baby bison
Terri Webster Schrandt

Sunday Stills: Celebrating National #Bison Day with Hooves and Claws

In the U.S., November 1st was National Bison Day.

Hooray for bison! Now that I’ve had the opportunity to finally visit Yellowstone National Park and see bison for myself, this seemed like a good opportunity to share more about them.

bison grazing
Yellowstone Bison

BUT, this week’s Sunday Stills photo challenge is not just about bison, but about members of the animal kingdom that possess HOOVES and CLAWS. Just to be clear, you do NOT need an actual photo of a hoof or claw, but the animals that bear them.

Show Your Claws

Claws are one of the most important adaptations for survival in the animal kingdom. Claws are used for defense, for climbing, grasping prey or tree branches, for digging, grooming, and marking territory.

Juvenile Bald Eagle
Juvenile Bald Eagle sporting an impressive set of claws

“Every bird which flies has the thread of the infinite in its claw.” – Victor Hugo

An impressive list of animals and birds with claws includes crustaceans, eagles, owls, falcons, alligators and lizards, bears, squirrels, big cats, domestic cats and dogs, among others. I imagine you have photos of these and more!

cat on shelf
My Daughter’s Cat’s Claws

“If the claws didn’t retract, cats would be like Velcro.” – Bruce Fogle

Both Aero and Brodie have their own impressive set of claws. When Aero (on left) was groomed, you could really see his long claws. He hated having them cut back.

brown dog
Tired dog with ball

Hoofing It

Ungulates are hoofed animals that evolved from the same ancestor. According to AZ Animals, “the term ‘ungulates’ is used to describe animals that have what scientists call digitigrade locomotion, which means walking or running on their toes and having enlarged nails/claws that have formed hooves.”

two elk
Elk walking the streets of Payson, Arizona

Hooved animals are classified into two subgroups. There are two-toed ungulates (think cloven-hoofed), like deer, goats, pigs, antelope, water buffalo, bison, and domestic cattle!

highlander cow
Mini Highlander Cow seen at a local petting zoo

Most hoofed animals are herbivorous and migratory, but pigs and boars are some exceptions.

Moose on the Loose
Moose Enjoying a Backyard Stroll
Big moose track
Big moose track
grazing deer
Autumn Deer, Last on the Card

Then there are three- or odd-toed ungulates, with the third toe being the largest. Donkeys, horses, rhinos, and tapirs make up this category.

donkey
Las Vegas Donkey
brown horse and white foal

” ‘Horse thunder’ is what I call the sound of galloping hooves.” — John Fusco

What’s the Hubbub About Bison?

Bison are large, herbivorous mammals native to North America and parts of Europe, where they predominantly inhabit grasslands. They live in herds and are characterized by their large, heavy bodies, humped shoulders, small horns, and unpredictable natures. SOURCE

The European Bison or “Wisent” is a European species of bison.

According to an article by Earth Eco Balance, these mighty creatures once roamed freely across the Great Plains of the U.S., with numbers estimated to be between 30 and 60 million in the 1500s. They shaped the land itself, their grazing patterns maintained healthy grasslands, their migrations spread seeds, and their presence supported countless other species that shared the prairies.

Hunting nearly wiped out wild bison herds in the 1800s. By 1902, only 23 bison lived in Yellowstone!

bison close-up
Close-Up Yellowstone Bison

Excessive hunting and land changes drove the decline. Today, bison restoration efforts have increased the population to approximately 500,000 across North America. (Earth Eco Balance)

field of bison
Yellowstone, where the bison roam

Although commonly called buffalo in North America, bison are not true buffalo at all. True buffalo species include the Asian water buffalo and the African Cape buffalo, which are only distantly related to the American bison.

The misnomer dates back to early European explorers, who referred to the animals as “boeuf” (French for “beef”), which later evolved into the term “buffalo.”

bison herd
Yellowstone Bison

While our clawed friend, the Bald Eagle, is the national symbol of the United States, the American bison was seriously considered for the honor. In 2016, President Obama signed the National Bison Legacy Act, officially designating the American bison as the national mammal of the United States. The bison is also the state mammal of Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Kansas.

reclining bison
Yellowstone Bison

“If there be no place for wild bison in all of Montana, then surely we have crossed a line between the Last Best Place and the the Once Best Place.” – Jim Bailey

Earlier in October, I volunteered at the annual Stonelodge Farms Fall Festival near our home. This year, a petting farm featured a variety of miniature animals, including the miniature Highland cow shown earlier. To my delight, there was also a baby bison!

baby bison

The petting farm’s owner explained that this baby was born as a twin. Bison calves born in the wild can stand and walk within minutes of birth. However, a twin birth is rare; one of the twins may be defective genetically, or the mother may not be able to care for them both and protect them from wild animals. One twin usually dies.

This little guy is a runt and will not grow to more than 700 pounds (317 kg). In comparison, adult bison top out at 2200 pounds (998 kg). He’ll have a good life in the petting farm.

National Bison Day reminds us to honor and protect this powerful animal, whose comeback from near extinction shows the strength of both nature and community effort.

“As the Bison roams the plains, it teaches us that life is a journey, not a race.” ~ Native American Proverb

bison graphic

Sharing for Becky B’s November Shadows, Brian’s Last on the Card (misty deer), and Johnbo’s Cellpic Sunday.

Thank you for being a part of my blogging community since October 31, 2011!

graphic
brown swatch

Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Reminders

The Sunday Stills weekly-themed photo challenge is easy to join. You have all week to share and link your post. Please use your own original images, whether new or from your archives.

  • Remember to title your blog post a little differently from mine.
  • Please create a new post for the theme or link to a recent one.
  • Entries for this theme can be posted all week.
  • Tag your post “Sunday Stills.”
  • Don’t forget to create a pingback to this post so that other participants can read your post.
  • I also recommend adding your post’s URL to the comments.

If you are participating in the photo challenge, I look forward to seeing how you interpret this week’s theme! Creativity is encouraged, so please share your own photographs (old or new), poems, original short stories, and music inspired by the theme. Join me next week as we go LEAF PEEPING. Have a wonderful week!

Themes for November are ready to view on my Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Page.

Nov 2 Hooves and Claws
Nov 9 Leaf Peeping
Nov 16 Monthly Color Challenge: Brown and Gray
Nov 23 All Things Bright and Beautiful
Nov 30 Textures

“We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The deer, the horse, the great eagle—these are our brothers.” – Chief Seattle

Bald Eagle Intense Glare

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109 comments

  1. I tried to make a comment earlier but had a pop up saying the comment couldn’t be posted so I’ll try again. Apologies if it double posted.

    That’s a very impressive Highland Cow. I love your photos of hooves and claws, those bison are huge!

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  5. It’s not every day we celebrate hooves and claws. What a perfect way to celebrate and learn a little about these amazing animals. Like most, I’ve never seen a picture of a baby buffalo. I take it that the other twin made it, and will grow to be a normal size?

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  12. Wow! I love all the photos, Terri! That Juvenile Bald Eagle was a super shot. You had a good day taking the bison photos at Yellowstone. We have Elk crossing signs but I haven’t seen them on the road yet. We also have Ducks crossing signs and my car was among many that stopped to let the Canada geese cross the road! 🙂

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  14. A fabulous post all round Terri. You know I have a soft spot for Bison.

    The deer in the mist – sounds like a good movie title 😂 – is a fabulous last photo.

    Thanks for joining in 😀
    Sorry for the late reply

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  16. Love the bison meme!! All good thoughts there. We regularly see bison at a farm near us and we’ve seen them at Grasslands National Park as well as Elk Island National Park. Would not want to tangle with one!
    I also double dipped with Becky’s challenge!

    Shadowy cow(s)

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  19. Just like Aero, Austin hates having his nails cut, too! It’s the noise it makes, Terri. Where, on the other hand, Toby does not care. I think he’d even let someone paint his nails! Both my dogs also seem to enjoy clawing at the carpet, as if they are making a bed. If you could see the marks it leaves.

    Your post also reminded me of that old Christmas cracker joke – ‘What’s the difference between a buffalo and a bison? Answer – you can’t wash your hands in a buffalo! I hope that creates a few smiles as the shorter days set in, Terri.

    Have a great week.

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  20. Who could not love that face of the baby bison in your header. Interesting to know, the baby was born as a twin. Yes, I know about cat’s claws. Our little diva hates to have her claws trimmed. 😼

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      • yeah, I was not a huge fan – but my husband and I were just talking about how expensive the wings have become. Nack in the 80s and even into the 90s – you could fine them cheap – or even free at bars for happy hour. Now, they are quite pricy and because we do not love them that much – no biggie to get something else for an app – xxx

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  25. That was a fun post Terri. I learned a lot about bison and I did not know the American bison is the national mammal of the United States. I have never seen a bison before.

    The Highlander Mini Cow was so cute. On Facebook, there is a photographer that advertises photography sessions with a Highlander Cow at a farm (not near me). She is often booked up solid in the Summer.

    Well initially I thought it would be Hooves and Feathers per our comments on your Yellowstone post, so I did a post about birds that I’ve sketched this Summer. I have added some facts about claws and feet to accommodate this Challenge, but I also will have hooves in my Wednesday post. 🙂

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  26. Congratulations on 14 years! That is awesome.
    Love all the pictures. Bison are amazing, aren’t they? We have a Bison Farm up the road from us in Pennsylvania. It is always so cool to see them grazing. We really enjoy it when there are calves in the pastures.
    Fun post.
    Happy November!

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  31. Excellent photos, Terri! A couple of days ago my sister and I spotted a Cooper’s Hawk in my backyard with a Mourning Dove pinned down. It flew away with its dinner. 😂 Have a great new week! 😊

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      • It was amazing, my sis was just getting out of the shower so I hollered for her to come see! For the last three or so weeks, there have been around 30 to 55 Mourning Doves landing on the block walls (fences) around my backyard, why they are doing this I have no clue but it is so fun to see. Now that the hawk has taken one of their buddies I am interested to see if they return this eve just before dusk.

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  34. Fantastic theme and photos, Terri. I love all your photos; you capture a sense of the personality of the animals especially in your close-ups. I love your last on-card photo… magical!

    P.S. Your dogs Aero and Brodie are adorable. Your daughter’s cat seems to love posing for the camera. Awesome!

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