# buffalo or bison **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 14, 2002, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-or-bison/114083 "2002-06-14T19:11:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@Lure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lure)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-or-bison/114083/1 "2002-06-14T19:11:31Z")
Why isn’t a bison a buffalo?What are the requirements to get into this particular animal class? A water buffalo looks sorta like those oxen that pull loads in different countries.Are they buffalo? A long horn steer looks like a slimmed down version.Is he a buffalo? And if the bison isn’t a buffalo-what is unique to their place in the cattle type animal world? Bonus question=There’s a bullmoose and a cowmoose (or moose cow?)-what’s a cow’s (the things that give milk) animal family name-apart from breeds. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-or-bison/114083/2 "2002-06-14T19:56:34Z")
Moose are members of the deer family, _Cervidae_. The moose genus is _Alces_, and the only species in that genus is _A. alces_. There are several subspecies. Bison, buffalo, and domestic cattle are all members of the _Bovidae_ family. Buffalos are of the genera _Syncerus_ (African buffalo), _Bubalus_ (Indian buffalo), or \* Anoa\* (“dwarf” buffalos). Bison are of the genus _Bison_. Domesticated cattle are of the genus _Bos_, as are yaks and gaurs. ---
**Author:** ![Cap\_n\_Crude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Cap\_n\_Crude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Crude)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-or-bison/114083/3 "2002-06-14T20:00:03Z")
The difference: yer can’t warsh yer 'ands in a buffalo, mate. ---
**Author:** ![Cap\_n\_Crude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Cap\_n\_Crude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Crude)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-or-bison/114083/4 "2002-06-14T20:42:39Z")
The difference: yer can’t warsh yer 'ands in a buffalo, mate. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-or-bison/114083/5 "2002-06-14T20:48:00Z")
It appears that “bison” originally referred to the big European bovine critters, and “buffalo” the African and Asian critters. (source: OED) I guess when the Europeans came over, they called them names that were “more familiar,” but IANAAEH (I am not an animal etymology historian. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-or-bison/114083/6 "2002-06-14T22:43:06Z")
My understanding is that buffalo, all native to the Eastern hemisphere, have horns growing from the tops of their heads and bison, all native to the Western Hemisphere, have horns growing from the sides of their heads. Buffalo is a common misnomer for the American bison. [OGDEN NASH]I’ve never seen bison Soar o’er the horizon, So what kind of things are these “buffalo wings”?[/OGDEN NASH] ---
**Author:** ![Yeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/dbc845/32.png) [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-or-bison/114083/7 "2002-06-15T01:36:02Z")
“I guess when the Europeans came over, they called them names that were “more familiar,” but IANAAEH (I am not an animal etymology historian.” It seems to me that they should have been more familiar with bison than buffalo. The European bison (Bison bonasus) or wisent, which used to roam all over Europe, was still running around loose in parts of Europe in those days wheras AFAIK the only buffalo in Europe at that time were water buffalo in southern Italy. Bison bonasus isn’t as big as Bison bison but it’s getting there: Body Length: 290 cm / 9.6 ft. Shoulder Height: 180-195 cm / 6-6.5 ft. Tail Length: 80 cm / 2.6 ft. Weight: 800-1000 kg / 1760-2200 lb. ---
**Author:** ![femtosecond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@femtosecond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femtosecond)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-or-bison/114083/8 "2002-06-15T09:15:25Z")
**Cap’n Crude** , why didn’t you just link to your post in this thread? [Buffalo vs. Bison](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=1401217#post1401217) 😃