It
was a late summer night in central Maine. As I was
driving across a secluded, unpaved road, a huge shadowy
figure that appeared like a giant horse swiftly galloped
across the road just inches from my headlights. I slammed
on my brakes and immediately realized I had nearly
hit a Moose! I was lucky because a Moose can inflict
serious damage on both cars and passengers. In fact,
a car crash involving a Moose often results in death
for car, passenger, and Moose.
Description: The
Moose is a huge creature! It can stand seven feet tall
and measure 10 feet in length. Males can weigh over 1,300
pounds. Females (cows) weigh up to 900 pounds. The Moose
is the largest member of the deer family. Males are dark
brown with huge antlers that may measure six feet in
length. Moose antlers are the largest antlers carried
by any animal in the world. The Moose is further characterized
by its long legs, long, flexible nose, large ears, and
dewlap of skin near the throat. The Moose has a conspicuous "hump" above
the shoulders. The Moose has poor eyesight but has an
excellent sense of smell and hearing.
Range: The
Moose is found throughout much of northern North America
and Eurasia in boreal mountains, cool mountain regions,
bogs, swamps, and areas near water. Unlike many members
of the deer family, the Moose loves to swim. In North
America, the Moose is found throughout Alaska, Canada,
the Rocky Mountains (south to Colorado), northern portions
of Minnesota and Michigan and throughout northern New
England.
Diet: The
Moose is purely herbivorous and eats twigs, roots, and
bark. In summer, the Moose tends to eat plants found
in the water. In winter, the Moose may feed on pine needles.
Behavior: The
Moose is generally a solitary animal. They generally
congregate only during breeding season when males engage
in violent clashes for the right to mate with a cow.
Cows give birth to a single calf, though twins are common
when food supply is adequate. Calves are weaned after
5 months but will stay with their mother for about 1
year. Males do not participate in the raising of calves.
Huge Moose in Grand Teton National Park
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