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

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

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.