User:ThatsCrazey/Wood bison

Diet
Wood bison are herbivorous grazers that feed primarily on grasses, sedges, and forbs. Due to frequent and heavy snowfall in their native habitat, food availability fluctuates throughout the year, leading to a diverse and varied diet. Deep snow often creates a barrier between the bison and their food source, so they must use their large heads and neck muscles to dig for edible morsels. After the temperature rises and the snow melts, wood bison also feed on silverberry and willow leaves in the summer.

Reproduction and Behavior
Wood bison reach sexual maturity at age 2. Females will often rear their first calf by age 3 and may produce a single additional offspring every 1-2 years. Mating season typically runs from July to September, with most activity occurring during August as evidenced by the fact most calves are born in May following a 9-month gestation period. Bison young are precocial, with many mastering the skills required to evade predators, such as running and kicking, on the same day they are born.

Reproduction is limited by the amount of habitat available. Bison tend to disperse when there is not enough food to sustain a population within the current range, which causes a decrease in population density, indirectly lowering the rate at which mating occurs. Older bulls will typically have larger ranges than female herds, thereby pushing the younger breeding population to greater distances. Loss of functional habitat is a major ecological concern for this species due to the density-dependent nature of reproduction.

Adaptations
Researchers believe wood bison are beneficiaries of a natural law known as Bergmann's rule due to their sheer size. Their increased body mass over their southern cousin, the plains bison, produces more heat and provides a larger frame on which to store fat for the winter months. This, along with several other adaptations, helps the animal survive in the harsh climate of northern Canada and Alaska. The wooly hair that covers the body is such an effective insulator that falling snow will collect on the bison rather than melting, further insulating the animal from the cold. When food becomes more scarce in the winter, wood bison are also capable of slowing down their metabolic rate. The primary benefit is slower digestion rates which means the animals are able to pull more nutrients out of each meal. This results in fewer necessary feedings to maintain energy demands. In addition to greater nutrient absorption, the slower digestion rate means more heat is produced as a byproduct of metabolizing the food, further contributing to maintaining body temperature.

Although wood bison are native to Canada and Alaska, they have also been introduced to Yakutia, Russia as part of an ongoing species restoration project. Yakutia provides similar climatic conditions as in Canada, albeit with colder average temperatures. The Northwest Territories in Canada can drop as low as -40 °C during the winter months while areas in Yakutia, such as Oymyakon have been reported to drop as low as -71.2 °C. Despite the frigid temperatures, the bison herd is adapting well to the new environment.