American plains bison

Description:

This large herbivore is native to the plains of North America. It is also called buffalo. Once found in herds numbering millions of animals, they were nearly exterminated by hunting. Now their range is restricted to parks, wildlife refuges, and Native American tribal lands in the northern plains. The young calves of this subspecies of bison are tan when born, in contrast to the calves of wood bison, the other North American species, which live in forests and have dark brown calves.

Habitat:

Once the native shortgrass prairie of the North American west. Now confined to parks, wildlife refuges, and tribal lands. Also sometimes raised on ranches for slaughter.

Notes:

This is a buffalo cow walking in Yellowstone National Park; two calves of the herd walk near her. One of them probably belongs to another cow just out of the picture.