Largest Land Animal in North America: The American Bison
The American Bison (Bison bison)—often called buffalo—is the largest terrestrial animal in North America.
Subspecies & Size
| Subspecies | Range | Max Weight (Male) | Shoulder Height | Length |
|---|
| Plains Bison (B. b. bison) | Great Plains | 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) | 1.9 m (6.2 ft) | 3.5 m (11.5 ft) |
| Wood Bison (B. b. athabascae) | Boreal NW Canada/Alaska | 1,100+ kg (2,400+ lb) | 2.0 m (6.6 ft) | 3.8 m (12.5 ft) |
Key Facts
- Historic Range: Alaska to Mexico, Atlantic to Pacific (~30–60 million pre-1800).
- Near Extinction: <1,000 by 1889 (commercial hide hunting, US Army policy).
- Recovery: ~500,000 today (mostly managed herds; ~30,000 wild/conservation).
- Ecological Role: Keystone grazer – creates habitat for birds, prairie dogs, plants; wallows = wetlands.
- Cultural: Sacred to Plains Nations (Lakota, Blackfeet, etc.). National Mammal of USA (2016).
Marine Comparison
If marine animals count: Blue Whale (global, includes N. Pacific/Atlantic) – 150,000 kg. North Atlantic Right Whale – 70,000 kg. But on land, Bison is king.
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