Moose
Moose Facts
| Size | Up to 7.5 ft (2.3 m) (shoulder height) |
| Speed | Up to 37 mph (60 km/h) |
| Weight | Up to 1,700 lb (800 kg) |
| Lifespan | 10-16 years |
| Food | Grass, water plants |
| Predators | Bears, wolves |
| Habitat | Northern Europe, Northern Asia, North America, Greenland |
| Order | Ungulates |
| Family | Deers |
| Subfamily | New World deers |
| Scientific name | Alces alces |
| Characteristics | Males: open-hand shaped antlers, solitary animal |
Main Characteristics
Moose are deer the largest deer species in the world. They live in colder regions in Northern Europe, North Asia and North America. They are solitary animals who are active both during the day and at night. Male moose have antlers that can have a span up to 6.5 feet (2 meters).
Diet
Moose favour fresh tree shoots and aquatic plants. And boy, they eat a lot. This is a huge animal with a huge appetite! In the summer they devour about 73 pounds (32 kg) and in winter around 34 lb (15 kg), because they do not find so much in the snow.
Moose love to plunder trees. They have a thing for apples, and sometimes they come across fermented fruits lying on the ground. Eating those apples makes them dizzy in their heads.
Behavior
They Even Feed Underwater
Moose are the only deer that can feed underwater. Muscles and fat pads on their nose help them to close the nostrils underwater.
Anatomy and Appearance
Antlers
Why do moose have antlers? Bulls wear antlers to intimidate other male moose and to impress female moose. By the way, particularly large antlers are called palmate antlers, because they look like an open hand.
Why do moose shed their antlers? The antlers of a moose can weigh up to 44 pounds (20 kg). The record for the heaviest antlers ever is at 79 pounds (36 kg)! Moose drop their antlers in winter time because they find less food during this time and it saves energy to carry less weight. In spring time the antlers regrow.
Enemies and Threats
Do moose have enemies? You can hardly imagine that an animal of this size could have any enemies. After all, moose can also kick pretty hard with their hooves. A wolf pack or a bear has little chance to bring down an adult moose bull. Of course, this is totally different with a calf, an old or a sick moose. They are not able to defend themselves as good. But even the strongest moose has an dangerous enemy. And it is surprsingly tiny! It is a worm that nests in his brain. Yuck! Elks sometimes eat it along with their food.
From here you find infos written by animalfunfacts fan Rosa!
They Wear Goatees
Moose are not related to goats, but they have one stunning thing in common: Both animal species have goatees. In the case of goats only he-goats have such a beard, but in case of moose both male and female animals have it. It can be up to 9.8 inches (25 cm) long.
Beware of Moose on the Road
Sweden is very proud of the moose, but with their body height of 7.5 feet (2.3 meters) they are bigger than every soccer goal and therefore not really fit for playing soccer. However, not everything is going easy for the moose. Every fifth car accident in Sweden is caused by moose loitering about on the roads. But this does not impair their popularity. Quite the contrary: Moose are Sweden’s national animal.
Reproduction
During the rut, bull moose fight each other. Mating does only take as much time as a casual kiss and is over after two or three seconds. The moose calf is born about 8 months later. After 17 months it is mature already and can mate and get pregnant with a calf.
Fun Facts
The Moose Test
The moose test is a famous driving test simulating the situation of suddenly having to veer for moose.
The facts above were submitted by animalfunfacts.net fan Rosa. Thanks for this amazing article!
The Moose Is Related To:
- Deer
- Reindeer
