Moose Facts for Kids
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- Moose are members of the deer family.
- They are the largest member of the deer family. They are also one of the largest land mammals in North America.
- Moose can weigh between 500-1400 pounds and can be 7ft- 10ft long.
- Female moose are smaller than the male.
- Moose are mammals.
- They are ungulates, which means a hoofed animal.
- They have a humped shape back with thin legs and a big body with large antlers.
- Moose like cool temperatures and live in the Northern regions of North America.
- They live in Alaska, Canada, and in the Northern U.S.
- Some U.S states that moose live in include: Washington, Maine, mountains of Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, upstate New York, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, Michigan and Wyoming.
- Moose usually live in forests by sources of water including rivers, lakes, ponds or streams.
- The word moose comes from a term the Native American tribe called the Algonquin’s used which means twig eater.
- Moose are herbivores meaning they do not eat meat. Moose like to eat water plants such as willows, aspens and water lilies. They also eat twigs, bark, leaves and pine cones.
- Moose have stomachs similar to cows. Their stomach have 4 parts. Like cows, moose also eat then regurgitate (throw it up) their food then eat it again.
- One of the best ways to tell the male and females apart is by antlers. The males have antlers and the females do not. However, in late fall males shed their antlers.
- Each year the male will shed his antlers to grow new ones. Each time a male grows back his antlers they are bigger than the antlers he had before.
- Males use a loud bellow sound to attract females during mating season.
- Males actually use their antlers to battle each other to win his female mate.
- Females give birth to usually 1 but sometimes 2 babies called calves.
- Calves are around 30 pounds at birth and can stand on their first day of life.
- Calves are fully grown between the ages of 4-6.
- Did you know that the plural form of moose is moose? A group of moose is called a herd.
- Moose are solitary animals and do not live in groups.
- Moose can swim. They can stay underwater for about 30 seconds.
- Moose can run in speeds up to 35 miles per hour for short distances.
- Their average lifespan is 15-20 years.
- Because of their size, moose have few predators. They have been known to fight off packs of wolves, however Grizzly Bears can attack and kill moose. Humans also hunt moose.