Happy 4th of July!
What a perfect time to also honor National Bison Month! This month, we celebrate an icon of the American landscape.
Bison are incredible animals, not just for their symbolic significance but also for their remarkable adaptations to extreme environments. As highlighted by the National Park Service’s Bison Bellows, their resilience in the face of brutal winters is extraordinary.
Bison are uniquely adapted to harsh winter conditions in the Great Plains where temperatures can drop to -40 degrees F. Their dense fur and layers of fat help shield them from the cold while their strong neck and shoulder muscles help them plow through the snow to find buried grasses and plants. Though bison remain active throughout winter, they slow their metabolism, which helps them save energy. Slower digestion also helps them generate their own metabolic heat to stay warm.
So, this 4th of July as we enjoy fireworks and celebrations of our nation’s birthday, let’s also take a moment to appreciate the enduring strength and resilience of America’s largest land mammal.
Source:
National Park Service, Bison Bellows
Categories: Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Livestock, Comparative Physiology, Environment, Extreme Animals, Nature's Solutions
Tags: animals, Bison, National Bison Month, winter
Life Lines by Dr. Dolittle 