Which is bigger bison or cow

Both the buffalo and bison are in the Bovidae family , which also includes other cloven-hoofed ruminants, like goats. The two main species of buffalo are the African or Cape buffalo Syncerus caffer and the endangered wild Asian water buffalo Bubalus arnee.

As for bison, the two main species are the American bison Bison bison and the European bison Bison bonasus , which is mainly found in Poland, but is starting to make a comeback in very small numbers in other parts of Europe.

There is also a distinctive northern subspecies of the American bison called the wood bison Bison bison athabascae , native to Alaska and Canada. Here are five distinct differences to help you distinguish between these big boys and girls of the grass-eating world.

Bison have a large shoulder hump of pure muscle and a massive head that makes their hindquarters look smaller than their fronts.

Both the Cape buffalo and water buffalo have smaller heads and shoulders in proportion to the rest of their bodies, giving them a more symmetrical appearance. Both male and female Cape buffalo have large horns in the shape of a handlebar mustache that sweep up on the ends and can grow up to three or more feet across on males. The water buffalo trumps them all with its majestic horns that can have a six-foot span in both sexes. Bison horns of both sexes average around two feet.

Bison have a thick, shaggy coat that keeps them warm in the harsh winter weather of the Great Plains, which they shed in the hot summer months. Bison would fit right in at a Williamsburg coffee shop or hip East Village bar with their long, unkempt beard.

Buffalo, however, might feel more comfortable in a Midtown office with a strict facial hair policy; they lack a beard of any sort.

The American bison wins in the length department: Males, called bulls, can grow up to The Cape buffalo comes in second in length, at around 11 feet and weighs in at a little less than 2,00o pounds. The water buffalo can grow up to nine feet and weigh as much as 2, pounds, making it the heavyweight champion.

Its tail is also longer than that of a bison, up to 33 inches compared with 26 inches for the bison. Check out all our stories from bisonweek! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Thank you so much for your very close description of the bison.

I was getting very tired of hearing from ignorants that the bison and buffalo are the same thing. It was very refreshing to read your message. Bison are accustomed to rugged conditions and can survive extreme conditions. Buffaloes are native to Asia and Africa and are found in other parts of the world now. Bisons live in rugged conditions and hence live till their teenage years while domesticated buffaloes are known to live for years.

Both Buffalo and Bison have similar diet - they thrive on grass. Both these animals drink gallons of water every day. Buffaloes, except for one or two species are domesticated, while Bisons aren't domesticated.

Buffalo milk is also used in Asia and Africa for consumption. Buffaloes are used as work animals extensively while bison are mostly wild in nature and aren't used for work.

Both animals are also raised for their meat. The Bison population is estimated to be around 2 million. There are about 20, wild bison and , commercial bison raised for meat in the United States. Share this comparison:. If you read this far, you should follow us:. Diffen LLC, n. Classification confused I found this to be one of the more formidable arguments for distinguishing the difference between a Bison and a Buffalo.

Cattle, on the other hand, have flat backs, shorter hair and smaller horns. Some of the other important differences between bison and cattle are less easy to spot with the naked eye. One of the biggest distinctions is that cattle have been domesticated.

Bison, on the other hand, are still considered wild animals, even if they do reside on farms. Another big difference is that cattle are dairy producers. Dairy farmers across the country raise cattle in order to get milk from then. That milk then gets turned into all kinds of popular dairy products, including cheese and butter. Bison are not milked commercially.