American Bison

American Bison
バイソン
Character Data
AKA		American Buffalo
Romaji		Baison
Debut		Kemono Friends (2015 Game)
Animal Data
Scientific Name		Bison bison
Distribution		North America
Diet		Herbivore
Avg. Lifespan		15 years
Read More		American bison
Conservation

American Bison

Festival

Pavilion

KF3

Nexon Game

Gallery

“I'm American Bison. It's okay for you to call me just Bison. When its come to fighting my spear that I'm proud of will go on rampage. Although lately I feel that I'm falling behind Gray Wolf and Brown Bear. Oi, Aurochs! Let's have a fighting contest. Ah right, I just received word that "Buffalo is a different person". Sorry for causing misunderstanding”
—American Bison's introduction

The American Bison is a type of Bovid Friend that appeared in the original Kemono Friends mobile game.

Appearance

Old Design

The old design of American Bison is a brown skinned friend with black straight hair hanging to below the shoulders and a long fringe between her black eyes which reaches the nose. She wears an female metallic black and red armor which is composed of a gorget, a cuirass with spaulders, gauntlets, cuisses with sabatons, and faulds which have a similar look to a skirt. It does not cover her belly, armpits and her front legs. She wears thigh-high black socks and full-length black gloves that are covered in armor. She has the American Bison's tufted tail along with thin horns on her head. She holds a slightly curved spear-like weapon with ends that resemble horns surrounded by red furs.

New Design

The New design's hair are more voluminous and have pigtails attached by purple ribbons, their colors are now much closer to the light-brown and dark-brown of the American Bison' summer coat. her eyebrows have been refined which reinforce the seriousness expressed by her facial expression. Contrary to her old design, she doesn't wears an armor, instead she has a cape over her shoulders which has a hood with a large black fur all around edges that surround her neck. Her cape's borders are ripped and it can be closed by toggle buttons which resembling to small horns. She wears a black crop top with ripped sleeves. She kept the circular skirt with pressed-in ridges, but this time attached by a belt which has a buckle that look like an American Bison skull with horns. She still wears thigh-high black socks but covered in cowboy boots. Her American Bison tufted tail remains the same but her horns are more faithful to the animal itself. Her weapon changed, the horns are likely american bison horns but slightly damaged, the fur is now black and the stick is surrounded by the same ribbons she use for her hair.

Series Appearances

Appearances In Kemono Friends Media

Media		Role
2015	Nexon Game	↪ Minor character, playable character
2018	Kemono Friends Pavilion	↪ Observable character
2018	Kemono Friends Festival	↪ Minor character, playable character

In Real Life

Male plains bison in the Wichita Mountains of Oklahoma

The American bison (Bison bison), also commonly known as the American buffalo or simply buffalo, is a North American species of bison. North American bison are primarily grazers and forage primarily in grassland and meadow communities. They were also found from boreal habitats to semi-desert habitats if grazing was suitable. They had the widest natural range of any North American herbivore, from the arid grasslands of Chihuahua State in northern Mexico, through the grasslands of the Great Plains, to the riparian meadows of interior Alaska. [1] [2]

American Bison are extremely large animals and males are typically slightly larger than females. Both males and females have short curved horns that can grow up to 2 feet (61 cm) long. The horns are black, curving upward and inward and ending in a sharp tip. [2] [4]

American Bison are herbivores and spend their time grazing on the grasses of the North American Prairies. On average, bison ingest 1.6% of their body mass per day of dry vegetation. Bison require water every day as well. summer and fall diets may be broader, including flowering plants, woody plant leaves, and lichens, in addition to grasses and sedges, depending on local availability. Bison excavate snow at foraging sites by sweeping it away using side to side motions of their muzzle. [1] [2]

Their large size and formidable defenses make healthy, adult bison relatively safe from predators, except humans. However elderly, ill or injured adult bison and calves are preyed on by large predators such as mountain lions, brown bears and grey wolves. [4]

Bison are gregarious animals and are arranged in groups according to sex, age, season, and habitat. Grazing takes place during several periods each day and is conducted in loose groups. When bison travel, they form a line. The traveling pattern of bison is determined by the terrain and habitat condition. Bison are good swimmers as well as runners, capable of reaching speeds of 62 km/hr. [2]

A recovery program for wood bison has existed in Canada since the early 1960s where the subspecies was designated as 'Threatened' by the Committee on Endangered Species of Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). The Bison Specialist Group (North America) is developing a bison conservation assessment and action plan that will provide support and guidance for policy development and conservation planning and management for public and private sector projects, more information in Bison Specialist Group Website. [1]

Trivia

Wyoming uses a bison in its state flag

• Bison were once a major source of meat and hides in the United States. They formed the basis of the economy of a number of groups of Native Americans. Paths made by the bison through the mountains were used by highway crews when they mapped routes for highways in the west.

• The American Bison is often used in north America in official seals, flags and logos. It is a popular symbol in the great plains states and Kansas, Oklahoma and Wyoming have adopted the animal as their official state mammal. Many sports teams use the American Bison as their mascot and they often appear on state flags. [3]

References

1. "Bison bison". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2008. International Union for Conservation of Nature.

2. "American bison: Bison bison". Toni Lynn Newell and Anna Bess Sorin. Version 2003. University of Michigan museum of zoology.

3. Elahe Izadi (May 9, 2016). "It's official: America's first national mammal is the bison". Washington Post.

4. The Animal Files.