by Clare Zegarelli

The Physical Characteristics of a Moose:

The moose are the largest deer species. Their shoulder height is about eight feet. They have a long snout and a broad overhang of the top lip. They have a loose piece of skin called a bell under their throat. Males are the moose with antlers the female does not have antlers. Males shed their antlers every winter and grow new antlers every spring. The antlers are shaped like a upturned hand. The pair of antlers are five to six feet and weigh about 85 pounds. The moose have big shoulders that form a hump and they have long legs, broad hoofs and brownish black fur. Most moose are six and a half feet tall and weigh 800 to 1400 pounds. The moose has long legs and broad hoofs to make that help moose become a strong swimmer and help the moose walk in marshy areas and through deep snow. The female moose is known as the cow and the male moose is known as the bull.

The Moose lives in many places mostly in the Northern Hemisphere. Some Moose live in North America in places such as Alaska, Canada, the Rocky Mountains, Utah and Colorado. They also appear in parts of Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire and North Dakota. Moose also live in Eastern Siberia, Siberia and Scandinavia. Their ecosystem is the Northern forests around the world.

They eat woody plants such as twigs of willows, shrubs, dogwood and mountain maple. They eat plants that grow under the surface of shallow water. The moose is a herbivore. The predators of a moose are when the calf is just born or at an older age when it can not be as protective. The predators of the moose include Black bears, grizzly bears (western North America,) wolves but surprisingly the white-tailed-deer. The adult moose has a record of standing their ground because they have strong front and hind legs that could be used for a lethal weapon.

The moose reproduces every year in the spring. They mostly have one-two calves but rarely three. The cow will take care of the calf(s) until next year when she will chase them off before next reproduction. The calf will try to reunite with the mother but the mother will push the calf away until the calf understands and leaves the mother.

The moose was an important food source to the Indians. The moose is now used for Decoration such as the antlers or the head.

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