| Scientific Name:
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Bison bison
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| Classification:
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Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Artiodactlya
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| Status:
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Few wild herds of the plains bison remain (1,500-2,000 animals live in Yellowstone National Park). The woodland bison, another subspecies of the North American bison, is endangered.
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| Range:
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North America
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| Habitat:
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prairies and open woodlands
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| Diet:
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Grasses and herbs
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| Size:
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Weight 950-2000 lbs.
Height 5-6 ft. at the shoulder
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| Lifespan:
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| Location:
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| Print Fact Sheet
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Bison
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Special Features:
- More than 75 million bison once roamed North America from the western mountain grasslands to as far east as Georgia.
- When Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, bison were found throughout North America from Canada to northern Mexico. At that time there were 4 subspecies: plains, wood, Oregon, and eastern. Today, only the plains and wood bison survive.
- The bison were massacred in the late 1800s for their hides and in an effort to subdue Native Americans of the plains.
- By 1889 only an estimated 541 bison remained.
- Today, bison are found only in parks, refuges, and private collections.
- Bison are ruminants (cud chewers) and belong to the same family as cattle, sheep, and goats.
- Bison calves are typically born in the spring and weaned at about seven months of age.
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