We characterized social and spatial patterns of wallowing (dust-bathing) behavior in an American bison Bison bison (Linnaeus, 1758) population on a tallgrass prairie site in Oklahoma, USA. Consistent with earlier studies, wallowing was primarily practiced by adults, Unlike earlier studies, however, aggressive interactions associated with wallowing incidents were rare, probably due to the reduced bullicow ratio in the population. Forty-three significant soil disturbance sites, known as wallows, were created by wallowing activity during the 2-year study. The spatial distribution of wallows was significantly different from overall bison habitat use patterns for some landscape characteristics. Bison preferentially formed wallows on relatively level areas on spring and fall burns, thus avoiding summer burns, unburned areas, and severe slopes. Bison wallowed exclusively on bare or exposed soils when not using wallows, and in many instances wallowed on soil disturbed by other animals. When coupled with a preference for wallowing on relatively coarse soils, bison clearly exhibit a macro- and microsite preference for the conduction of this behavior. This preference has important implications for wallow distribution and their resulting ecological function in prairie environments.
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