], Canada |
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Image:Bison feeding - Alberta.jpg|Bison feeding - [[Alberta]] |
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Image:Bison - Alberta, 1971.jpg|Bison in winter, Alberta |
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</gallery> |
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==References== |
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{{commonscat|Bison}} |
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{{reflist}} |
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{{Artiodactyla|R.4}} |
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[[Category:Bison| ]] |
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[[bg:Бизони]] |
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[[ca:Bisó]] |
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[[cs:Bizon]] |
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[[de:Bisons]] |
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[[el:Βίσονας]] |
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[[es:Bison]] |
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[[eo:Bizono]] |
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[[eu:Bisonte]] |
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[[fr:Bison]] |
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[[gl:Bisonte]] |
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[[io:Bizono]] |
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[[id:Bison]] |
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[[ia:Bison]] |
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[[it:Bison]] |
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[[jv:Bison]] |
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[[la:Bison]] |
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[[hu:Bölény]] |
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[[nl:Bison (geslacht)]] |
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[[no:Bison]] |
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[[oc:Bisont]] |
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[[pl:Bison (zwierzęta)]] |
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[[pt:Bisonte]] |
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[[ro:Bizon]] |
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[[qu:Bisunti]] |
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[[ru:Бизоны]] |
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[[simple:Bison]] |
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[[sk:Zubor (rod)]] |
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[[sv:Bison (släkte)]] |
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[[vi:Bò rừng bizon]] |
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[[tr:Bizon]] |
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[[zh:美洲野牛属]] |
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