Bison Benefit the Prairies

Bison Benefit the Prairies. . , Grazing, wallowing, and other bison behaviors turn out to be beneficial for plants and animals., As seen on "The Zoo!" , Keepers noticed that one of the zoo's bison calves developed a bowed leg, caused by one leg bone growing faster than the others. An equine specialist placed a screw in the calf's bone to slow the growth process and allow the other bones to catch up. Once the leg straightened out, the screw was removed and we reunited the calf and its mother with the herd., Chew on this – twice! , To digest tough grasses a bison chews and swallows and then brings the grasses up into its mouth and chews them some more!, Good Grazing , The bison diet is about 90% grasses. Bison grazing behavior gives other plants – eaten by other animals, like prairie dogs – a chance to grow., Welcome Wallows , Bison wallow or roll in the dirt to cool off and get rid of insect pests. Depressions created by wallowing collect rainwater and become home to aquatic plants and animals., Enriched Earth , As wild bison roam, they not only eat, they eliminate! Their waste products fertilize the soil, making prairie earth a nutrient-rich environment for growing plants., Poop Power! , Native Americans and prairie pioneers burned dried bison chips (poop) as fuel to cook and keep warm., Bison vs. Buffalo , Although "bison" and "buffalo" are often used interchangeably, they are very different animals. The animals in this exhibit are bison. How can you tell?,

Bison , . Short horns , . Variable hair length , . Seasonal shedding , . Found in America and Europe , . Proportionally large head, Buffalo , . Long horns , . Uniform hair length , . No significant shedding , . Found in Africa and Asia , . Proportionally average-size head

, American Bison , Bison bison ,

Range: western North America , Habitat: prairies, woodlands , Diet: grasses , Gestation: 9 months , Offspring: 1 calf

, They may appear to be slow and lumbering, but bison can run 35 miles per hour and leap over 6 foot fences!