American Bison

American Bison

American Bison
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 4 to 9
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	10.14

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		comeback, domestic, lowers, prestigious, socialize, terrestrial, commercial, mating, despite, therefore, hence, bulls, conservation, bull, supplied, bleak
	content words:		North America, Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, United States, Lone Star State, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico, Great Basin, William F.

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American Bison

¹     Related to domestic cattle, American bison (or American buffalo) seem to feel cold only in the front part of their bodies. Indeed, American bison have long, saggy, coarse, brown hair covering just their front halves. Hence, looking from afar, American bison appear half-naked. Yet, a closer inspection quickly reveals that American bison do have brown-colored hair -- albeit very short -- covering their lower backs and hind legs.

²     Aside from this unusual dress code, American bison have short horns that point upward and broad heads that they cannot raise higher than their prominent, humped shoulders. Measuring around 6.5 feet tall at their shoulders and weighing up to 2,200 pounds, American bison are undoubtedly the largest terrestrial animals in North America! Despite their massive size, American bison can run at a top speed of 40 miles per hour!

³     Feeding on grasses, American bison can be found in the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains. The Great Plains stretches from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba of Canada to Texas of the United States. In addition to the Lone Star State, the Great Plains also covers several other states in the U.S., including North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. The Rocky Mountains, sandwiched between the Great Plains on the east and the Great Basin on the west, extend from central Mexico, through the United States, to Canada and Alaska. The series of mountain ranges are about 2,000 miles in length.

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