10 facts about America's new national mammal

The bald eagle is both the national bird and the national animal of the United States, but as of Monday it is no longer the only animal to represent America.

President Barack Obama named the American Bison the national mammal on Monday by signing the National Bison Legacy Act. In addition to acknowledging the historical significance of the bison, the bill also recognized the bison as a sacred and spiritual symbol of Native American heritage.

Here are 10 things you may not have known about our new national mammal, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior:

1) The bison is the largest mammal in North America: Males can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and stand 6 feet tall, while females typically weigh around 1,000 pounds and stand up to 5 feet tall.

2) The bison’s real name is bison bison bison: The scientific name is bison bison bison because its genus, species and subspecies are all bison.

3) Bison and buffalo are the same: The names are used interchangeably, but bison is the technically correct name in North America.

4) Yellowstone National Park is the only place in the U.S. where bison have continuously lived since prehistoric times: About 4,900 bison live in Yellowstone National Park now, and they can also be found in Alaska, Nevada and the Appalachian Mountains.

5) You can tell a bison’s mood by its tail: If a bison’s tail hangs down and switches occasionally then it’s calm, but if it’s standing straight up the bison is ready to charge. But even if the tail is down, watch out, because bison are notoriously unpredictable and can charge at any time.

6) Baby bison are called red dogs: Bison calves weigh between 30 and 70 pounds at birth and start out orange-red in color, with their fur growing darker brown a few months after they’re born.

7) Bison are fast: Bison can run up to 35 miles per hour and jump fences easily. Yellowstone National Park cautions all visitors to keep at least 25 yards between them and bison at all times. Three visitors have been killed by charging bison since the park was established.

8) Bison live up to 20 years old: Typically bison live between 10 and 20 years.

9) Bison are nearsighted: Bison eyesight is extremely poor, but they have excellent senses of smell and hearing.

10) Bison were some of the first animals at the National Zoo in D.C.: The animals were originally exhibited on the National Mall before they were moved in 1891. Bison returned to the National Zoo in 2014.

This story was originally published May 9, 2016 at 4:44 PM with the headline "10 facts about America's new national mammal."