JACKSON, Wyo. — According to the National Park Service (NPS), bison counterintuitively turn toward winter storms to keep warm.
In a Dec. 18 Facebook post, the NPS wrote that bison develop thick, wooly coats during the winter season to protect themselves from freezing temperatures and harsh winds.
“It’s said that a bison’s winter coat is so thick and provides insulation so effective that when snow accumulates on its coat, it will not melt from the heat of the bison’s skin,” the NPS writes.
Bison skin also has a unique response to winter weather; it will thicken in response to cold temperatures, with fatty deposits appearing to insulate the animal. Because of their skin and coat, turning to face a storm and its frigid temperatures allows a bison to hunker down and stay warm while waiting for the storm to pass.
The NPS notes that facing the storm head-on means the storm will pass quicker, instead of drifting with the wind and walking along inside the storm.
Bison can survive the same storm that will kill many domestic livestock, the NPS writes. Bison also have the ability to use their large head and massive neck and shoulder muscles as snow plows, and can forage in snow as deep as four feet.
