What does a moose eat, what does it eat? Average weight of an elk. Description of the moose, dimensions, period of life, habitat and reproduction How many years does the moose live in nature

Elk is an artiodactyl mammal, the largest species of the deer family. The body length of males reaches 3 m, the height at the withers is 2.3 m, they weigh 250-570 kg. Males have horns, females do not. Moose are widespread in the forest and forest-steppe zones of our country from the western borders to the Far East and Chukotka. Animals are well adapted to severe frosty and snowy winters, their body is covered with coarse hair. On the upper side of the neck and withers, long hair forms a mane, a skin outgrowth (“earring”) covered with hair hangs down on the throat, and the tail is short.

The genus of moose includes 6 subspecies, of which 4 live in the USSR and 2 in North America. We have about 700,000 wild moose. They live in forests singly or in small groups. They feed on herbs, trees and shrubs, lichens and fungi. During the day, an adult elk eats up to 35 kg of food in summer, and only 12-15 kg in winter. For moose, especially young ones, wolves, bears, wolverines are dangerous. However, adult strong moose can stand up for themselves. Their hooves are formidable weapons. During the rut, males are also dangerous for humans, so you can’t get close to adult wild elks.

Since ancient times, man has tried to tame and domesticate these strong and beautiful animals. It is believed that this was done 4-5 thousand years ago. Evidence can be, for example, rock paintings found in Siberia, in which the elk is depicted along with other domestic animals.

Why didn’t domesticated moose become by our time? Most likely, the elk simply could not stand the competition with a cow, a pig, a sheep. It was easier to get milk, meat, wool from them, and it was more convenient to use horses as a transport animal. In addition, the elk has always been hunted. And it seemed enough to shoot the animals - and you can prepare as much meat as you need.

Nevertheless, the interest of researchers in the domestication of moose is increasing. Scientists strive to get from these animals not only meat, but also healing milk and antlers. Researchers are also attracted by the fact that the elk is a very unpretentious animal that has many valuable qualities: it grows quickly, reaches a large size and feeds on plants that farm animals do not eat. There is no need to build warm rooms for moose - their own fur coat warms them.

For more than 40 years, Soviet scientists have been working on the domestication of moose. Among them are employees of the Kostroma Agricultural Experimental Station, where a scientific laboratory of elk breeding and a moose farm have been established.

Moose calves are tamed according to a special method developed by the elk breeding laboratory. It is very important for them from birth to slow down the feeling of fear of a person, and then develop obedience so that they can control animals.

The main thing in domestication is the use of biological patterns of animal behavior. First, the calf develops "imprinting". A newborn calf remembers the one who first appears in front of him, be it a mother or a person, and follows him. And if you feed a calf from your hands, you will remember the person even better. “Following” is the second biological pattern. The calf gradually gets used to the one who cares for him, and, even as an adult, he is not afraid of him, boldly approaches, expecting a treat - a cracker or a little salt. Only those young moose calves are selected for further breeding, which are well accustomed to people, to the moose farm, to the territory in which they graze, combined with high productivity. This is the process of domestication.

Employees of the Moose Breeding Laboratory of the Kostroma Experimental Station pay great attention to feeding calves. And by spring, one-year-old moose already weigh 200-230 kg. A two-year-old young moose at home usually brings 2 calves, and in nature her peers give offspring in the third year and only one calf.

In nature, a moose cow feeds a calf for 2-3 months. On the farm, moose cows are milked for 5-6 months. For milking, a special milking machine and even a whole installation have been designed. Such milking is used for the first time in the world. 500 kg or more of milk is produced from each moose cow.

Moose milk is thick, reminiscent of cream. It contains 12-14% fat, about 9% protein and 5.4% sugar. It does not turn sour for almost a week, as it is resistant to various bacteria. The bactericidal properties of moose milk and its high content (more than cow's) of fatty acids, proteins, trace elements and vitamins make it possible to use it in medicine as a remedy for gastrointestinal diseases. No less valuable are elk antlers, which contain biologically active substances from which a valuable drug is obtained. Elk can be used for transportation under saddle and pack. It takes place in hard-to-reach forest and swampy places. Moose freely lift a pack weighing 80-120 kg, and in a sled team they carry all 500 kg.

Of course, domesticating a moose is not easy. There are still many unresolved questions. But the successes that have been achieved inspire confidence that they will be overcome. And this is a necessary and promising business.

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. 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, 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 moose species 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 from 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. They feed on mother's milk 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.

Domain: eukaryotes

Kingdom: Animals

Type of: chordates

Class: mammals

Squad: artiodactyls

Family: Reindeer

Genus: Moose (Alces Gray, 1821)

View: Elk

Elk is the largest representative in the deer 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. The back of the body, 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.

Species Alces Alces (Linnaeus, 1758) – European elk (eastern)
- Subspecies Alces Alces Alces (Linnaeus, 1758) - European elk
- Subspecies Alces Alces caucazicus (Vereshchagin, 1955) - Caucasian elk
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, the Urals, 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, the Far East, Northern Mongolia, and North America.

What do moose eat

AT 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.

It 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 forested zone of the Northern Hemisphere, it can often be found in the taiga or the steppe part.

As for natural habitats, 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 of 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 hormone deficiency, special cells are activated at the base of the horns 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 antler's horns become an important food 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 all-round defense in 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 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 the 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 the 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.
The elk has very poor eyesight, but this is compensated 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

The elk has occupied a special position in human culture since ancient times. He was considered the master of the forest, and some nations even worshiped him.

It is currently a commercial mammal. The moose hunting season opens every year, which attracts many hunters.

Habitat

The total population of moose is more than 1.5 million individuals. Most of them live in Russia. Also, a large number of animals live in Eastern and Western Europe.

In the period from the 18th to the 19th century, the population here was completely exterminated, but later it was restored thanks to conservation measures, such as:

Hunting ban;
Forest rejuvenation;
Regulation of the number of natural predators. For moose, the most dangerous are wolves.

Elk also lives in Mongolia and northeastern China. On the American Continent, moose settled in Alaska, as well as the northern and eastern regions of the United States.

Most of all, moose love mixed forests, rarely live in open spaces. They can often be found in birch and pine forests. Often animals choose places near lakes or rivers.

This is especially true in the summer, because you need to escape from the heat. In winter, moose move to coniferous forests, but try to avoid deep snowdrifts. They can stay in one place if the snow depth does not exceed 0.5 meters.

During this period, it is quite difficult to determine where the elk lives, since the herd can start moving from the end of autumn and return back only with the onset of heat. They can walk about 15 km per day.

It is interesting that the females with moose calves are the first to leave the "camp" and only then the males follow them.

Physiological features

Moose are very large mammals. Their weight reaches 6 hundred kilograms, with a body length of up to 3 meters and growth of up to 2.5 meters. However, males have such parameters, females are much smaller.

Males have very large horns, they can weigh up to 30 kg, and their width can be about 2 meters. Every autumn, the antlers are shed and during the cold season they grow back.

In addition, the number of branches on the horns indicates the age of the animal. In various photos, moose do not look like other deer. This applies in particular to males - they are much larger and more powerful.

Despite the fact that female moose do not look as presentable as males, they are quite popular with the opposite sex. Females have long legs, a hunched back, and a large upper lip.

The animal has excellent hearing and sense of smell, due to which the elk feels great in the forest, but they have poor eyesight. So, they may not notice a stationary object from a distance of 25 meters. Animals swim quite well, so they are saved from heat, midges and hunger.

Moose are not in conflict, if there is an opportunity to escape, they will not fight.

However, during a fight, they will wield not with horns, but with their front paws. Despite the fact that the animal has a large mass, its blows are very strong.

What do moose eat?

The main diet of moose is vegetation. These are mainly mosses, fungi and lichens. In pictures with moose, you can never see how the animal eats grass. They simply cannot reach it because of their high stature and short neck. Also, animals are not averse to profiting from leaves from different trees and shrubs.

Moose "gnaw" the foliage from the branches, holding them with their large lips. They can also feed on aquatic plants by dipping their heads into a pond.

In autumn, when the leaves fall, the moose eat the bark of the trees. In summer, they can eat very densely, eating about 30 kg of food per day, in winter this figure drops by half.

For a year they can eat up to 7 tons of vegetation. They also need salt for their food, they can lick it off the roads or come to the salt licks that the rangers make for them.

How long do moose live?

Under favorable conditions, the life span of moose is about 25 years. However, in the harsh conditions of nature, they live no more than 10-12 years.

This is due to severe weather conditions and predators that can exterminate sick, old and very young animals. A person also has a hand in the destruction of the elk.

Being a game animal, the hunting season for it opens in October and ends in January. Elk meat is used in cooking, it has unique qualities and is very expensive.

Their skin and horns can also be of great value. However, moose are not farmed as it is too costly.

Moose photo

The elk is the largest member of the deer 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.

Elk (Alces alces).

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, 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".

Some moose have a fold of skin hanging under the throat, the so-called "earring".

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 the same type - dark brown with a lighter belly and legs.

Elk extremely rare white color.

If necessary, the elk easily develops a speed of 30-40 km / h.

Its distribution area is huge. It is found in Europe, Asia and North America from the border of the tundra in the north to the forest-steppe regions in the south. In prehistoric times, elk formed the basis of the diet of primitive people along with deer, aurochs (primitive bulls) and mammoths. Now, in many parts of their range, moose have been destroyed. For example, in Western Europe they can be found only in the Scandinavian countries.

A huge moose in the forest can be invisible.

Moose are purely forest animals. On the one hand, they tend to dense and impassable forests, on the other hand, they are often forced to feed on the edges and in thickets along the banks of rivers. In North America, moose often visit populated areas.

An elk wandered into a car park (USA). The photo clearly shows the actual size of the beast.

Moose lead a solitary lifestyle and even during the rut do not form large clusters. Moose feed mainly on branches of trees and shrubs. In some forest nurseries, moose are pests because they can completely eat a couple of hectares of young pines during the winter.

Elks especially like the branches of willow, birch, aspen and pine.

The elk is feeding in the pond.

The mating season for moose begins in August-September. Males begin to roar deafly. Females come to their call. Moose rarely form large flocks during the rut, and they also do not arrange exhausting fights between males.

Usually, after several such butts, the weak one gives way to a stronger opponent.

Females give birth to one (rarely two) moose in April-May. Like all deer, elk calves prefer to lie down under some bush for the first week of life (although they can walk), only then do they begin to accompany their mother.

Moose female with calf.

It is interesting that long-legged elk calves at first cannot reach the grass and graze on their knees.

A young elk grazes on his knees.

However, babies grow quickly and soon begin to eat on a par with their mother. Moose live for 20-25 years, but in nature they usually die earlier. Moose have many natural enemies. The large size of the moose does not scare off predators, but rather even attracts. After all, by killing one such giant, you can provide yourself with food for many days in advance. The main enemies of moose are wolves and bears. If a large bear can fight with an elk on an equal footing, then wolves oppose agility and large numbers to elk. Alone, a wolf will not dare to fight an elk, but a pack of wolves is a serious danger. Often wolves use the tactic to drive (exhaust) the elk, drive it out into the open and surround it.

A pack of wolves caught an elk.

It is difficult for Sukhatom to keep all-round defense, especially if the fight takes place on the ice of a reservoir. Here, the feet of the moose do a sad service. Long-legged moose on ice are completely helpless and can simply break their limbs (even without the participation of wolves). The picture looks completely different when the moose 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 the wolf and can easily defend itself from the bear. Therefore, predators avoid meeting the elk “face to face”. Cougars and lynxes can attack moose calves. For moose, winter starvation is a great danger; some animals die in winter from exhaustion.

For humans, the elk is also a desirable prey. Elk meat tastes like beef, but as always, human vanity becomes the main reason for hunting for it. Elk antlers obtained from a live animal are considered an honorary trophy. And often not even horns, but a simple photograph with a trophy obtained, becomes the goal of this hunt. Few people know that the formidable and mighty elk is easily tamed. In zoos, by the way, moose are rare. Moose are difficult to keep because they consume a lot of branch food, which is not easy to provide for animals. Moose are also sensitive to overheating, so they are not kept in zoos in hot countries. But in the Pechoro-Ilychsky Reserve in the 50-60s, experiments were carried out on the domestication of the elk. Unlike most of the delusional experiments of the Soviet era, these attempts were quite successful. Within a short time, it was possible to create an elk farm, all the pets of which were absolutely tame and controlled. It turned out that to tame an elk, it is enough just to feed it with milk.

Little moose are so attached to a person that they simply perceive him as their mother.

During the experiment, another unusual quality of moose was discovered - they have a phenomenal memory. An elk fed by a man remembers his caregiver all his life! There were cases when moose raised by people went into the forest, but when they met many years later, adult wild animals recognized the person and responded to the nickname! The question is, why does a person need a domesticated elk? It turned out that there are many discoveries in this issue. Elk can be not only a source of meat, it can also be milked. Moose milk is more fat than cow's milk, and males can be used as draft animals. Sounds funny? But do not rush to conclusions. After all, domesticated moose were not intended for the middle lane at all, but for the deaf taiga regions, where there is no place for traditional animal husbandry. It turned out to be more profitable to use moose to move through deep impassability than horses. But the experiments did not receive a worthy continuation. As usual, the country's leadership decided that it was more correct to drive all-terrain vehicles and build railways in permafrost than to mess with living beings. But in the United States, moose farms still exist.