bison

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Animals & Nature

bison

mammal

Also known as: Bison

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Feb 18, 2024 • Article History

American bison (Bison bison)

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Category: Animals & Nature

Also called:: buffalo or wisent

Related Topics:: American bison; long-horned bison; European bison; steppe bison; wood bison

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bison, (genus Bison), either of two species of oxlike grazing mammals that constitute the genus Bison of the family Bovidae. The American bison (B. bison), commonly known as the buffalo or the plains buffalo, is native to North America, and the European bison (B. bonasus), or wisent, is native to Europe. Both species were drastically reduced in numbers by hunting and now occupy small protected areas that are tiny fractions of their former ranges. The American bison differs from domestic cattle or oxen in several respects. It is larger and has a broad heavy head that is carried low and ...(100 of 1091 words)

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