Differences Between Bison & Cows

Bison and cattle both belong to the bovidae family, share a number of common traits, and are similar in appearance. Two species of bison exist: the European and American varieties. Both are closely related and very similar. All breeds of domestic cattle belong to the species bos taurus, which is almost entirely domesticated in modern day.

  1. Description

    • The American is the largest of the two bison species, growing to 6 feet at the shoulder, over 12 feet in length and almost 2,000 lbs. Domestic cattle tend to be shorter, measuring around 4 to 5 feet at the shoulder and weighing an average of 1,600 lbs. depending on breed, although some can come close to 3,000 lbs. Cattle tend to have short coats, while bison have thick, brown shaggy coats. Bison have larger heads than cattle and also have a large, pronounced hump at the shoulders which cattle generally lack.

    Habitat and Range

    • Selective breeding and domestication means cattle are found throughout the world in a variety of habitats. Their wild ancestors originated from Europe, Africa and Asia. The American bison is only found in small populations in the northwestern U.S. and southwest Canada. It prefers the open habitats such as plains and grassland prairies. The European bison is native to a few countries in Europe such as Poland, Belarus, Russia and the Ukraine. Being smaller, they tend to live in more forested areas. All three are herd animals by nature, with bison living in groups and cattle kept in groups by humans.

    Diet and Predators

    • Bison and cattle are both specialized herbivores and feed heavily on grass as well as low-lying shrubs, fungi, mosses and lichens. The bison relies solely on what it can find naturally, and may struggle in winter when vegetation is buried by snow. Cattle, kept by humans, rely on either being moved somewhere for grazing, or having the diet supplemented with grains and feeds. Bison are large and imposing, so they have few predators, except wolves and, in certain areas, large predatory cats. Cattle, for the most part, are protected from predators by farmers, but can sometimes fall prey to large predators.

    Life Cycle

    • Bison and cattle only breed once a year, but cattle can do so at almost any time of year with human help. Bison breed with the seasons, aiming to give birth in the warm summer months when food is plentiful. Pregnancies for both bison types and cattle last around nine months, and generally only produce one offspring. Young cattle are weaned in half the time of bison, around six months, but this is due to human intervention. Selective breeding also means cattle breed at a younger age, reaching maturity at 1-year-old compared to 2 or 3 for bison.