Fertile American grasslands are home to a variety of plants and animals.
The American grasslands, or prairies, are divided into two types of grassland. One is long-grass, which is humid and wet with grasses up to 11 feet tall and the other is short-grass, with dry, hot summers and very cold winters. Animals native to the Americas live in both types of grasslands, grazing on the grasses or hunting for small animals who live among the protection of the grasses and rolling terrain.
American Bison
No other animal symbolizes the American prairie like the American bison. Sometimes mistakenly called buffalo, the American bison once roamed the prairies in herds of thousands of animals during the mating season. Over the years, hunting and loss of habitat have reduced their numbers drastically. At 5 to 6 feet tall at the shoulder and weighing more than a ton, American bison are the largest land animal on the North American continent. Despite their size, bison are quick, achieving running speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. They are grazers, feeding on grasses, especially new spring growth, twigs, herbs and shrubs. In the wild, American bison live to be 12 to 20 years old.
Wild Turkey
Native to North America, the distinctive-looking wild turkey makes its habitat in grasslands and sparse forests. They are easily recognizable by the broad, rounded breast, red wattle and naked head and their large, fanned rear feathers. Populations dipped dramatically in the 19th and 20th centuries due to hunting and habitat loss. The wild turkey continues to be reintroduced to its native habitats and beyond and populations are increasing again. The wild turkey is an omnivore, eating nuts, seeds, fruits, insects and small lizards. Wild turkeys mate in the spring, after which the male has no further contact with the chicks. Female turkeys feed their chicks for a few days after hatching, but they quickly learn to fend for themselves. Females and their chicks sometimes band together with other broods for protection.
Rabbits and Other Rodents
Rabbits, mice and voles number in the hundreds of thousands of animals in the grasslands. These small animals eat grasses, seeds and flowers and make their homes under the grasses in dens or holes. The grasses provide some amount of protection to rabbits, mice and voles, since the small size of the animals allows them to hide among grasses taller than they are. These rodents tend to breed frequently and can have large litters of young. Rabbits' coats tend to grow thicker as cold winter grasslands weather hits and thins out again in the hot summers.
Birds of Prey
The abundance of small animals like rabbits, mice and voles makes the grasslands an ideal hunting ground for carnivorous raptors like American bald eagles and red-tailed hawks. These birds of prey have keen sight and hearing, useful for spotting a small animal in the tall grasses below. Bald eagles and hawks are most commonly seen soaring overhead or sitting on fences or telephone poles waiting for a warm updraft or a meal to show up. Raptors nest high in trees or other tall structures. Red-tailed hawks in particular are very aggressive when defending their nest and will attack other raptors who come too close.
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