JUST THE FACTS
Canada’s Bison Facts
Scientific family name: Bovidae
Descriptive name: Bison
Wood bison species name: Bison athabascae
Plains bison species name: Bison bison
The North American buffalo is not a true buffalo: true
It’s closest relative is the European bison or wisent: true
North American bovids arrived from Eurasia during Pleistocene (1.8 million to 11 million
years ago) via the Bering land bridge: true
The names buffalo and bison are used interchangeably today.
Bison are a member of the cattle family and similarly males are called bulls and females
are called cows.
The Plains Bison live in the grasslands in the center of North America: true
The Wood Bison live further north on the Yukon, North West Territory border: true
Estimated number of bison on the plains of North America at their peak: 60 million
Estimated number of bison on the plains of North America at their lowest: 600
Estimated number of bison that exist in North America to day: 100,000
Bison are the largest wild land mammal in North America: true
The average height of a bull’s shoulders: 6 feet
The average length of a bull: 10-12 feet
The average length of a cow: 8-10 feet
The average weight of a bull: 2,000 lbs.
The average weight of a cow: 1,200 lbs.
The weight of bison calves at birth: 40-50 lbs.
The life expectancy of a bison: 20-40 years
The age at which a bison can begin to produce calves: 2-3 years
The gestation period of a bison: 270-285 days
Mating season for bison: June-September
Both cows and bulls have horns: true
The average horn spread: 3 feet
Bison’s eyesight is poor, though their hearing and smell are sharp: true
Bison grow a thick coat of fur which they shed in the spring: true
Bison are equally tolerant of extreme cold and extreme heat: true
Speed at which a bison can run: 45 mph
Number of miles commonly traveled by a herd of bison a day: 6
Number of bison in a herd: from 10 to hundreds
Bison travel in same sex herds outside of mating season: true
Bison are plant eaters and feed primarily on grasses: true
Diseases which bison are susceptible to: tuberculosis, brucelosis and anthrax
Primary predators of the bison: the grey wolf, coyote and grizzly bear
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