The maximum weight of an elk. Moose average weight

Domain: eukaryotes

Kingdom: Animals

Type: chordates

Class: mammals

Squad: artiodactyls

Family: Reindeer

Genus: Moose (Alces Gray, 1821)

View: Elk

Elk is the most major representative in the Olenev family. It is also the tallest ungulate after the giraffe. But if the giraffe reaches such a height due to the long neck, then the elk is a true giant. Moose have been hunted for centuries, but the attitude towards this animal was not purely consumeristic, but respectful. Among the American Indians, it was considered honorable to bear the name Elk.

Sometimes elk also called elk because of the shape of the horns, which resemble a plow.

What does a moose look like

Among other deer, the elk stands out sharply for its appearance. First of all, its huge size is striking - the body length can reach 3 m, the height of the elk exceeds 2 m, and the weight is 500-600 kg. The body of the elk is relatively short, but the legs are very long. The muzzle of the elk is also not like its fellows. The head of the moose is large and heavy, the muzzle is long, the large upper lip hangs slightly above the lower one. The antlers of an elk have a characteristic shape: the base of the horn (trunk) is short, processes diverge from it forward, to the sides and back in a half-fan, the trunk is connected to the processes by a flattened part - a “shovel”. For this shape, the elk was nicknamed "elk".

However, the shape of the horns varies among moose from different regions. Their size also depends on the age of the moose: the older the animal, the wider the size of the “shovel” and the more processes it has. In moose, only males wear antlers. The color of moose is of the same type - dark brown with a lighter belly and legs.

The hooves of the elk, in comparison with other deer, are very wide. This form of hooves is necessary for animals to move through the viscous soil of swamps, which is not easy for such a giant. Long legs allow the elk to move easily in dense thickets of forests, along swampy river banks and deep snow.

The coat of the elk consists of coarser long hairs and a soft undercoat. In winter, the wool grows up to 10 cm in length. On the withers and neck, the hair is longer, in the form of a mane, and reaches 20 cm, which makes it seem that the animal has a hump. Softer hair growing on the head even covers the lips of a mammal, only on the upper lip there is a small bare area between the nostrils.

The elk has a brownish-black or black color in the upper part of the body, which turns into a brown color in the lower part of the body. Rear end the trunk, croup and buttocks have the same color as the rest of the body: the so-called tail "mirror" is absent. The lower part of the legs is whitish. In summer, the color of moose is darker than in winter. The length of the tail of the animal is 12-13 cm.

moose species

The genus of moose has always been considered to consist of one species - elk (lat. Alces Alces). Within the species, several American, European and Asian subspecies were distinguished. Thanks to modern achievements in genetics, a new classification has been defined, according to which 2 species belong to the genus of moose (lat. Alces): European elk and American elk. The number of subspecies is still undetermined and is likely to change.

1. Species Alces Alces (Linnaeus, 1758) – European elk (eastern)
   • Subspecies Alces Alces Alces (Linnaeus, 1758) - European elk
   • Subspecies Alces Alces caucazicus (Vereshchagin, 1955) - Caucasian elk
2. Species Alces Americanus (Clinton, 1822) - American elk (western)
   • Subspecies Alces Americanus Americanus (Clinton, 1822) – East Canadian elk
   • Subspecies Alces Americanus Cameloides (Milne-Edwards, 1867) - Ussuri elk

Below is a description of the currently existing moose species.

European elk (lat. Alces Alces)

In Russia, it is often referred to as elk. The length of the elk reaches 270 cm, and the height at the withers is 220 cm. The European elk weighs up to 600-655 kg. The females are smaller. The color of the animal is dark or black-brown, with a black stripe on the back. The end of the muzzle and legs below are light. The upper lip, belly and inner parts of the legs are almost white. In summer the color is darker. Elk antlers with a well-developed shovel, up to 135 cm in span. The European elk lives in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, the European part of Russia, in the Urals, in Western Siberia to the Yenisei and Altai.

American elk (lat. Alces Americanus)

Sometimes this species is called East Siberian. It has a multi-colored color: the upper body and neck are rusty or gray-brown; the belly, lower sides and upper parts of the legs are black. Darker in summer, lighter in winter. The weight of an adult elk varies from 300 to 600 kg or more. Body dimensions are about the same as in Alces Alces. Elk antlers have a widely divided shovel. The anterior process, separated from the shovel, branches out. The span of the horns reaches more than 100 cm. The width of the shovel reaches 40 cm. The moose lives in Eastern Siberia, on Far East, in Northern Mongolia, in North America.

What do moose eat

IN Moose diet includes herbaceous and tree-shrub vegetation, mosses, lichens, mushrooms and berries. Moose eat the bark pines, willows, birches, aspens, love young raspberry branches. Depending on the time of year, Elk's lunch is either preferably leaves or aquatic plants: water lilies, horsetails, marigolds. It is interesting that a portion of Elk per day is from 10 to 35 kg of feed, and this figure reaches 7 tons per year.

In summer, moose willingly eat grass, mushrooms and even algae. Moose are generally not indifferent to aquatic vegetation, they visit reservoirs with pleasure, where they not only hide from the summer gnat, but also graze. For a portion of algae, an elk can even dive, although it is usually enough for a long-legged elk to simply bend its neck.

This is interesting! The summer daily diet of an elk is 30 kg of plant food, the winter one is 15 kg. In winter, moose drink little and do not eat snow, keeping their body heat.

Where does the moose live

Elk dwells almost throughout the wooded area northern hemisphere, it can often be found in the taiga or the steppe part.

Concerning natural areas habitat, moose usually settle in coniferous and mixed forests with swamps, quiet rivers and streams; in the forest-tundra - along birch and aspen forests; along the banks steppe rivers and lakes - in floodplain thickets; in mountain forests - in valleys, on gentle slopes, plateaus. Elk prefer forests with dense undergrowth, young growth, avoiding tall, monotonous forests.

Wetlands are an important part of Moose life, because in the hot season, animals feed on aquatic vegetation and escape from overheating. These animals are found in Poland, the Baltic States, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Belarus, northern Ukraine, Scandinavia, the European part of Russia and the Siberian taiga. About half of the total animal population lives in Russia.

Moose live more or less sedentary and do not move too much. Making small transitions in search of food, they remain within the same area for a long time. In summer, the area where the elk lives and feeds is wider than in winter. From places where snow cover reaches 70 cm or more in winter, mammals migrate to less snowy areas. This is typical for the regions of the Urals, Siberia, and the Far East. Moose cows with calves are the first to leave, followed by males and females without offspring. In spring, moose return to their usual habitats in reverse order.

Currently, the number of Elk, like other ungulates, is declining due to the flourishing of poaching.

Why does an elk shed its antlers?

Usually, by the onset of winter, the animal sheds its horns. This is a completely painless procedure that brings him relief. To get rid of the horns, the elk actively rubs them against the trees, after which the antlers fall off. It grows new antlers in the spring, hardening in July. By the way, only males have horns, while females are deprived of such decoration.

There is an opinion that horns are needed so that the elk in the forest defends itself from other animals, but this is not true. The main purpose of the horns is to attract a female during the mating season and protect her from other males. As the mating season passes, the horns become unnecessary. The shedding of antlers for winter greatly facilitates wintering - it is easier for the animal to move and seek shelter.

The immediate cause of the loss of horns is a decrease in the amount of sex hormones produced in the animal's body. As a result of a hormone deficiency at the base of the horns, special cells are activated that can have a destructive effect on bone tissue. It is thanks to their work that the horns are significantly weakened, and then completely disappear. The horns of the elk become important products for forest animals - squirrels, birds and predatory animals eat protein, which is found in abundance in the horns.

Is elk dangerous to humans?

If you are in the forest see Moose- Freeze and stand still until the animal leaves. During the rut, Moose can be quite aggressive, but they will not see a person even a short distance, because they have poorly developed vision. In general, Moose rarely attack first, for this you need to provoke an animal or get too close to the place where the offspring are located. The Elk is dangerous for motorists, since in a collision with an animal of this size on the road, great damage will be done to both the car and the animal itself.

reproduction

Single Moose live separately in small groups of up to 4 individuals, females with Elks sometimes unite in small herds of up to 8 animals. Moose are inherently monogamous, unlike other relatives.

Moose rut takes place at the beginning of autumn and is accompanied by a loud characteristic roar of males. At this time, it is better not to go deep into the forest, as Moose are aggressive and can attack a person.

There are also well-known Moose fights where rivals in the fight for the best female can not only be seriously injured, but even die. Moose's pregnancy lasts 225-240 days from April to June. Usually one calf is born, but old experienced females can give birth to twins. The baby has a light red color and can get up a few minutes after birth, and after 3 days it is already moving freely.

Elk maturity occurs at 2 years, and by 12 they are already aging, although in captivity with good care they live up to 20 years.

Enemies

Elk's first enemy is, of course, a man with a weapon.

Elks are hunted by wolves and bears ( Brown bear, grizzly). Prey is usually young, sick and old Moose. Wolves are practically harmless to healthy adults, unless they attack in a large pack.

It is difficult for an elk to keep an all-round defense on open spaces. The picture looks completely different when the Elk is in the thicket. Here he often takes a deaf defense: having covered the rear with some tree or thickets of bushes, the Elk defends itself from the attackers with blows from the front legs. With this signature blow, the Elk is able to split the skull of a wolf and can easily defend itself from a bear. Therefore, predators avoid meeting the Elk “face to face”.

Why do moose eat fly agarics?

In Russia and Scandinavia, attempts were made to domesticate and use moose as a riding and dairy animal, but the complexity of keeping makes this economically impractical. There were 7 moose farms in the USSR, at present there are two - the moose farm of the Pechoro-Ilychsky reserve in the village of Yaksha and the Sumarokovskaya elk farm in the Kostroma region. These experiments are reflected in the film by A. Zguridi "The Tale of the Forest Giant". Both moose farms are state-owned. There are tours on the farms.

There is a practice of domesticating moose. A wild calf after the first feeding becomes attached to a person for life. Females easily get used to milking. Moose are very hardy animals, they can be harnessed to sleds, as well as ride them. They are indispensable in the swampy taiga, impenetrable forests, in muddy conditions. In summer, they can only be used for work at night, as animals can die from the heat. It is much colder in winter, so there is no such restriction.

What is the difference between an elk and a deer?

Elk and deer are representatives of the same family, which have significant differences between themselves:

• The elk is the largest of the deer family, an adult elk weighs from 300 to 600 or more kilograms, and its height at the withers can reach 2.35 meters. Deer is a smaller animal. Its weight usually does not exceed 200 kg, and growth reaches 1.5 meters in large species.
• Elk legs are long and thin, widening at the hooves. The deer's legs are shorter and more proportionate.
• Deer antlers develop vertically, while those of the elk develop horizontally and have a different structure.
• Moose females, like female deer, do not have horns. But among deer there is an exception: for example, female reindeer wear antlers, and water deer are hornless, regardless of gender.
• As a rule, moose live separately, and among deer there are both solitary animals and herd animals.
• Elk spends a lot of time in the water, which is not typical for many deer. Although, for example, water deer live in swampy areas, they are excellent swimmers and can swim several kilometers.

Moose are excellent swimmers and can hold their breath underwater for more than a minute.

Of the sense organs, the Moose has the best developed hearing and sense of smell. Elk's eyesight is poor- he does not see a motionless person at a distance of a few tens of meters.

In a fight with predators, the Elk uses strong front legs, so that even bears sometimes prefer to bypass the Elk. These animals run well thanks to strong and long legs, and can reach speeds of up to 56 km / h.

Moose milk, with which they feed their offspring, contains 5 times more proteins than cow's, and 3-4 times more fat. Now in Russia there are two moose farms that are engaged in the production of milk used for medicinal purposes, as well as meat and skin.

Long-legged Moose at first cannot reach the grass and graze on their knees.

Picture of heavenly moose or Deer were characteristic of many hunting peoples. The constellation Ursa Major in Russian tradition was called Elk. Among the peoples of the North, there are legends about the creation of the Milky Way when hunters were chasing the Elk, as well as about how the Elk carried the sun into the heavenly taiga. Sometimes taiga hunters figuratively imagined the sun as a living creature - a giant Elk, running through the entire sky during the day and plunging into the endless underground sea by night.

Interesting information. do you know that…

• There are cases when moose during the rut attacked trains, the sound of signals of which was taken for the roar of competitors.
• Elk while running develops speed up to 56 km / h. It is also a good swimmer and is able to stay underwater for about 1 minute.
• On the territory of the former USSR, moose are kept in some places as livestock. Moose give their owners meat, milk and are used as draft animals.
• Elk has a very poor eyesight, but this is offset by a well-developed hearing and sense of smell.
• Throughout its range, the elk forms six or seven subspecies, of which four or five inhabit Eurasia and two - North America.
• In deep snow, the elk feels helpless. This is often used by hunters.

Video

Different scientists distinguish from 4 to 8 subspecies of moose, which differ in the structure of the horns and size. But among them, only one variety is particularly impressive in size. So where does the biggest moose live?

Main characteristics

The largest moose in the world live in the northern and central regions of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The population of these animals in Kamchatka is a unique phenomenon, since people brought them here on purpose in the early 80s of the 19th century. from the Anadyr basin. The new habitat turned out to be very favorable, thanks to:

• abundance and variety of food, including winter time, which contributes to faster saturation and, possibly, as a result, "gigantism";
• more favorable mild climate, which is good for animals in terms of maintaining energy potential.

Some scientists associate the impressive size of the Kamchatka elk with eating giant umbrella plants growing in Kamchatka, which contain substances that provoke increased production of growth hormone.

By appearance the Kamchatka elk is similar to its relative from Alaska, and scientists have also managed to confirm their family ties at the genetic level (they have 7 dozen pairs of identical chromosomes). But according to the latest data, it is the Kamchatka representative that is the largest elk in the world. The weight of males reaches 800 kg, body length - 346 cm, and height at the withers - 239 cm. Females are much smaller - their weight does not exceed 400 kg.

In addition to Kamchatka, this species also inhabits the basins of Anadyr, Upper and Middle Kolyma, Penzhina and Indigirka. In this regard, it is sometimes called Kolyma, Penzhin, Chukchi.

The main pride of the elk

Males have the largest horns of any mammal. They are also the fastest growing tissues among mammals, with a daily growth rate of 30 cm. Moreover, each male has a unique shape of the horn bone, and it is almost impossible to meet two individuals with the same horns. They are presented in the form of wide shovels with numerous processes (up to 18 processes), the average weight of the antlers of Kamchatka moose ranges from 29-33 kg, but in some individuals they reach 40 kg. The shape of the horns, which resembles a plow, animals owe another name - elk.

It is this pride that is the main prey for hunters, a symbol of their luck and dexterity. Foreign hunters often pay attention not so much to weight as to the size of the span. In Kamchatka elk, these values ​​range from 153-165 cm, and in the largest males, the range is up to 180 cm.

by the most big horns For a long time, the elk that was caught by a man was considered the trophy of Kenneth Bering, caught in Kamchatka in 1993. The following indicators are recorded in the book of records of the International Safari Club:

• the length of one horn is 127.6 cm;
• rise width: 43.8 cm left horn and 44.9 cm right;
• swing - 171.5 cm;
• 13 processes on the left and 18 on the right shovel.

But in 2015, the Lithuanian hunter Arunas Aishparas managed to get a moose, whose antlers weighed about 50 kg and had a span of 178 cm. It is this trophy that claims the title of the largest of its kind.

According to experts, the number of moose for last years only grows. Therefore, on the pages of the Red Book, it is placed next to those species that are threatened by the least danger, and hunting for them is not prohibited.

Moose are unique animals. After all, in addition to giant size they have a number of other unusual features:

• In water, they can swim at speeds up to 10 km / h, dive to a depth of 5 meters and hold their breath for up to 1 minute.
• Thanks to strong, long legs, animals can run at speeds up to 56 km/h.
• The special structure of the eyes allows them to notice the movement of objects behind them without turning their heads.
• They are not able to see a motionless person if he is at a distance of several tens of meters.
• They can rotate their ears in all directions and hear the sounds made by relatives even from 3 km away.
• Very long legs give them considerable inconvenience when drinking. To quench their thirst, the animal has to go deep into the pond or kneel.
• The main weapon of the animal is not the horns, but the front legs, the blow of which can be fatal even for a bear.
• They love to eat rotten apples, as the fermentation process makes them feel euphoric.

Weight forest giant- moose, can approach 800 kg, with a height of 1.5-2.3 meters.

Among the land giants, only the African elephant “grows” up to 3.5 meters and the elk one may well compete with it.

The animal received such an interesting name because of the shape of the horns, which resemble a peasant tillage tool - a plow.

The artiodactyl belongs to the deer family and is its most ancient representative. In appearance, the elk differs from its counterparts: its body and neck are short, the withers are curved in the form of a hump. The head of the animal is hook-nosed, the upper lip hangs over the lower one. A soft hanging fold is formed under the neck, 25-40 cm long. The legs of the artiodactyl are quite strongly extended and in order to get to the water, he has to go deep into the water or kneel. If they say that the legs feed the wolf, then they save the elk. To get away from persecution, the mammal accelerates to 55 km / h. With a powerful blow of hooves, he is able to fight off a whole pack of wolves. The majestic head of the elk is crowned with two branches of horns, which change annually: in November-December, the animal sheds them, and by April new ones grow in it. The weight of such an ornament is 20-30 kg, the span is up to 1.8 m. Horns are worn only by males, they do not grow in females. Each individual has its own shape of the horn bone, it is almost impossible to meet two animals with the same horns. The formation of shoots depends on various conditions animal habitat. Artiodactyls are excellent camouflage and the color of their skin matches the type of vegetation that prevails in their habitat.

Moose habitat

The weight of an elk can reach 800 kg.

The zone of “residence” of moose is forest and forest-steppe. Their total number on the planet is about one and a half million individuals. When choosing a place to live, it is very important for an animal to have a swampy area, forest rivers and lakes.

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This relief allows you to hide from the heat in summer time and foraging near water sources. IN winter period While artiodactyls migrate to an area with minimal snow cover, deep snow makes moose easy prey for predators. The main diet of artiodactyls is plant foods. Due to their high growth, they easily pick off succulent young leaves from trees, eat branches of shrubs and grass, and feed on marsh vegetation. Closer to autumn, mushrooms and berries of lingonberries, blueberries and blueberries appear on the menu of elk. In summer, a portion of food eaten by a moose per day is 35 kg, in winter it is reduced to 10-15 kg. On average, per year, he absorbs about 7 tons of plant food, if the elk were carnivorous, then during this time, he would have eaten a whole African elephant!

The animal's favorite delicacy is mineral salt. On natural salt marshes, moose are the most frequent guests. In winter, they can be found on asphalt roads licking salt, which is sprinkled on the canvas as an anti-icing coating.

An elk is a very cautious animal, thanks to the special structure of its eyes, without turning its head, it sees everything that happens behind it. The ears also serve as excellent locators, they rotate in any direction and another moose, the animal hears at a distance of up to three kilometers. Far-set nostrils help to clearly determine the location of objects in space. The nose is a very sensitive organ, the enemies of the elk are well aware of this feature and, when attacked, they try to grab the prey by the nose, in which case the elk cannot resist and becomes practically immobilized.

Moose offspring and domestication

Moose moose are very caring and fearless mothers. They protect their cub from the attack of wolves, bears, even if it poses a threat to them. own life. After the birth of the baby, mothers do not leave him for up to two days and lick him, because the calf is absolutely helpless and defenseless and cannot even rise to his feet. Moose calves feed on their mother's milk and follow her until they are one year old. When a moose cow is expecting a new offspring, she drives away the grown calf and it begins an independent life. Adult moose differ in weight: males weigh an average of 430 kg, females "only" 340 kg.

Despite the fact that the elk is a wild animal, it can be domesticated. In Russia, several moose farms, animals are kept for milk and young horns - antlers.

1. They accumulate a large number of biologically active substances used in the manufacture of medicines and cosmetics.
2. Mature horns of the elk are used to make crafts and souvenirs.

In nature, moose are excellent swimmers, in water they can reach speeds of up to 10 km / h, a good indicator for a four-legged animal, considering that a whale usually swims at the same speed. Elklings can dive to a depth of 6 meters and hold their breath underwater for up to 30 seconds.

How much an elk weighs depends on where it lives. Animals whose habitat is West Side Russia, much larger and heavier than their counterparts, registered in the eastern part of the country. The number of individuals per square kilometer is approximately the same. Regardless of where moose live, the safety of the population of these cautious and interesting animals depends on the person.

Elk is the largest member of the deer family. The habitat of the animal extends throughout Europe, it lives in North America and the central strip of Russia, and is found in the Far East. Animals differ in body size and horns depending on the area where they live.

Kamchatka elk

From the deer family they live on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The weight of an adult elk on average reaches 800 kilograms in males, and females weigh about 400 kilograms.

Animals manage to achieve such gigantic sizes thanks to the varied and plentiful amount of food that is available even in winter. Some scientists are of the opinion that these animals grow to gigantic sizes thanks to an umbrella plant that grows in Kamchatka and provokes the production of growth hormone in animals.

An interesting fact is that moose were brought to Kamchatka only in the 80s of the century before last as an experiment. They were brought from the Anadyr basin.

A genetic connection has been established between animals living in Kamchatka and Alaska, but our moose are still the leaders in size. Average weight of an elk North America does not exceed 600 kilograms.

Moose living in Kamchatka still live in the Middle and Upper Kolyma, Anadyr and Indigirka, so 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 beast lives in the Urals and in Western Siberia, in Altai. Also on the territory of the republics of the former USSR: in Ukraine, in Belarus, in the Baltic states. In Europe, it is found in the Czech Republic, Poland and Scandinavia.

At the same time, artiodactyls living in 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 at the withers of 185 centimeters.

Accordingly, the average weight of an elk in Russia reaches 480-500 kilograms, and animals living in Europe barely reach 400 kilograms.

caucasian view

It is believed that this species was completely exterminated at the turn of the 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 have been 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 no more than 500 kilograms.

Ussuri view

This small animal is perhaps the smallest among all types 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 elk does not exceed 200 kilograms. The height at the withers in males is from 170 to 195 centimeters.

In this species, the horns do not form a shovel and are more like the outer diameter of the horns can reach 100 centimeters and weigh up to 8 kilograms.

Ussuri elk living in Primorye can be somewhat larger, weighing about 400 kilograms. The average weight of an elk living in Manchuria does not exceed 300 kilograms. The most typical representatives of the species include animals that live in the Sikhote-Alin.

How long do 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 the entire population of moose are older than 10 years. The average life span is 12-15 years.

In captivity, artiodactyls live longer, there were even cases when individuals lived up to 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 the heat and nibble on 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 is hot, then they transfer dinner to the night, and in severe frosts they hide in the snow.

Artiodactyls prefer tree and shrub vegetation, use herbs. They are very fond of aquatic and near-water grasses, horsetails, marigold, water lilies, watch. Sorrel and fireweed are used in cutting areas.

At the end of the summer season, do not mind pampering yourself with mushrooms, including even fly agarics. They eat branches and fruits of cranberries and blueberries. In winter, sprigs of pine and willow, mountain ash, birch and fir are used. In the 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, they can go out onto the track and lick the salt off the road.

reproduction

Moose rarely create harems for themselves, as a rule. However, if there is enough food, then there may be several females in one elk.

When the male's excitement reaches its maximum, he can destroy everything in his path. As soon as the moose notices the female, he pursues her, driving away the 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 age. 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 species, the baby weighs from 6 to 16 kilograms. Mother's milk feed for about 4 months.

Home 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 weight of an elk of 800 kilograms, the weight of the antlers can reach 40 kilograms in the largest males. On average, the weight varies from 29 to 33 kilograms.

In shape, the horns resemble 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 horns that moose are also called elks.

The European elk has slightly smaller antlers, and their weight does not exceed 20 kilograms, and in scope they can be up to 135 centimeters.

The largest horns

Until 2015, the trophy of Bering Kennet, who hunted in Kamchatka in 1993, was considered the largest elk antlers.

Horn options:

• 171.5 centimeters in span;
• 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, caught a larger elk, whose antlers weighed 50 kilograms and were 178 centimeters in diameter.

Moose are good swimmers and runners. When running, the speed can reach 56 kilometers per hour.

The bear does not even dare to attack these mammals.

Moose have very poor eyesight, they cannot distinguish objects at a distance of 10 meters. However, they have excellent hearing and sense of smell. They can attack a person only if he behaves aggressively.

This powerful beautiful animal is admirable with all its appearance. In ancient times, people worshiped him. His image can be seen on the sarcophagi of ancient tombs and the walls of caves of primitive people. As a heraldic symbol, this animal has always denoted strength and endurance. Among the people, he was nicknamed respectfully - "moose" - by the similarity of the shape of the horns with the agricultural tool plow.

The official name is “moose”, from the Old Slavonic “ols”, given to the animal by the red color of the coat of its cubs. In the old days, the peoples of Siberia called the elk simply - "the beast." The North American Apache Indians have a legend about the insidious moose, and the Canadian Indians have a noble one. In Vyborg, a monument to an elk is erected, which, at the cost of his life, saved lost hunters from a pack of wolves.

Moose description

Elk is an animal mammal, belongs to the order of artiodactyls, the suborder of ruminants, the deer family and the elk genus. The exact number of elk subspecies has not yet been established. It varies from 4 to 8. The largest of them are the Alaskan and Eastern European subspecies, the smallest is the Ussuri subspecies, which has antlers that are not characteristic of an elk, without “blades”.

Appearance

In the deer family, the elk is the largest animal. The height at the withers can reach 2.35 m, the body length can reach up to three meters, and the weight can reach 600 kg or more. Male moose are always much larger than females.

In addition to size, a number of other factors distinguish an elk from other representatives of the deer family:

• physique: the torso is shorter, and the legs are longer;
• the shape of the horns: horizontal, not vertical like a deer;
• has withers resembling a hump;
• the head is very large with a characteristic "humped nose" and a fleshy upper lip;
• under the throat of the male elk there is a soft leathery outgrowth, up to 40 cm long, called the "earring".

Because of the long legs, the moose has to either go deep into the water or kneel to get drunk. The elk's coat is hard to the touch, but has a soft thick undercoat that warms the animal in cold weather. By winter, the wool grows 10 cm in length. The longest coat of the elk is on the withers and neck, which outwardly makes it look like a mane and creates a feeling of the presence of a hump on the body of the animal. Coat color - with a transition from black (in the upper part of the body) to brown (in the lower part) and whitish - to the legs. Moose are darker in summer than in winter.

Elk - the owner of the largest horns among mammals. The weight of the horns can reach 30 kg and have a span of 1.8 m. Only males can boast of this decoration on their heads. Moose females are always hornless.

Every year - at the end of autumn - the elk sheds its antlers, walks without them until spring, and then grows new ones. The older the moose, the more powerful its horns, the wider their "shovel" and the shorter the processes.

This is interesting! The horns fall off due to a decrease in the amount of sex hormones in the blood of the elk after the end of mating season. Hormonal changes lead to a softening of the bone substance at the point of attachment of the horns to the skull. The discarded antlers contain a lot of protein and are food for rodents and birds.

Moose calves acquire small horns by the year. Initially, they are soft, covered with thin skin and velvety fur, which makes them vulnerable to injuries and insect bites, causing significant discomfort to the animal. Such torment lasts for two months, after which the calf's horns become hard, and the blood supply to them stops.

The process of shedding the horns does not cause pain to the animal, but rather a relief. In winter, at the end of the mating season, the moose do not need them, they only complicate movement in the snow with extra weight on their heads.

Lifestyle

Moose lead a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, preferring to stay in one place if the conditions are comfortable and there is enough food. Winter with a thick layer of snow and lack of food make them set off.

Moose do not like deep snow, they are looking for wintering places where the snow cover does not exceed half a meter. First, females with moose calves go on the road, males follow them. They return from the winter hut in the spring, when the snow begins to melt, in the reverse order - the procession is led by males and childless females.

Moose can travel up to 15 km per day. By the way, they run well, reaching speeds up to 55 km per hour.

Moose are not herd animals. They live separately, one by one or 3-4 individuals. They gather in small groups only for the winter quarters and, with the onset of spring, disperse again in different directions. Moose gathering places for the winter quarters are called “camps” in Russia, and “yards” in Canada. Sometimes up to 100 moose gather in one camp.

Moose activity depends on the time of year, more specifically, temperature. environment. IN summer heat moose are inactive during the day, hiding from the heat and midges in the water, in ventilated forest glades, in the shade of dense thickets. They come out to feed when the heat subsides - at night.

In winter, on the contrary, moose feed during the day, and at night, to keep warm, they lie down in the snow, like a bear in a den, plunging into it almost completely. Only ears and withers stick out. If the body temperature of an elk drops to 30 degrees, the animal will die from hypothermia.

Only during the rutting season, moose are active, regardless of the time of day and temperature.

This is interesting! An elk's body temperature from running fast in the heat can rise to 40 degrees and lead to heatstroke. The reason for this is a special natural repellent that is produced by a moose instead of ordinary sweat - the so-called "fat".

It protects the animal from the bites of blood-sucking insects, saves in the cold, but also plays a cruel joke when it is very hot. Zhiropot, clogging the pores of the skin, preventing the body from cooling quickly.

Moose have excellent hearing and poor vision.. How well developed the moose's hearing and sense of smell are, so weak is their vision. An elk is not able to distinguish a motionless figure of a person from a distance of 20 meters

Moose are excellent swimmers. These animals love water. They need it both as a rescue from midges and as a source of food. An elk is able to swim up to 20 km and can stay under water for more than a minute.

Moose are non-conflict animals. The level of their aggression rises only during the rut. Only then does the moose use its horns for its intended purpose, fighting with a rival for a female. In other cases, when attacked by a wolf or a bear, the elk defends itself with its front legs. The first moose does not attack and, if there is an opportunity to escape, runs away.

Lifespan

Nature has prepared a solid life span for the elk - 25 years. But under natural conditions, this peaceful giant rarely lives up to 12 years. This is due to predators - wolves and bears, diseases and a person who uses an elk for his fishing purposes. Elk hunting is allowed from October to January.

Range, habitats

The total number of elk in the world is close to one and a half million. More than half of them live in Russia. The rest live in Eastern and Northern Europe - in Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Hungary, the Baltic states, the Czech Republic, Finland, Norway.

This is interesting! Europe exterminated its moose in the 18th and 19th centuries. It caught on only in the last century, starting to carry out active protective measures for the surviving single specimens, exterminating wolves, rejuvenating forest plantations. The moose population has been restored.

There are moose in the north of Mongolia, northeast China, the USA, Alaska and Canada. For habitats, the elk chooses birch and pine forests, willow and aspen forests along the banks of rivers and lakes, although it can live both in the tundra and in the steppe. However, preference is given mixed forests with thick undergrowth.

Moose diet

Moose menu is seasonal. In summer, these are the leaves of shrubs and trees, aquatic plants and grasses. Preference is given to mountain ash, aspen, maple, birch, willow, bird cherry, water capsules, water lilies, horsetail, sedge, willow-herb, sorrel, tall umbrella grasses. Moose cannot nibble on small grass. Do not allow a short neck and long legs. By the end of summer, mushrooms, blueberry and lingonberry bushes, along with berries, enter the diet of the elk. In autumn it comes down to bark, moss, lichens and leaf litter. By winter, the elk moves to branches and shoots - wild raspberries, mountain ash, fir, pine, willow.

This is interesting! The summer daily diet of an elk is 30 kg of plant food, the winter one is 15 kg. In winter, moose drink little and do not eat snow, keeping their body heat.