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With antlers that can grow up to 6 feet long, the moose stands out as one of the most distinct
looking creatures in the animal kingdom.
Naturally inhabiting colder areas, moose have been an important source of clothing and food
for the Native Americans of Alaska.
Although they’re typically gentle animals, moose can still pack a punch with their powerful
hooves, striking with a weight heavier than the average motorbike.
Aside from their antlers and size, what else is there to know about the world’s biggest
deer species?
Watch on to find out.
Moose have huge appetites.
Typically, a moose eats around 30 pounds daily in the winter and 70 pounds in the summer.
As herbivores, their diet consists of different kinds of woody plants, shrubs, bark, and water plants.
During winter, they eat buds of trees and plants.
Male moose usually weigh double the average female.
Female moose typically weigh around 360 kg, while males reach up to 700 kg.
To compare, the average car weighs 1,700 kg.
If you value your life, you’d steer clear of an angry male moose.
The moose can run faster than humans.
Despite their weight, moose can run as fast as 56 kilometers per hour and swim for
16 kilometers without stopping.
Meanwhile, the Olympic gold medalist sprinter Usain Bolt holds the record for the fastest
man alive at a speed of 44.64 kilometers per hour.
Unless you can outrun Usain Bolt, it’s best not to piss off a moose anytime soon.
Only male moose have dewlaps.
Dewlaps refer to the dangling flaps that look like loose skin under their chins.
Bulls rub these on cows to scent mark them during mating season.
The size of the dewlap may also indicate a moose’s dominance level.
Canada has the most number of moose.
The land of maple may as well be known as the land of moose.
Although Canada has the most number of moose, they are also found in Alaska, New England,
Fennoscandia, the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), and Russia.
Russia has the second largest population of moose.
While Canada holds around 500 thousand to 1 million moose, Russia has a moose population
of around 600 thousand.
This is followed by the United States and Sweden at 300,000 each.
Moose are one of the least social animals.
Unlike other deer species, moose do not join herds.
For the most part, moose are solitary animals, except for calves that remain with their mother
until they no longer need them.
Other than that, moose only socialize during mating season.
How’s that for relatable moose facts?
The moose is prone to infections.
Moose can be dangerous opponents with their huge antlers and sharp hooves, but they still
have natural predators.
Bears and wolves usually pick off young, sick, and old moose.
A single bite from these predators can cause infections that can kill even a healthy adult
moose within two weeks.
The moose lifespan has shortened over time.
Although moose could normally live up to 25 years, most moose today only tend to live
around 10 years due to intensive hunting by humans.
Hunters target male moose more than females.
Compared to female moose or cows, hunters often target male moose more.
As a result, only up to 10% of bulls reach the age of 5, while cows generally live 10
to 20 years old.
The plural of moose is moose.
The only correct plural form of moose is moose.
People often think that its plural form is “Mooses” or “Meese,” but this is actually
not the case.
Moose pregnancy lasts 243 days.
In general, the moose’s pregnancy period lasts 243 days.
Female moose normally give birth to one or two calves, with a maximum of three in rare
occasions.
Female moose can gain up to 1.5 kilograms per day.
At birth, the moose’s calf weighs approximately 8-15 kilograms.
During the first few months, they gain 1.5 kilograms a day.
A pregnant moose’s reddish fur transforms into brown after about 2.5 months.
Moose are strong divers.
Moose can dive approximately 6 meters or 20 feet deep.
They do this to reach the aquatic plants at the bottom of rivers and lakes.
They also use their big nostrils as valves that keep the water out when diving, which
is comparable to a snorkel.
Moose were once a primary source of clothing and food.
Historically, moose were consistently hunted for sustenance that their numbers declined
by the mid-1800s.
This was also because of the lack of laws protecting the species.
Today, hunting moose is still legal in the United States but with heavy regulations.
The biggest moose stands at 7.6 feet tall and weighs 1,807 lbs.
The biggest moose ever hunted in Alaska was recorded in September 1897, in Western Yukon.
The moose stood 7.6 feet tall at the shoulder and it weighed 820 kilograms or 1,807 lbs.
The word moose came from the Algonquian languages.
Moose are called ‘moose’ in North American English, while it’s called ‘elk’ in
British English.
The term ‘moose’ had first entered English in 1606.
Moose mostly use their hooves for defense.
The moose’s huge antlers may look like their main weapon, but they mostly use their sharp
hooves to fight off predators.
Combined with their weight and agility, moose are capable of seriously wounding a bear or
wolf with their sharp hooves.
Moose use their antlers to show off.
During moose mating season in autumn, males use their antlers to fight with other bull
moose to flex to potential mates.
Around this time, bulls scatter throughout the land looking for a female mate and establishing
breeding territory.
For male moose, size matters.
Moose fights are not always fight-to-death scenarios.
During a fight, the competing moose usually backs-out if the challenger has a greater
rack of antlers.
It is also easier to attract a mate with impressive antlers.
Antlers can weigh more than 35 pounds.
The moose’s antlers are composed of bone, with the males developing muscular necks to
help hold up these huge antlers.
A full-grown moose’s antlers can weigh more than 35 pounds.
Antlers sell for approximately $10 to $15 per pound.
Depending on their size, the moose’s antlers sell for approximately $10 to $15 per pound.
The larger the antlers, the more expensive it gets.
Moose meat is high in protein and low in calories.
Moose meat is perfect if you’re on a bulk protein diet.
Moose meat only has 100 calories for every 100-gram serving and above all, with a hefty
22 grams of protein and essential amino acids that are good for your health.
Moose meat is high in potassium.
Aside from high protein, moose meat is also filled with vitamins and minerals.
The meat doesn’t have much fat, is very low in sodium, and rich in potassium.
Moose thrive in cold places.
Moose are cold-adapted mammals with thick skin and a dense, heat-retaining coat which
provides them a superior cold tolerance.
Although on the flip side, moose have a poor heat tolerance.
Adult moose can withstand temperatures lower than -30°C.
Although calves or baby moose start to feel the cold at -30°C, fully-grown moose can
withstand far colder temperatures.
On warmer winter days, male moose would even lie in the snow to cool down.
Moose bask in bodies of water when it's hot.
During hot weather, the moose can survive by going to shaded areas and the coolest places
possible.
They also bathe in cool water and often walk or swim along lakes, rivers, and ponds.
Moose have four-chambered stomachs.
Like cows, moose have four-chambered stomachs.
When feeding, moose partially regurgitate its digested food and chew the softened mixture.
The food is fermented in the moose stomach’s first chamber, while the nutrients are extracted
in the next three.
Moose seldom become aggressive.
Along with their solitary nature, moose are rarely aggressive.
However, they will protect themselves if threatened and can easily be provoked during the mating
season.
Moose’s usual aggressive display is the act of “pretending,” where they bluff
an attack so they can stay safe without the need to fight.
Female moose don’t grow antlers.
Similar to the dewlaps, female moose also lack this distinguishing feature.
It also explains why males tend to be targeted more by poachers than females.
The moose is Alaska’s state animal.
Because of the moose’s history as the Alaskan Native Americans’ main source of sustenance,
the moose officially became Alaska’s state animal on May 1st, 1998.
Moose may be the picture of tranquility in isolated snowy places, but they’re more
powerful than they get credit for.
Although they’re not classified as endangered, poaching and illegal animal trade threatens
their numbers.
Moose have coexisted with humans for so long that they’ve left a mark on different cultures.
So, it’s only fair that humans leave a good legacy towards these gentle giants as well.
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