MOOSE FACTS

Photo Courtesy Idaho Fish & Game

DID YOU KNOW???

The word "moose" comes from the Algonquin Indians. These were native people who lived throughout the northern regions of Canada. The Algonquins called this strange looking creature mooswa. It means "twig-eater" or "the animal that strips bark off of trees." Early explorers heard this work and through the years, it eventually changed into "moose."
For the Algonquins, the moose was an important animal. It supplied them with food and other things for their survival. Moose meat was a source of nourishment during the long winters. The hide was used to make clothing and provide shelter. And moose bones and antlers were shaped into useful tools. (Information from "Our Wild World" Series on Moose by Anthony D. Fredericks, published by NorthWord Press, Chanhassen, Minnesota)
The moose is the world's largest deer. The moose can run 35 miles per hour and can easily swim 10 miles.
Moose eat willow, birch and aspen twigs, horsetail, sedges, roots, pond weeds and grasses. Moose eat leaves, twigs, buds and the bark of some woody plants, as well as lichens, aquatic plants and some of the taller herbaceous land plants. Can actually feed under water.
Moose are found in northern forests in North America, Europe, and Russia. In Europe and Asia, moose are called elk. (Information from the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of Wyoming, Educational " Wildlife Flash Cards" Series. The Foundations' e-mail: wildlifeheritage@wyoming.com
Hooves are the first line of defense!
While a male may use its antlers to hold off a predator, a moose's sharp hooves are its first line of defense. Moose are able to kick out in all directions, but generally use their front feet.
They're faster than they look!
A moose's long legs allow it to move easily over rough terrain and through deep snow. A moose can run almost as fast as a horse, or about 30 miles per hour for a short time period. (Information from "Living in Harmony with Moose" page 5, Nancy Lord, Editor)
Moose live for a long time.
Cow moose have been known to live for as long as 20 years. Bull moose may reach 15 years of age. ("Living in Harmony with Moose")

How are antlers different than horns?

Antlers, seen on male mule deer, elk and moose, are solid bone. While the antlers are growing, they are soft and tender and covered with a thin skin, called velvet, which contains thousands of blood vessels. The velvet supplies the antlers with calcium and other minerals for building strong bones. Once the bone inside the velvet is hard, the velvet is shed from the antlers and members of the deer family are ready for their fall breeding season. Later in the winter, the antlers are shed, and the growing process starts again.

Horns, in contrast, are never shed. They have no blood supply and are made of keratin-- a hard protein which is also in fingernails and hair. This keratin forms a tough outer layer over a bone which is permanently attached to the skull. In Utah, horns are seen on both males and females of bighorn sheep, bison, and mountain goats. (Information from Project Wild, Utah, USA)

Old Bucket Nose

The moose is the largest member of the deer family currently roaming the planet. The moose seems as if it should belong to a different, larger scale of animal because it dwarfs its commonly seen cousin the deer. They are different from any of their equally proportionate relatives the deer and elk. Moose are top heavy bearing most of their body weight high in the air perched on four long legs.

The upper lip of the moose is oddly larger than the rest of its face rounding off at the end, resembles a bucket. Therefore earning the nickname Old Bucket Nose. Moose also have a beard like a flap under their chin called a dewlap or bell, male moose have large antlers that are shaped like scoops that can measure 60” or better tip to tip and can weigh in excess of 70 pounds. A full grown moose can weigh up to 1,800 pounds and stand 7 feet tall at the shoulder, making moose one of the northern hemispheres largest land dwelling mammals.