How to spot the differences between bison and buffalo

Although the giant, hairy mammals that roam the North American landscape are often referred to as buffalo, scientifically they belong to the bison genus, bison species, and bison subspecies. They are not buffalo at all.

The origin of the confusion can be traced back to the early 1600s when French fur trappers working in the United States called bison “bison”.bœuf.” The term comes from what the French knew as true buffalo that lived in Africa and Asia.

Both bison and buffalo belong to the bovid family; However, the terms are not interchangeable and there are obvious differences between the animals.

location

The first major difference between buffalo and bison is location.

The two main species of buffalo are the Cape buffalo and the water buffalo, found in Africa and Asia respectively.

The two main species of bison are the American bison, which, as the name suggests, is found in North America, and the European bison, which is mainly found in Poland.

Depending on what part of the world you are in, it should be easy to tell if you are seeing a buffalo or a bison in the wild.

anatomy

Although both buffalo and bison share many similarities, being very large, hoofed herbivores, they also have some distinct differences.

Bison measure up to 12.5 feet from head to rump and 5-6 feet tall and weigh as much as 2,200 pounds. The Cape buffalo grows up to 11 feet long and 5 feet tall and weighs around 2,000 pounds. The water buffalo grows up to 9 feet long and 6 feet tall and can weigh up to 2,650 pounds.

Despite some size differences, the most prominent physical feature that sets bison apart is a large muscular shoulder hump and a massive head that makes their hindquarters appear proportionately smaller. Both Cape buffalo and water buffalo have more proportional heads and shoulders and an overall more symmetrical appearance. The bison’s hump allows its head to act as a plow in the snow and to sweep away the drifts in winter to graze.

Other properties

To match their build, bison are equipped for harsh winters with a thick, shaggy coat and beards to keep them warm. They shed these coats during the summer months when they don’t need them. Buffalo live in warmer climates and have thinner coats.

While bison have larger heads and shoulders and thicker fur, buffalo have more powerful horns. Both male and female Cape buffalo have horns that have a very defined arc and can grow to over 3 feet wide in males. Water buffalo have the largest horns, which can reach spans of up to 6 feet in both males and females. Male and female bison horns average about two feet in length.

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