The moose is part of the deer family, but when you see one of these massive creatures you are not going to see the relationship to Bambi.
These creatures are magnificent. They stand tall and regal. Their horns are spectacular to see and just watching them graze could bring you many hours of pleasure.
What else can we learn about the moose?
How Much Does A Moose Weigh
An adult moose is a large animal that can weigh up to 2000 pounds.
Only the males have antlers. Every year in November the antlers fall off to allow the newer and larger antlers to grow in the next year.
The Babies
The baby moose is referred to as a calf. When they are born, they weigh about 35.7 pounds. They grow really fast because they gain about 2.2 pounds each day as long as they are nursing.
The mother will nurse the calf for about 6 months. The young ones will not be considered to be adults until they get to be 4 to 6 years of age. They have a lot of learning about what to eat, where to eat, and how to avoid predators.
Mothers often have twins and triplets. These are loving mothers who look after the calves and do everything they can to protect them from danger.
A baby moose can outrun a human being by the time it is five days old.
About half of the calves will not live to be adults. Full-grown moose do not have a lot of predators. The animals are too big and those front feet can kick in any direction. That is a real deterrent.
The little ones are often hunted by bears, wolves, and cougars. If they can manage to stay alive they can expect to live for about 20 years.
Calm and Gentle
It is pretty rare to see a moose lose its cool and become aggressive.
Just because it is rare for a moose to become aggressive does not mean that they cannot become aggressive. If they feel threatened, or if you threaten a calf, you can expect to have to deal with about 2000 pounds of mad animal charging at you.
Sometimes they will fake a charge at an animal or person just to get the animal or person to leave them alone.
If they do charge you will not likely be able to outrun them because they are fast. They can run as fast as 35 mph.
Do not jump in the lake or river thinking you will be able to get away because they are proficient swimmers. They can swim for miles without tiring and they can even swim submerged for around 30 seconds. It has been said that these animals can swim at 6 mph and they can keep that up for about 12 miles.
Did You Know
- The moose is the official state animal of Maine
- Moose prefer to eat bark and twigs, and fresh leaves instead of grazing on grasses.
- There are estimated to be about 2 million of these extra-large deer in the world. The majority of them can be located in Canada.
- The hair on a moose is hollow. This kind of hair helps to insulate the animal from the cold.
- The muscles of the shoulder are responsible for the visible hump on the back of the animal
- The width of their hooves assists them when they are walking in snow like snowshoes would do for a human.
- In Alaska in September 1897 a moose that weighed 1,808 pounds and stood 7;6” tall was killed.
- A large number of people hunt these animals for their meat.
- A moose needs to eat 50 to 60 pounds of food daily
- Main has a population of about 30,000 moose.
- Wyoming has a population of about 15,000 moose.
- Minnesota has a population of about 10,000 moose.
- Alaska has a population of about 175,000 moose.
- Europeans call these animals elk, but in North America, the word elk is used to identify a different animal
FAQs
How Fast Can A Moose Run?
An adult moose can reach speeds of up to 35 mph.
What is A Male Moose Called?
They are called a bull.
What Is The Flap of Skin Beneath A Moose Chin Called?
It is called a bell.