Wisent

Wisent
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Animalia
Subkingdom	Bilateria
Branch	Deuterostomia
Phylum Information
Phylum	Chordata
Sub-phylum	Vertebrata
Infraphylum	Gnathostomata
Class Information
Class	Mammalia
Sub-class	Theriiformes
Infra-class	Holotheria
Order Information
Superorder	Preptotheria
Order	Artiodactyla
Family Information
Family	Bovidae
Sub-family	Bovinae
Genus Information
Genus	Bison
Species Information
Species	B. bonasus
Subspecies	B. b. bonasus B. b. caucasicus
Population statistics
Population	1,800 (2006)
Conservation status	Threatened[1]

The wisent or European bison (Bison bonasus), is the largest living land mammal in Europe, and a relative of the American bison. At one time nearly extinct, the wisent has made a small comeback through careful breeding of captive individuals, small reintroductions to the wild, and intensive conservation management.

Description[edit]

The wisent stands between 5 and 7 feet at the shoulder, and weighs up to 2,000 pounds. Body length is just over 10 feet, excluding the tail. The color of the animal is a uniform brown throughout. The extinct subspecies B. b. caucasicus was slightly smaller, with a warm sepia color to the coat.

The wisent differs from its American relative in having a leaner look; the shoulder hump is less-pronounced, giving the back an almost straight appearance. The tail is longer and hangs down to below the fetlocks, while the body hair is shorter; in the American bison there is a well-defined dark shaggy area forward of the chest, something the wisent lacks.

References[edit]