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Question
#38980. Hamlet.
asks:
What's the difference between a Bison and a Buffalo?
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shady shaker
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"Bison" is another name for a wild ox of two species: European (aka Visent) and American (aka Buffalo). (Conc. Oxf. Dict. 6th Ed.)
They're one and the same. (Maybe a Bison is an
upwardly mobile Buffalo?)
Sep 21 03, 1:41 AM
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lothruin
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The obvious answer is that they are different genus. One significant difference is geography. Bison are found in North America, while buffalo are found in Asia and Africa. Several different species exist in the genus Bubalus, the water buffalo. The African buffalo is only as related to the water buffalo as the American Bison is.
The physical characteristics are fairly marked. The skeletal structure of buffalo lack the characteristic hump of the bison. Another difference is that the American Bison can interbreed with cattle, while buffalo cannot. Bison have short horns, while most buffalo have long horns. I'm sure a detailed list of physical difference would take up too much room.
What most people call "buffalo" in America are bison. True buffalo are not native to America. The "American Buffalo" are all of the genus Bison.
Sep 21 03, 1:50 AM
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