Bison - description, habitat, lifestyle

Bison - a species of mammals from the genus of bison, is considered one of the species of wild bull. Refers to artiodactyls, the bovine family. Has an external resemblance to the American bison and tour. Quite a large animal from the artiodactyl family. At this time, this species is considered endangered, is listed in the Red Book.

The bison is one of the last remaining representatives of wild bulls. The closest similar species is the bison. Bison and bison can interbreed, resulting in the appearance of bison. These species are often compared, they are similar in appearance and structure, but the bison looks larger and more powerful than a bison.

The appearance of the animal

The weight of an adult is approximately a ton, the ancestors of modern bison were much more powerful and their weight reached more than one ton. Now almost all animals are smaller, this is due to the gradual extermination of this species. The height of the bison at the withers is more than 180 centimeters. The length can be up to 300-330 centimeters. Bison females are usually smaller than males.

The front part of the bison is massive, the hump integrates the neck and back of the animal. The back is slightly smaller in size. Voluminous and fairly wide chest, strong legs with convex hooves. The front legs are often slightly shorter than the hind legs. The legs are strong. In general, an animal of this species is very strong and hardy, capable of traveling long distances. The bison have a wide and low forehead, horns are widely spaced. The horns are round and smooth in shape, their length can be up to 65 centimeters. The bison horns are black, sharp, with a collapse of about 70 cm. In old animals, they can be dull or knocked down. The head of the animal is small, when compared with the body, is located low, more often the tail and back are higher. The formidable appearance of this animal gives the beard and voluminous mane. Often the color of the hair on the head and beard is darker than the rest of the coloration.

The scent and auditory receptors are much more developed than the visual ones, although the bison’s ears are small and hidden by voluminous hair. The coat is most often brown, with a reddish tint. In young bulls, it may be of a lighter color.

The coat of the animal, like the color, changes depending on the summer or winter period. The coat is dense, short, but it protects the animal well from cold and rain. Almost the entire bison is covered with hair, with the exception of the upper lip and nostrils. Longer hair is in the neck and hump. Eyes are small, mobile, black, eyelashes are long, black. The jaw and shape of the teeth are similar in structure to other types of ruminants. The oral cavity is dark in color, including the tongue and lips. In an adult animal of this species, there are 32 teeth - incisors, molars and pre-roots, as well as fangs.

The bison rarely makes sounds, basically they are like rumbling, in an angry state sniffs loudly and snorts.

Habitat

The habitat of these animals was originally from the Iberian Peninsula to the western region of Siberia, but soon the bison began to inhabit only in dense forests. Bison also lived in England and southern Scandinavia. Earlier, Caucasian bison living in the mountains of the Caucasus were also known, but they were exterminated. Most often, bison can be seen in deciduous coniferous or mixed forests. Previously, the habitat of these animals was an open area.

Bison live in a herd, usually no more than 20 individuals in one herd, consisting of young bulls, calves and cows. Males are in the herd only during the breeding season.Nowadays, they live in Russia, Moldova, Belarus, Spain and other countries on the territory of nature reserves. In Russia, this is Belovezhskaya Pushcha, national parks and nurseries.

Bison used to be an object of hunting, most of them were also exterminated during the First World War. Despite attempts to preserve the population, at the moment the animal is considered rare and close to extinction. Nowadays, attempts are being made to preserve and breed bison, most of them live in zoos and nurseries.

Subspecies

• Plain bison.
• Caucasian bison.
• Carpathian or Hungarian bison.

The flat bison lived in England, Scandinavia and in the west of Siberia. At this time, only this species has been preserved thanks to selection and breeding in protected areas, the rest were exterminated. The flat bison are sometimes called Bialowieza. Bison of Caucasian origin were smaller, with curly hair. Purebred animals from the Caucasus were threatened with extinction, and the last representative of the wild Caucasian bison was destroyed in 1926. All modern individuals occurred as a result of breeding in reserves and zoos, where representatives of this species were located. The Carpathian bison and its existence causes numerous disputes among experts, it is considered exterminated in the 18th century.

Lifestyle

Due to the large size, the bison may seem clumsy and slow, but it is not. With the manifestation of aggression, the animal is very dangerous. The bison inflicts blows with horns, and the strength of these blows is quite high. An obstacle or some fence will not stop an angry animal. If the bison shakes its head and snorts, assumes an attacking position, it means that it is ready to attack the enemy. Animals themselves rarely act as aggressors, preferring to hide from the people and dangers in the forest.

In a calm state, the animal remains during the day, usually bison graze, or lie in the sun, chewing gum. The herd usually consists of young individuals and females; males live alone or in small groups. Individuals can unite only if they are in danger, for example, it is necessary to protect the herd from predators or in cold winter time. The herd is headed by an experienced female bison.

Usually, bison do not threaten a person, you can say they avoid meeting people and try not to fall into the field of view. An exception may be a female who defends the offspring, she can be quite aggressive, so you should not come close to her.

Animals prefer to graze in selected areas, close to a watering hole or river bed. If the weather is dry and hot, then the bison go into the shady thickets of the forest. By nature, animals are very hardy and strong, they even know how to swim. They can travel decent distances in search of a new pasture or habitat. The bison is able to run pretty fast, despite its weight and large size, however, for short distances.

Enemies

The danger to animals is a wolf or a bear, as well as lynx and similar predators. Bison defend themselves from the attack of predators, creating a circle inside which are the cubs and the weakest individuals. An adult bison can defeat a predator alone, but young animals or weak animals are at greater risk.

Food

The bison is a herbivorous mammal that eats thin branches, grass, leaves, and tree bark. They can also eat mushrooms, some berries or acorns. In reserves or zoos, they are additionally fed with hay. In winter, animals dig in the snow and topsoil in search of roots and conifers. An adult bull may need up to 45 kg of feed per day, there are cases of teeth attacking other animals if they are trying to take food. In general, bison have poor contact with other herbivores, for example, deer, moose, and attacks are not uncommon.

Reproduction and development

The bison mating season begins in summer or early fall. Males appear in the herds, which begin to compete and fight for females. At the beginning of the battle for the female, the animals snort demonstratively, shake their horns, dig the ground. Usually, bison inflict heavy blows with horns, collide head-on and try to drive the opponent away. Sometimes battles are not only a demonstration of strength, but also leave a defeated bison with serious injuries. A defeated male will usually admit defeat if he bows his head and walks away.

A pregnant female walks for about 9 months, childbirth usually occurs at the beginning of summer. A healthy female bison can give birth almost every year. Usually one cub is born, very rarely two calves. After a few hours, the calf can stand on its feet. The calves remain in the herd for several years, and then, when they reach adulthood, the young bull leaves the herd. On average, the life of a bison is about 20 years; in the reserve, the life span can be increased to 27-30 years.

A calf is born weighing up to 20 kilograms, for 7 months or a year the female feeds him with milk. After several weeks, the calf can eat plant food, but it is still strongly attached to the mother and follows her and her smell.

A bison is considered mature after 6 months or more. After 5-6 years, the growth of the animal stops.

Bison in history and culture

The image of the bison is often used in literature, on emblems and drawings as a symbol of power and endurance. The first mention of the bison occurred back in cave paintings and in medieval works of art. In heraldry, bison are depicted as a symbol of labor and strength. In some countries, sculptures and figurines depicting this animal are popular. Also, the image of this animal can be found on stamps, banknotes and coins. Bison is often mentioned in the name of various sports teams and other things. This animal is also a symbol of Belarus.

Video: Bison (Bison bonasus)