Point d’intérêt
European bison
A powerful European herbivore with permanent horns.
Langue du contenu
The European bison has a particularly powerful forequarters. Its shoulder hump is formed by tall projections of the thoracic vertebrae and the muscles around them. Adult males are larger and heavier-built than females, and a strong ligament supports the heavy head.
Both sexes have horns. These do not branch and are not shed each year like deer antlers. They consist of a bony core covered by a horn sheath. A lost horn does not grow back the following season as a new antler does.
The bison is a ruminant. Its stomach has four compartments, and swallowed plant food is brought back up to be chewed again. Broad grinding surfaces on the molars help break down plants.
In the wild there are mixed groups of females, juveniles and calves, as well as smaller groups of males and solitary bulls. Herd membership can change. An older female with a calf often leads a mixed group; the herd is not a permanent family with a fixed membership.
Pour les enfants
A European bison has a large head and a high back above its front legs. Bones in the spine and powerful muscles form its distinctive hump. Males are usually larger than females. Both sexes have horns. These do not branch or fall off each year like deer antlers.
Bison eat plants and are ruminants. That means swallowed food comes back into the mouth to be chewed thoroughly again. Their stomach has four compartments. Wild bison may live in groups of females with young, or in smaller groups of males. Some males travel alone. An experienced female caring for a calf often leads a group of females and young.
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