Here is the monster!

The bison is the heaviest and largest land mammal in Europe, but at the same time, already at the end of the 19th century, there was a tendency to reduce the size of the European bison. Back in the first half of the 20th century, there were adult males of the Belovezhskaya subspecies, reaching a mass of 1200 kilograms. Adult bulls of the Caucasian subspecies were somewhat lighter - their average weight was 480 kg, not exceeding 700 kg in the largest animals. Modern bison are inferior in size both to their ancestors (and their preserved stuffed animals) who lived a century ago, and to one of the subspecies of American bison - wood bison (Bison bison athabascae). The mass of modern adult males of the Belovezhskaya subspecies ranges from 400 to 920 kg. In reference books, however, up to the present time, a mass of up to 1000 kg is indicated. A pronounced difference in the mass of males and females becomes noticeable by the age of three and persists throughout life. Heifers at birth on average weigh about 24 kg versus 28 kg for bulls. In the first three months of life, they double their weight, and by the end of the first year, it averages 175 kg for cows and 190 kg for bulls. By the age of four, bulls weigh an average of about 467 kg compared to 341 kg for cows, and by 6 years old, bulls weigh an average of 634 kg (from 436 to 840 kg), and cows - 424 (from 340 to 540 kg).

The length of the body of adult six-year-old bulls can reach 300 cm, the height at the withers is 188 centimeters, the circumference of the chest is 280 cm.

The anterior part of the bison's body is much more massive, taller and wider than the posterior part. The short neck and front part of the back form a high hump from above due to the longer spinous processes of the thoracic vertebrae between the shoulder blades surrounded by muscles, which is higher in males [50]. The chest is wide in front, the stomach is tucked up. The udder of females, even during the feeding period, is imperceptible, four nipples are barely visible. The mammary glands are hidden in two scars stretching to the middle of the abdomen. The genital organs are almost invisible even in pregnant bison. In males, the hairy scrotum is pushed forward and is located close to the lower abdomen. It is much less than that of domestic bulls. The foreskin of the penis ends in a well-marked tuft of hair (bovine brush), so that determining the sex of animals in the field is not a problem.

The head of the animal is located so low that the base of the tail is always located above the crown of the head. The forehead is wide, convex, and the muzzle, on the contrary, is relatively small. The widely spaced and protruding horns located in the parietal region are not large in relation to the size of the beast and the massiveness of the head. Their bends are directed to the sides, and the distance between their tips is greater than between the bases. Broad at the base, they taper towards the ends, while in cows they are thinner, shorter and more curved. They are black in color, have a smooth, polished surface, a hollow and round shape in section throughout. Throughout life, they do not change, however, in older animals, as a rule, the horns are blunt or partially knocked down. The length of the horns along the outer curve reaches 65 cm, the collapse - up to 78 cm. The ears are short, wide, covered with hair and largely hidden in the thick hair on the head.

Lips, tongue and palate are dark, slate-bluish in color. The tongue is covered with large papillae, the lips are thin and on the inside, like the cheeks, are covered with leathery, pointed growths. The bison has 32 teeth, the formula of which is common with most ruminants (Ruminantia): incisors - 0/3, canines - 0/1, premolars - 3/3, molars - 3/3. The incisors are widened and have a chisel-like shape.

The eyes are small relative to the lateral surface of the head, have convex and mobile eyeballs. The color of the eyes appears black, as the protein is practically invisible. The pupil is oval in diameter, with a narrowing in the center. The edges of the eyelids are black, the eyelashes are long and thick.

The bison's neck is powerful, thick, without the drooping dewlap characteristic of many bulls. The legs are strong, thick, and the front legs are much shorter than the hind legs. The hooves are large, arched, and there are also vestigial small lateral hooves that do not reach the ground.
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