More commonly known as buffaloes in the U.S. and Canada, American bison are only distantly related to the true buffalo and are the largest surviving terrestrial animals in North America.

Adults can grow up to two meters in height, 3.5 meters in length and weigh up to 1,270 kilograms. They are muscular with shaggy hair covering their body.

American bison travel and graze in herds. At the age around two, a bull will leave the herd of females and join a much smaller herd of males. They will only rejoin the females during mating season.

These bulky animals are known to live in the range of the Great Plains, a long strip of plains lying west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains. They are also the most common sight in the famous Yellowstone National Park that stretches across the states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.

American bison are one of the two existing bison species in the world. Their cousin, the European bison, has much smaller population. Although they look similar at a glance, the European bisons are smaller in size and slimmer than their American cousins.

The horns of the European bison point forward while horns of the American bison point back and side ward. This makes them more adept at fighting through the interlocking of horns, unlike the American bison, which favors butting.

American bison are more easily tamed than their grumpy European cousins, and breed with domestic cattle more readily.

Happy 'Niu' Year

February 12 marks the beginning of the Year of the Ox. "Niu" means "ox" in Chinese, but it can also mean "very impressive." In Chinese, the character "niu" is also a part of names of animals other than ox. In this series, CGTN will tell you interesting facts about animals with "niu" in their names. 

(Cover image and infographic designed by CGTN's Li Jingjie)

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com.)