European bison - a large hoofed mammal related to the species of the genus bison bulls.If you want to know about the animal in more detail, read the article further.There you will find out who the bison, the description of it we write out in detail.In addition, we will tell about where he lives and what he eats.
Bison: description
weight of the animal can reach a ton, and length - three meters.The height of this animal is about one meter.A distinctive feature of bison is bright disparity between well-developed heavy upstream and lighter rear part of the body.Painting of the European bison is homogeneous, dominated by dark brown hair, may have a reddish tint, head and neck are covered with curly beard.Females are smaller.On his head towering small sharp horns, slightly curved inward to each other.This weapon allows you to ward off predators and defend territory.
Bison, whose photos you can see in the article, was almost completely destroyed in the 18-19 centuries, only because of the enormous work of scientists managed to find about 60 species worldwide and through a variety of security measures to begin their withdrawal.Currently, there are about two thousand of these animals.
main bison habitat - dense mixed forest.That is why the rapid development of field crops and deforestation, as well as the massive uncontrolled hunting for meat and valuable skin of these animals has led to the extinction of species.European bison in winter combined into a herd of several dozen animals.In the spring they break up into small groups, usually females remain with calves and a strong male lead a lonely life.
bison Bialowieza where lives and eats what?
Bialowieza bison - a species of terrestrial mammals.A distinctive feature of this species are larger size and bright color grayish-brown hue.Its name was due to the bison habitat - Bialowieza Forest.
It is famous for its great plains of tall forest with a predominance of trees, like hornbeam, linden, ash, oak and other hardwoods.Bison adheres year by year the same territory for which the river flows.Wetlands animal avoids as many insects in the swamps, where he is trying to get round, even trying to eat during the hours when they are not yet awake.He comes to these places only in particularly dry years for the completion of the water supply of the body, when the rivers on the territory of its habitat dry up.
Fighting
In late summer and early fall in female bison starts in heat and the male begins rut.It is noteworthy that the fight at the bison are not aggressive.Males fight horns, and the weaker goes, the winner does not pursue the vanquished.Therefore, these fights rarely result in serious injuries.The nature of the fight changes significantly, if it does not fight for the female with other males, and for the territory.
deer, elk and other ungulates bison chase a particularly fierce, until death.The only enemy is this giant wolf pack, especially in the winter time with a high level of snow when movement is difficult and require a lot of energy consumption.Despite the large size and heaviness, bison very fast, tough, can jump up to two meters in height.
Reproduction
After fertilization, the female bears baby 9 months to end of April and May, then feed a high-calorie milk year to 20% fat, and a year when they are young.Full puberty is reached six years of life.As a rule, Zubrenok appears every three years.On average, twenty-seven bison lives - twenty-eight years.
Bialowieza bison grazing in winter and summer, in the herds.Even adult males together in small groups and are almost never found alone in the wild.
Winter came ...
The fed bison in the winter?On a frosty period of major share of the diet of bark and branches of deciduous trees, oak, crab, ash and others, as well as mosses and lichens, which predominate in the mixed forests.Most of the day bison sleeping in the woods, to drink and the food is given 2-3 hours prior to sunrise and sunset, when all insects are sleeping.Sometimes it eats during the day.
It's summer ...
The fed bison in the summer?In the hot season, the major share of consumption made up of various herbs and succulent young shoots of trees and shrubs that grow in the forest, as well as the bark of ash, fir and elm, alder, ash and oak.Bark bison consume less.All because he was tired of this kind of food for the winter.
Another type
Belarusian bison species native to lowland forests, wetlands with thickets of alder, oak and ash.By the way, this is what is fed bison.It got its name because of habitat - Belarusian and Ukrainian Polesie.Looks of the animal is the same as with the European view.Belarusian authorities in whose territory the Belarusian bison lives, decided to certification of all individuals of this species.
According to scientists, too close crossbones special kind of carry in their genes developmental abnormalities and lead to extinction.Resuming species began with the fact that managed to find a few dozen heads, so the entire population - is one big family.The main task of the scientists artificially avoid crossing between genetically close individuals.Belarusian bison listed in the Red Book of Belarus, Russia, Poland and other countries of the former Soviet Union, as well as in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
third type
Caucasian bison - the only species inhabiting the territory of the Caucasus Mountains, at an altitude of five hundred to three thousand meters above sea level.It is characterized by dark curly hair, a more elegant shapes and sizes.The weight of the male reaches six kilograms, the weight of females - to four.This subspecies is not interbreed with any of the species of bison.The animal completely disappeared due to uncontrolled hunting and military actions on the territory of habitat.At the moment there is a hybrid of a male Caucasian and female bison Bialowieza, it differs little from the extinct species.
After taking the bison had to go a long way to adapt to a mountain habitat to occupy the niche of a more ancient ancestor.Felling of lowland forests on the territory of the mountains has led to the fact that this kind leads almost sedentary, and not roam in search of the quiet little snow pastures.Harsh winters in mountain areas carry each year, about 7% of the total number of goals, especially in the snow - up to 15-20%.The female gives birth to one, rarely two pups every two to three years.Adults over the bison herd guarding against attacks of wolves and other potential predators.At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the number reached no more than three hundred individuals, it gradually became manifest weakening of the reproductive capacity and the emergence of many diseases associated with the reduction of the genetic diversity of the species.
Important
number of any kind of bison is not more than two thousand individuals, so to live, they can only in a well-protected reserves, which organize special areas for feeding bison impose hay, straw, feed, crops and other plants that are included in theirdiet.The ban on the hunting of these animals and their entry in the Red Book and other countries, as well as protection of the international community give a minimal chance to increase their population and save the species, although until the former grandeur and spread on a large area scientists will have to work for years to come.
Conclusion Now you know who bison.Photos presented in this article will help to look at this in more detail beast.In addition, we have considered subspecies of mammal, and what is fed bison.The animal, as you can see, mainly eat tree bark and plants.
