Moose is the largest representative of the deer family. The habitat of the animal extends throughout Europe, he lives in North America and the central strip of Russia, found in the Far East. Animals differ in the size of their bodies and horns depending on the area where they live.
Kamchatka moose
The largest animals from the deer family live on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The weight of an adult moose on average reaches 800 kilograms in males, and females weigh about 400 kilograms.
Such gigantic sizes can be achieved by animals thanks to a diverse and abundant amount of feed, which is even in winter. Some scientists are of the opinion that these animals grow to gigantic proportions due to the umbrella plant, which grows precisely in Kamchatka and provokes the production of growth hormone in animals.
An interesting fact is that moose was brought to Kamchatka only in the 80s of the century before last as an experiment. They brought them from the Anadyr basin.
A genetic link has been established between animals living in Kamchatka and Alaska, however, our moose still lead in size. The average weight of an elk from North America does not exceed 600 kilograms.
Moose living in Kamchatka still live in the Middle and Upper Kolyma, Anadyr and Indigirka, therefore they are also called the Chukchi or Kolyma species.
European look
These are medium sized animals. The average weight of an elk in the middle lane does not exceed 500 kilograms (males).
The animal lives in the Urals and in Western Siberia, in Altai. Also on the territory of the republics of the former USSR: in Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states. It is found in Europe in the Czech Republic, Poland and Scandinavia.
At the same time, artiodactyls living in the territory of Western Siberia are much larger than their relatives living in the European part.
For example, the body length of the European species of moose does not exceed 250 centimeters, and individuals living in Siberia reach 270 centimeters or more with a maximum height of 185 centimeters at the withers.
Accordingly, the average weight of an elk in Russia reaches 480-500 kilograms, and animals living in Europe barely reach 400 kilograms.
Caucasian look
It is believed that this species was completely exterminated at the turn of two centuries - XIX-XX. However, the population in the Caucasus began to increase due to the migration of artiodactyls from other regions. Since 1976, moose is found in the south of the Stavropol Territory, in the Krasnodar Territory and in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic. These are medium-sized individuals, very similar to the European species. The average weight of an elk is not more than 500 kilograms.
Ussuri view
This small animal is perhaps the smallest among all species of moose. The legs of artiodactyls are much shorter than those of other species, the body is thin, with a light color. The muzzle is large. The weight of an adult moose does not exceed 200 kilograms. The height at the withers of males is from 170 to 195 centimeters.
In this species, the horns do not form a shovel and are more like deer horns. The outer diameter of the horns can reach 100 centimeters with a weight of up to 8 kilograms.
The Ussuri moose living in Primorye may be somewhat larger, with a weight of about 400 kilograms. The average weight of the moose living in Manchuria does not exceed 300 kilograms. The most typical representatives of the species include animals that live on Sikhote Alin.
How many moose live?
These artiodactyls have a rather short life; they begin to age by the age of 12. According to scientists, in the world only 3% of elks from the entire population are older than 10 years. The average lifespan is 12-15 years.
In captivity, artiodactyls live longer, there were even cases when individuals reached 22 years.
Diet
In the forest-tundra, animals prefer aspen and birch forests; in the steppes, they can move away from forests. For a quality life, moose need swamps and lakes, where they can escape from the heat and pinch aquatic vegetation.
In winter, artiodactyls need coniferous and mixed plantings, where there is a dense undergrowth.
Animals do not have a specific time for food; if it's hot, they carry dinner at night, and in harsh frost they hide in the snow.
Preferred cloven-hoofed trees and shrubs, use herbs. Water and near-water grasses, horsetails, kaluzhnitsa, water lilies, shift are very fond of. In the cutting areas, sorrel and fireweed are used.
At the end of the summer season, do not mind pampering yourself with mushrooms, including even fly agaric. Eating branches and fruits of lingonberries and blueberries. In winter, sprigs of pine and willow, mountain ash, birch and fir are used. In spring, when it is very difficult to feed, they eat the bark of trees.
Large males can eat about 35 kilograms of vegetation per day, and in winter up to 15 kilograms of branches.
Almost all representatives of the species visit salt licks. If there are none nearby, then they can go on the track and lick salt off the road.
Breeding
Moose rarely create harems for themselves, as a rule. However, if there is enough food, then there may be several females in one moose.
When the male’s excitement reaches its maximum, it can ruin everything in its path. As soon as an elk notices a female, he pursues her, driving away young males along the way. If there are more males than females nearby, then males can engage in terrible battles.
The female can bring offspring in the 2nd or 3rd year of birth. Pregnancy does not exceed 240 days. Children appear in early June. If there are two babies in the litter, then, most likely, one of them will die. Confidence in the legs appears a week after birth. At birth, depending on the type, the baby weighs from 6 to 16 kilograms. Mother's milk is fed for about 4 months.
Main pride
The most important trophy for any hunter is the elk horns, which confirm the courage and dexterity of the person who killed the animal.
In the Kamchatka species, with an average moose weight of 800 kilograms, the weight of the horns can reach 40 kilograms in the largest males. The average weight varies from 29 to 33 kilograms.
The shape of the horns resembles a plow with multiple processes (about 18). The growth rate is very high - about 30 centimeters per day. It is because of the shape of the antlers of the moose that they also call the moose.
The European moose has slightly less horns, and their weight does not exceed 20 kilograms, and up to 135 centimeters in scope.
The largest horns
Until 2015, Bering Kenneth’s trophy, which hunted Kamchatka in 1993, was considered the largest elk horns.
Horns Parameters:
- 171.5 centimeters in scope;
- 127.6 centimeters - the length of one horn;
- on the left side - 13 processes;
- on the right side - 18 processes;
- the width of the left horn (in the rise) - 43.8 centimeters;
- the width of the right horn (in the rise) is 44.9 centimeters.
However, in 2015, Aishparas Arunas, a Lithuanian hunter, came across a larger moose, whose horns weighed 50 kilograms and were 178 centimeters in diameter.
Some interesting facts
Moose are good swimmers and runners. When running, the speed can reach 56 kilometers per hour.
A bear does not even dare to attack these mammals.
Moose have very poor eyesight, they do not distinguish objects at a distance of 10 meters. However, they have excellent hearing and sense of smell. A person can be attacked only if he acts aggressively.