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Moose

2022-08-28 02:59:32 216

Moose, whose foreign name is Moose, has 8 subspecies and is the tallest deer in the world.

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The number of prongs in a moose's antlers is related to age. New horns are born between 6 and 8 months of age. The newly born horns are single branches, called cone horns. In the third year, 2 forks separate, and an angular disk appears at the base. There are 3 forks in the fourth year, 4-5 forks in the fifth year, and no pattern after the sixth year. The length and weight of the horn increase as the number of forks increases, and the area of the palmate horn increases particularly significantly. The horns are shed once a year. The old horns are shed from mid-February to the end of March, and new horns grow out about a month later. The horn begins to ossify from the base between July and August, and is completely ossified around September, and the velvet skin then falls off.


Male deer usually live alone, while female deer and fawns live in groups. They look for food and water all day long. There are more than 70 types of food, including grass, leaves, twigs, water lilies, duckweed and other aquatic plants. They eat a lot of food every day. It eats more than 20 kilograms of plants, ruminates like a cow after eating, and has the habit of licking salt and alkali.


In order to adapt to the harsh cold environment, moose have evolved many superb survival skills. In addition to short-sighted eyes, moose have very sensitive senses of hearing and smell. Although their bodies are tall and clumsy, moose are actually quite flexible. They can move freely on the ground with a depth of 60 centimeters in snow, and can run continuously at a speed of 55 kilometers per hour. It can take several hours; it is also a deer that can jump high, and can drag its body weighing thousands of kilograms to jump up to eat branches and leaves at high places. In addition, the biggest feature of the moose is that it is a veritable "water-proof golden-eyed beast" "It can swim more than 20 kilometers at a time, so many people have seen moose crossing the strait, and it can also dive to a depth of 5-6 meters to forage for aquatic plants.


Moose begin to come into estrus in late August, and the peak chasing season starts in mid-September and ends in October. Generally, female animals come into estrus about a week later than males. Male animals in estrus are extremely excited, with fluffy coats and congested corneas. They often roar in the morning and dusk. They often grind their horns on tree trunks to wipe off the bark, leaving many pit marks on the trunks. Sometimes they even scratch the ground with their horns. , turning up more than 10 centimeters of soil. The two male beasts first stared at each other, and then violently attacked their "love rival" with their huge horns, making a "crack-crack" sound. Under normal circumstances, when one party is defeated, they will leave knowingly, but sometimes the two parties are evenly matched, and it is inevitable that one of them will be harmed. If this kind of horn attack lasts for a long time, the huge and complicated horns of both sides will be twisted together like a hinge and cannot be separated. Over time, they may both die due to hunger and fatigue. The female chooses the winning male to mate. A winning male usually mates with only 1-2 females. The gestation period of the female is 242-250 days, and she usually gives birth from the end of May to the beginning of July of the following year, with one calf per litter and occasionally two. Newborn cubs are 70-82 centimeters long and weigh 10-12 kilograms. They are brown in color. Occasionally, some have white fur all over their bodies. They are called "white moose" or "albino moose". They are very rare. The birth rate is approximately one in 10,000. After giving birth, the female immediately stood up and licked the wet fur off her cubs. The cubs also began to struggle to stand up, but would fall down again. After repeated attempts many times, they could barely stand up. Pups grow rapidly, especially in the first 6 months. After 10-14 days, it begins to follow the female. After one month, it begins to eat grass and young leaves. The lactation period is about three and a half months. They can live independently after 1 year old and reach sexual maturity at 3-4 years old.


Predators


There are few predators that can harm full-grown moose, but the presence of wolves can be dangerous, especially to females and young moose. Siberian tigers and grizzly bears also prey on moose, but grizzly bears appear to eat carrion rather than kill the moose themselves.


Located on the northwest coast of North America, deer (such as moose) often swim across the sea between islands near the coast in search of food, making them vulnerable to attacks by killer whales.


Although some moose are always killed by guns or on highways every year, the overall number is still large and there is no danger of extinction, and European and American countries have enacted relevant laws to protect them. This species has a wide distribution range and is not close to the fragile and endangered critical value standard for species survival (distribution area or fluctuation range is less than 20,000 square kilometers, habitat quality, population size, distribution area fragmentation), and the population number trend is stable, so it is evaluated as None A species in existential crisis.


It is listed in the 2008 Red List of Endangered Species of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) ver 3.1 - Low Concern (LC).

It is listed as a first-level protected animal in China.

It is included in the first level of the "List of National Key Protected Wild Animals in China".


Protect wild animals and eliminate wild game.

Maintaining ecological balance is everyone’s responsibility!

Moose are generally found in coniferous forests and mixed forests in the temperate to subarctic climates of the Northern Hemisphere. In China, they are only distributed in the Greater Khingan Range and the northern part of the Lesser Khingan Range. In North America, they are distributed in Canada, Alaska, most of New England, the Rocky Mountains, northeastern Minnesota, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and Isle Royale in Lake Superior, as far south as Colorado. Moose were successfully introduced to Newfoundland in 1904 and have now become the most numerous ungulates there, but they were not successfully introduced to Anticosti Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The ten moose introduced to the New Zealand Fjords in 1910 are believed to have disappeared. However, some people in New Zealand still claim to have seen moose, but the true situation remains to be investigated.
Moose are typical subarctic coniferous forest animals, mainly living in primitive coniferous forests and mixed con
The average body length is 200-260 cm, and the shoulder height is 160-240 cm, which is taller than most rhinos; the weight in China is generally 400-600 kg, but the body length of those produced in North America is up to 300 cm, and most of them can weigh up to 700 kg. The highest record is about 1,000 kg, which can be called a giant among deer.
The tall body is very similar to a camel, and the four long legs are also similar to a camel. The shoulders are particularly tall, which is like the hump on the back of a camel, hence the name. The fur color of the whole body is brown, and the color of the fur in summer is much darker than that in winter. The head is large, the eyes are small, the face is particularly long, but the neck is very short, the nose is fat and a little drooping, the upper lip is swollen and elongated, and is 5-6 cm longer than the lower lip. In addition, it has no upper canine teeth, which is different from other deer. Both male and female animals have a fleshy co

1. What is a moose?

Answer: A moose is the largest member of the deer family (Cervidae), known for its long legs, broad shoulders, and large, palmate (wide and flat) antlers. It is found in North America, Northern Europe, and parts of Asia.

2. What do moose eat?

Answer: Moose are herbivores and primarily feed on a variety of vegetation, including leaves, twigs, bark, aquatic plants, and shrubs. In the winter, they often eat tree bark and twigs, especially from willows and birches.

3. Where do moose live?

Answer: Moose are typically found in boreal forests, temperate forests, and wetlands of northern regions in North America, Europe, and Asia. They prefer cold climates and areas with plenty of vegetation near water sources like lakes, rivers, and swamps.

4. How do moose survive in cold climates?

Answer: Moose have thick fur and a layer of fat to insulate them from the cold. Their large size helps conserve heat, and their hooves are adapted for traveling through deep snow, making them well-suited for cold environments.

5. Are moose dangerous?

Answer: While moose are generally peaceful, they can become aggressive if they feel threatened, especially during mating season or if they have calves. Male moose, in particular, can be territorial and may charge if provoked. It's important to maintain a safe distance from them in the wild.