Bison and buffalo are different species of animal, although they both belong to the Bovinae subfamily of the Bovidae family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals.
Bison are large, shaggy-haired horned mammals native to North America and Europe, and while they are often colloquially referred to as ‘buffalo’, they are not true buffalos.
Buffalo are large, horned mammals native to Africa and Asia. There are several different types of buffalo, including the cape buffalo, the water buffalo, and the anoa.