by Jared Garrett

Created on: April 09, 2009

Back in the days of cowboys and gunfights there was a man called Buffalo Bill. He was known for his skill with guns and horses, which made him a great hunter of American buffalo. Hence the nickname.

The only problem is that there's really no such thing as a buffalo in America, except in zoos. Buffalo Bill should have been named Bison Bill,' because the large animal that Native Americans depended on for centuries and that Buffalo Bill was so good at hunting isn't a buffalo!

Real buffalo actually live in Asia, the water buffalo; and Africa, the African buffalo. These animals and the species that lives in America are not actually in any way related. The only reason that the American type is called buffalo is because early French traders called the huge, hairy brown creature boeuf,' which means ox. The word was used by more and more people until the American bison was called a buffalo by nearly everyone. Which just goes to show you how a mistake made by one can really mess up a culture...

Bison used to roam all over North America's prairies. They traveled in enormous herds, moving from one meadow or field to the next. Native Americans hunted them for food and their skins, which they used for various purposes, including clothing and to build their homes.

Interesting fact: the American bison is one of the largest species of cattle on the planet. While they are not exactly cows, their flesh is very similar to beef and their diet is identical to a cow's. Their appearance, however, is much different. Adult bison can weigh as much as 1,000 kilograms and stand as tall as two meters. They are usually about three meters long. What makes them so heavy? They have an insane amount of muscle and massive heads!

The fur on bison changes depending on the season. In the winter, they have a shaggy, dark brown coat with hair that gets dirtier throughout the season. However, in the summer, bison shed their winter coat and grow a lighter weight, short and light brown coat.

Another important characteristic of bison is that both males and females have horns. These horns don't get very long, measuring only eight inches long. The horns are made of bone that is covered in keratin.

Bison used to be one of the most common creatures on North America. Scientists estimate that when European settlers first came to North America, there were nearly 50 million bison on the continent. When the settlers came, they began to hunt bison for many reasons: food, skins, and also to make life difficult for Native Americans. Because of bad practices on the part of both the settlers and Native Americans, the number of bison was reduced to fewer than 1,000 by 1889.

Many scientists assumed that bison would be extinct within a few short years. However, James Phillip, a rancher in South Dakota, built a small herd of bison to over 1,000. In addition, the United States created the National Zoo, where several bison were moved in order to help them reproduce. Today scientists estimate that there are around 200,000 bison on the North American continent.

The bison is an impressive creature in both size and behavior. It is also an animal that has been of great importance to the people in North America. As the people realized that they had nearly made the bison extinct, they had the opportunity to correct their mistakes and help the bison survive. So we could say that bison have helped people understand their power and responsibility better.

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