American bison, often mistakenly called buffalos, are symbolic of the Great Plains, strongly associated with Native Indian culture, the Wild West and traditional ranching. Standing at around 6.5 feet tall at the shoulder, reaching lengths of between 10-12.5 feet and weighing up to 2,000 lbs, the American bison is the largest land mammal in North America. As well as being great in size, bison are also fast — they can run at speeds of up to 40 miles an hour. The rugged species sport dark brown hair, which is long and shaggy on their front legs, and they have high hump shoulders and long curved horns. Bison are well adapted to the varying weather conditions of the Great Plains, from soaring summer heat to the cold and blizzards of winter. In thick snow, bison use their large heads to dig through to vegetation below. Their habitat consists of open plains, grasslands, and park woodlands, and usually, they live between 18-22 years in the wild, compared to over 30 years in captivity.
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