Name: ____________________________________________
American
Bison
By Guy Belleranti
People often use the words “bison” and
“buffalo” to mean the same animal. However, true
buffalo are the Asian water buffalo and the African (Cape)
buffalo. Their horns form huge sweeping curves. The American bison, and
its cousin the European bison, have shorter curved horns. In addition, unlike
buffalo, bison have beards and huge muscular humps on their shoulders. Still,
although bison aren’t buffalo, the two are related. They belong to the same
family of animals as cattle, goats, and sheep.
Bison are the heaviest land animals in North America. Some bulls, or male
bison, weigh 2,000 pounds. Bison often live and travel in herds. For most of the
year, bulls are separate from the cows, or female bison, and their calves. In
summer’s breeding season, bulls join the female herds. Bulls fight each other for
dominance. They bellow, shove, and butt heads. They also roll in the dirt to show
strength and to leave their scent.
Usually only one calf is born to a mother bison. It has red-orange fur and
weighs about 50 pounds. After a few months, the calf’s hair begins turning dark
brown. Its horns and shoulder hump
begin to grow too.
And speaking of the hump – it
supports the bison’s huge head. In
winter, these furry beasts use their
heads like snow plows, swinging them
from side-to-side to clear pathways
and uncover vegetation to eat. Bison
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are grazers, which means they prefer eating grasses. They also eat sagebrush,
berries, and other plants. Like cows, they have four-chambered stomachs and
bring food back up to their mouths to chew again.
At one time millions of bison roamed the plains, prairies, and river
valleys. However, by the late 1800’s, bison were almost extinct, killed off by
settlers. Those that remained were primarily in Yellowstone National Park.
Conservationists, Native American nations, ranchers, and the government
began working to protect them. Yellowstone is still the best place to see them.
They’re also in state parks and preserves. Some ranches raise bison for their
meat.
In May 2016, the American bison was named the National Mammal of the
United States. It joins another one-time almost extinct animal, the bald eagle,
as official symbols of the United States.
A few more bison facts:
• Bison were important to Native Americans. Not only did they provide food,
clothing, shelter, and tools, but they were important in cultural ceremonies.
• Bison have poor eyesight. However, their hearing and sense of smell is
excellent.
• Although huge, bison are very agile and fast. They can run 35 miles an
hour!
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Name: ____________________________________________
American
Bison
By Guy Belleranti
1. According to the article, what is unusual about
the digestive systems of American bison?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
2. Complete the Venn Diagram below to show the differences and similarities
between American bison and buffalo. List two differences and one similarity.
American Bison Buffalo
Both
3. Based on the information in the article, which event in American history wiped out
most of the American bison?
a. the arrival of the Pilgrims b. the American Revolutionary War
c. the American Civil War d. the westward movement of settlers
4. Name one place you could go today to see an American bison in the wild.
________________________________________________________________________________
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Name: ____________________________________________
American
Bison
By Guy Belleranti
Match each vocabulary word from the reading
passage with the correct definition.
1. ______ bellow a. female bison
b. able to move quickly and easily
2. ______ extinct
c. a wild ox with large sweeping horns
3. ______ sagebrush found mostly in Africa and Asia
4. ______ dominance d. male bison
e. people who advocate for the protection
5. ______ conservationists of nature and wildlife
6. ______ agile f. roar loudly, aggressively
g. a shrub in North American similar to a
7. ______ preserves daisy and eaten by bison
8. ______ cows h. no longer in existence
i. areas set aside for wild animals to live in
9. ______ bulls
safety
10. ______ buffalo j. power and influence over others
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Name: ____________________________________________
American
Bison
By Guy Belleranti
In the article, “American Bison,” you learned that
there used to be millions of bison roaming the plains of
the American West, but the movement of settlers into their
territories caused most of them to be wiped out.
Choose another animal species that was affected by human settlement. You can
describe an example from the past or the present. In your answer, be sure to describe
how human activity has harmed that animal species. Make one suggestion how we
can protect the remaining members of that species today.
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ANSWER KEY
American
Bison
By Guy Belleranti
1. According to the article, what is unusual about
the digestive systems of American bison?
American bison have four-chambered stomachs and they
________________________________________________________________________________
bring their food back up to chew it again.
________________________________________________________________________________
2. Complete the Venn Diagram below to show the differences and similarities
between American bison and buffalo. List two differences and one similarity.
American Bison Buffalo
Both
shorter, curved longer, sweeping
horns belong to horns
the same
beards and no beards or
family
muscular humps muscular humps
on their shoulders on their shoulders
3. Based on the information in the article, which event in American history wiped out
most of the American bison?
a. the arrival of the Pilgrims b. the American Revolutionary War
c. the American Civil War d. the westward movement of settlers
4. Name one place you could go today to see an American bison in the wild.
Yellowstone National Park; state parks; ranches; preserves
________________________________________________________________________________
(Answers may vary.)
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ANSWER KEY
American
Bison
By Guy Belleranti
Match each vocabulary word from the reading
passage with the correct definition.
f. bellow
1. ______ a. female bison
h. extinct b. able to move quickly and easily
2. ______
c. a wild ox with large sweeping horns
3. g.
______ sagebrush found mostly in Africa and Asia
j. dominance
4. ______ d. male bison
e. people who advocate for the protection
e. conservationists
5. ______ of nature and wildlife
b. agile
6. ______ f. roar loudly, aggressively
g. a shrub in North American similar to a
i. preserves
7. ______ daisy and eaten by bison
a. cows
8. ______ h. no longer in existence
i. areas set aside for wild animals to live in
d. bulls
9. ______
safety
c. buffalo
10. ______ j. power and influence over others
KH
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