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Mammals > Moose Moose are the largest members of the deer family. They live in the northern forest regions of North America, Europe and Russia. The earliest known drawings of moose are from the stone-age in the Ussuri Valley on the Russian/Chinese border near the Sea of Japan. Moose migrated west to northern Europe and eventually east to North America across the Bering Land Bridge that linked Siberia to Alaska approximately 100,000 years ago during the Pleistocene Epoch. They then spread across Alaska, south into the upper Midwest, and eastward through Canada and the northern United States. The name ‘moose’ comes from the Algonquin word ‘one who strips or eats off’ which is a reference to the animal’s diet of twigs and leaves stripped from branches. Four Sub-species There are currently four sub-species of moose in North America (of the 7 sub-species worldwide). The Eastern Moose, Alces alces americana, occurs in eastern Canada and New Brunswick to eastern Ontario and south to Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York. The Northwestern Moose, Alces alces andersoni, ranges from northern Michigan and Minnesota and western Ontario to central British Columbia and north to eastern Yukon. The Shiras Moose, Alces alces shirasi, occurs in northwestern Wyoming, Montana and northeastern Idaho to southern Alberta and southeastern British Columbia. The Alaskan Moose, Alces alces gigas, occurs in Alaska and is 30% larger than the other 3 sub-species. Habitat/Diet In Vermont, moose occur in greatest numbers in the Northeast Kingdom and in the Green Mountains. They live in extensive forested areas that contain wetlands surrounding lakes, ponds, and bogs which supply a variety of food sources. In Summer, they feed on the twigs, leaves and bark of willow, aspen, red maple, striped maple (commonly referred to as "moosewood"), paper birch, beaked hazelnut, and red-osier dogwood; and the roots and leaves of aquatic plants, including water shield, yellow pond lily and several pondweeds. In Winter, their diet is more restricted to conifer (balsam fir primarily) and hardwood twigs. A home range for a moose is a radius of two to ten miles if there is an adequate food supply and Winter shelter. Size Moose are the largest mammals in our landscape and have little to fear from other animals. Even where their range overlaps that of the wolf, only young and weak moose are typically taken by predators. A mature moose armed with sharp hooves and a powerful kick inspire respect from a pack of wolves. Bull moose in prime condition reach a weight of 1,200 – 1,600 pounds; mature cows reach a weight of 800 – 1,300 pounds. They stand six feet tall at the withers and measure nine feet from nose to tail. The legs are very long to facilitate a high-stepping gait through tangled vegetation and deep water. Moose live on average 16 years with cows sometimes reaching 20 years of age. Brain Parasite The greatest challenge to moose is survival during Winter and escape from parasites. White-tailed deer carry a brain parasite that does not cause illness in the deer, but passes out through its feces and is eaten by snails. The infected snails are in turn inadvertently eaten by moose grazing on the wet vegetation that the snails live on during the day. The moose develops ‘brain sickness’, looses vigor, becomes paralyzed or blind, and can die from the infection. Moose are also bothered by ticks which can reach very high numbers especially in Winter when moose do not have the benefit of a Summer wallow in mud or a respite from heat and biting flies by standing shoulder deep in water. Irritation, scratching, infection and hair loss can severely weaken a moose with ticks in Winter. Spring and Summer Vernal Migration With the arrival of Spring and the first signs of greening vegetation, moose leave their Winter quarters at middle and higher elevations and return to their favorite places in wetlands and in the woods surrounding wetlands. In May, moose might be seen eating the succulent grasses in roadside ditches. It is believed that they are attracted to the accumulation of road salt in runoff water in the ditches. Moose Calves Cows and their yearling young have spent the Winter together. As the female moose prepares to give birth to her new young, she will drive her adolescent young away. At first confused by the rebuff, the yearling(s) will stay in the vicinity of the mother, but she will not allow one to approach. Moose are born in Vermont from mid-May to early June. Twins are born to mature cows 15% - 75% of the time. Newborn calves weigh 28 – 35 pounds. They will double their weight in 3 weeks from rich milk and forage. Their coat is a light golden-brown and does not have spots for concealment (like the white-tailed deer fawn). A calf’s defense is in its mother’s vigilance and swift response to any perceived danger which she dispatches through charging and thrashing with her hooves. “A moose calf’s bond to its mother is survival. In time, the calf responds as if a shadow. If the cow looks behind with ears erect, so does the calf.” [Seasons of the Moose, p. 75] Within five months, new calves weigh over 300 pounds. Moose Bulls Bulls feed intensively (as much as 50 pounds/day) in Spring on fresh grasses and aquatic vegetation (which is rich in sodium that is stored in large quantities in the rumen) to replenish their low levels of protein and fat and to nourish the rapid growth of new antlers. Peak antler growth corresponds with the longest days and, with a total spread of 4 feet by late Summer, their antlers grow by as much as 1 ½” per day. First to grow is the stout horizontal antler beam which supports the large palm-shaped portions from which grow the upwardly pointing tines. During growth, the antlers are fed by a blood rich covering of skin called velvet at which time the antlers are delicate and easily damaged. By the time the antlers are fully grown, the bone hardens and the velvet abates, cutting off the blood supply; a bull will thrash against vegetation to rub off the velvet and to demonstrate to others his potential vigor. A full rack weighs up to 50 pounds. Bulls eat 50% more food in August than is required for basic metabolism to build up strength for the next important season, the rut. This is the time of year that bulls weigh their most; they start to congregate in food rich areas in early September in anticipation of finding and defending females. Fall and Winter Breeding Season With the arrival of cooler temperatures, testosterone levels rise in males and hormones bring on estrus in females; it is the beginning of the breeding season called "the rut". Males patrol a region and establish relationships with one or more females. They scrape wallows into which they urinate. Females will visit the wallow, roll in its musky scent and will defend a wallow from other females. Bulls will deliver throaty hollow grunts and tremendous bellowing to draw attention to their presence. Moose can pivot their ears individually to 180 degrees and have very good hearing. It is believed that the shape and positioning of the antlers with respect to the ears enhances his ability to hear the higher-toned wavering calls of a female from quite a distance. In late September and early October, mating takes place. One bull in prime condition will escort 3 or 4 females. Other younger males will have to wait until they have grown bigger to challenge the senior bulls. A male will raise its head and sample the air near a cow’s urine with a special olfactory gland in the palette, a phenomenon called the Flehman Response, that will reveal whether or not the female has ovulated and is receptive to mating. 90% of cow moose will breed each year. Through the breeding season, bulls will expend a great deal of energy challenging other bulls and will loose about 20% of their body weight. Unlike many mammals of the North Woods, male moose enter Winter depleted of energy and fat reserves, weighing 20% less than at the beginning of the rut. Winter Survival Moose have a different technique for surviving Winter – heat retention instead of heat production. As snows deepen, they move from lowland wetlands and forest to mid elevations. Their large bulk retards heat loss. Their hollow hairs help trap heat and insulate the body; their black skin color also helps absorb solar radiation. They expend much less energy at this time of the year, instead waiting patiently, sometimes resting for days under an open bowl beneath conifer trees. They will wait and eat twigs within reach of where they lie. Moose are the first members of the deer family to shed their antlers, sometimes as early as November and usually by the end of December. With the lengthening days of late Winter, new antler growth begins and the cycle begins again. - Deborah Benjamin.  Recommended Reading
Promack, Jennie, and Thomas J. Sanker, Seasons of the Moose, Salt Lake City, Peregrine Smith Books, 1992. This page was last updated on February 15, 2006 |
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