Type: Mammal
Diet: Herbivore
Average lifespan in the wild: 15 to 20 years
Size: Height at shoulder, 5 to 6.5 ft (1.5 to 2 m)
Weight: 1,800 lbs (820 kg)
Group name: Herd
Moose, known in Europe as elk, are the largest members of the deer family. They also have the largest antlers. Found only on males. The males use them to fight each other during mating season. These uniquely shaped antlers may measure as much as 6 feet across and weigh up to 70 pounds.
Moose video.
What does a moose look like?
Moose have dark brown hair. They have long skinny legs. They have a hump on their back. They have a huge, long head. Males are called bulls. The bulls have antlers. They fall off in the winter. They are much larger than females. Females are called cows. They have one or two babies. Baby moose are called calves. They are light brown.
Where do moose live?
Wild moose typically inhabit mixed deciduous in the temperate or subarctic parts in the northern Hemisphere. Moose are found in large areas of North America, including almost all of Canada, most of central and western Alaska, most of New England, the Rocky Mountains, North-east Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula (Michigan), Isle Royale (Lake Superior). Small population have also been found in the mountainous areas of Colorado. Moose were introduced to Newfoundland in 1904 and are now a prevalent species there, more so than the introduction in Anticosti Island.
What does a moose eat?
A ruminant with a four-chambered stomach, the moose feeds on twigs, bark, fresh leaves and young shoots of trees, as well as aquatic plants. The Algonkian name for the animal, "mooswa" — from which the English word "moose" was derived — means "twig-eater" or "the animal that strips bark off of trees."
How long does it take to grow antlers?
Adult moose shed their antlers after the mating season in order to conserve energy, then regrow them in spring. It takes about three to five months to grow a full set of antlers, making them among the fastest growing animal parts. The growing antlers are covered in a layer of skin called felt, which pumps blood to the developing organs. The felt is shed when the antlers have reached their full size.
Did you know this about moose?
A male moose's antlers are formidable weapons, but its first line of defense against predators are its sharp hooves, which the moose will kick out in all directions to fend off wolves, grizzlies and other carnivores.
The male moose has a long, dangling flap of skin beneath his chin called a "dewlap," the size and shape of which may indicate dominance to other bulls. The male will rub his dewlap on the female during the mating season to mark her with his scent.
Moose, known in Europe as elk, are the largest members of the deer family; they also have the largest antlers.
Found only on males, these palmate antlers may measure as much as six feet (2 m) across and weigh up to seventy pounds (32 kg).
They are shed and regrown annually.
The males use their antlers to fight each other during rutting season.
The moose is rarely gregarious, except when a harem forms during mating season.
A ruminant with a four-chambered stomach, the moose feeds on leaves, twigs, and young shoots of trees, as well as aquatic plants.
Moose images
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Moose Coloring pages
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