A bison's hump helps it plow through snow with ease

A bison’s hump helps it plow through snow with ease
North America’s largest land mammal is built to clear away ice and snow to find food.
By Lisa Meyers McClintick


Bison, like this one seen in Evergreen, Colo., are built for extreme cold temperatures. (David Zalubowski/The Associated Press)

January 4, 2026 at 8:00AM

When blizzards are blowing and snow swirls into monster drifts, Minnesota’s bison herds barely miss a beat.

Extra thick skin and famously warm winter coats protect these once free-roaming goliaths of the Great Plains from fierce winds and temperatures down to minus 40 degrees. The finer undercoat insulates while the coarser outer fur repels water. Snow will often pile up on their fur without melting, much like the roof of a well-insulated house.

“One of my favorite adaptations of the bison is the hump,” said Alex Watson, regional naturalist for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “It’s almost all muscle. It powers their head, and they can use their head like a shovel to dig out snow and ice.”

Long vertebrae jut vertically from the bison’s upper spine into the hump to give it support and strength as they swing their heads.
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https://www.startribune.com/a-bisons-hump-helps-it-plow-through-snow-with-ease/601554928




Bison skeleton. “Bison bison. Specimen of Bison skeleton prepared by the bone maceration technique and on display at the Museum of Veterinary Anatomy, FMVZ USP.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_bison

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