How much does a moose weigh? Useful properties of elk meat.

The majestic animal elk belongs to the class of mammals. It is one of the varieties of the deer family. The planet is inhabited by almost one and a half million individuals.

Moose antlers are his pride

Its distinctive feature from other deer species is its antlers, they are not like the others. Heavy, spade-shaped, sweeping horns resemble in appearance an arable tool - a plow. Due to this, the elk received the name – elk.

In an adult male, the span of the horns reaches 180 cm, and their weight can be about 30 kg. Every year, from November to December, moose shed their antlers, so if, while walking through the forest, you accidentally stumble upon such an attribute, do not be alarmed, the moose no longer needs these antlers; it will grow new ones. And these can be taken as souvenirs.

Females do not have horns.

Antlers serve as a means of protection for elk; they use them to fend off predators and also to fight rivals.

Appearance of a moose

In addition to the peculiarity of its antlers, the elk is the largest in the family. Its weight is more than half a ton. The largest specimen was noted - a male, whose weight reached 655 kg. Moose cows are smaller than males.

He has a massive wide chest and back, the front part in the area of ​​the shoulder blades is higher, and the neck is short. Large large head, wide elongated muzzle. His upper lip is large and hangs slightly. There is a leathery outgrowth on the neck, it is also called an “earring”.

The moose is quite tall and at the same time thin legs, and in order to drink water, the elk is forced to go deep into the water or bend down, kneeling. But thanks to such legs, the elk runs fast, reaching speeds of up to 56 km/h.

Nutrition

Moose feed on young growth of trees and shrubs, as well as grass; in addition, they can eat mushrooms, mosses and lichens. In winter, they eat tree bark and branches.

Moose do not like heat so they feed more often at night. During the day, it chooses swampy places for feeding, near water or well-ventilated.

Mating period and pregnancy of a moose cow

Mating in moose occurs in the fall, September – October. During this period, the elk shows strong aggression. Males fight each other, unfortunately, sometimes with fatal results.

The moose remains in position for about 8 months. As a result, usually one calf is born, rarely, usually in old females two are born.

Elk calves

The little elk calf is red in color. They are able to stand on their feet within a few minutes after birth.

Elk calves behave like all children. They drink mother’s milk, which, by the way, is very fat – up to 13% and high in protein. They frolic and always stay close to their mother, who will always protect her baby.

Kids are interesting and funny. Watching them is a special pleasure.

Moose cows and moose calves form groups of 3–4 animals. Sometimes males can join such groups.

Where do moose live?

Since moose do not like heat, they are common in the northern part. They occupy forest zones, sometimes forest-steppes and the outskirts of steppes.

In winter, moose can migrate to places with the least snow cover. They move to another place if the snow cover reaches 70 cm. Elks are very patient, hardy and strong. In the spring they return and live in the area settled.

Many coats of arms of cities and regions have images of elk. For some it symbolizes natural resources, in others it shows strength and endurance. The image of a moose is even found on banknotes and stamps.

Elk- a noble and powerful owner of our forests, with whom even the Bear will not always dare to argue.

What is the moose called?

Sometimes Moose also called elk due to the shape of the horns, which resemble a plow.

What does a Moose look like?

Elk it is not for nothing that it is considered one of the largest animals, since males often reach sizes of about 3 meters in length and 2.5 meters in height, and weigh up to 600 kg. Distinctive feature The moose is characterized by its beautiful sweeping antlers, which have an average of 18 branches.

Researchers count about 7 subspecies of Elk, which differ in size and structure of horns.

What do Moose eat?

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

Where does Elk live?

Elk lives almost throughout the entire forested zone of the Northern Hemisphere, it can often be found in the taiga or steppe part.

Swampy areas are an important component of the life of Elks, since in the hot season the 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 Siberian taiga. Russia is home to approximately half of the total animal population.

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

Are Moose dangerous for humans?

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

Reproduction of Elks

Single Elks They live separately in small groups of up to 4 individuals; females with elk calves sometimes unite in small herds of up to 8 animals. Elks are monogamous by nature, unlike other relatives.

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

There are also famous Elk fights, where rivals in the fight for the best female can not only be seriously injured, but even die. Pregnancy in the Moose lasts 225-240 days from April to June. Usually one calf is born, but older, 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 he can already move freely.

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

Enemies of the Moose

First enemy of the Moose, of course, a man with a weapon.

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

Elk It is difficult to maintain a perimeter defense in open spaces. The picture looks completely different when the Elk is in the thicket. Here he often takes a defensive defense: covering his rear with some tree or thickets of bushes, the Elk defends itself from attackers with blows from its front legs. Moose is capable of these signature blows crack a wolf's skull and can easily defend itself from a bear. Therefore, predators avoid meeting Elk “face to face.”

Elk 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 smell. Moose's eyesight is poor- he does not see a motionless person at a distance of several tens of meters.

In a fight with predators, the Elk uses its strong front legs, so even bears sometimes prefer to avoid the Elk. These animals are excellent runners thanks to their strong and long legs, and can reach speeds of up to 56 km/h.

Moose milk, which they feed their offspring, contains 5 times more protein than cow's, and 3-4 times fatter. Currently, there are two moose farms operating in Russia, which produce milk used in medicinal purposes, as well as meat and leather.

At first, long-legged Elk calves cannot reach the grass and graze on their knees.

Picture of heavenly Elks or Deer were characteristic of many hunting peoples. Constellation Ursa Major in Russian tradition it was called Los. Among the peoples of the North there are widespread legends about the creation of the Milky Way during the pursuit of Elk hunters, as well as about how Elk carried the sun into the celestial taiga. Sometimes taiga hunters The sun was also figuratively represented in the form of a living creature - a giant Elk, running across the entire sky during the day and plunging into the endless underground sea by night.

Elk, also known as elk, is a mammal that belongs to the order Artiodactyla, suborder Ruminantidae, family Deer, genus Elk (lat. Alces).

The name "elk" presumably comes from the Old Slavonic "ols", indicating the red color of the coat that newborn elk calves have. Another common name for elk in Rus' since ancient times, “elk,” apparently arose due to the similarity of its antlers with a plow, an ancient agricultural tool.

Elk – description, characteristics, structure. What does a moose look like?

Elk is the largest representative of the deer family. The height of the elk at the withers ranges from 1.70 to 2.35 m, the body length reaches 3 m, and the weight, depending on the sex, varies from 300 to 600 or more kilograms. Some sources indicate Weight Limit elk weighing 825 kg. Males are usually larger in size than females. Females weigh approximately 200-490 kg.

Moose are a little clumsy in appearance: long-legged, with a short body. They have a powerful rib cage and shoulders. Elk legs are long, not thin, with narrow, long hooves. The tail is short but noticeable. The head is heavy, up to 500 mm in length, hook-nosed. There are large, very mobile ears on the head, a swollen upper lip hangs over the lower lip, and under the throat there is a soft leathery outgrowth, an “earring,” 25–40 cm long.

Moose fur consists of coarser long hairs and soft undercoat. In winter, the fur 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 is why it seems that the animal has a hump. The softer hair growing on the head even covers the lips of the mammal, only on the upper lip between the nostrils there is a small bare area.

Elk are brownish-black or black on the upper body, which fades to brown on the lower body. The back of the body, croup and buttocks have the same coloring as the rest of the body: the so-called tail “mirror” is absent. The lower part of the legs is whitish. In summer, moose are darker in color than in winter. The length of the animal's tail is 12-13 cm.

There are no front teeth on the elk's upper jaw, but they are compensated by 8 incisors on the lower jaw. Animals also have 6 pairs of molars (molars) and 6 pairs of premolars (small molars), which are used for chewing food.

Moose swim well (they can swim up to 20 km) and run quite fast. The speed of the moose reaches 55 km/h.

Moose have the largest antlers of any mammal. They reach a span of 180 cm and weigh up to 20 kg. The horn consists of a short trunk and a wide, flat, slightly concave blade, which is bordered by up to 18 processes. The number of shoots, their length, as well as the size of the shovel itself are different among moose of different ages. The older the elk, the more powerful its antlers, the wider the shovel, and the shorter the shoots on it. Young elk calves only grow small horns a year after birth.

Initially, elk antlers are soft, covered with delicate skin and fur. Inside the horns pass blood vessels, so the horns of a young animal can hurt when insect bites and bleed when wounded, which naturally causes pain. A year and 2 months after the birth of the animal, the horns harden and the blood supply to them stops. In the fifth year of life, the elk's antlers (antlers) become large, powerful and heavy: the shovel becomes wider and the shoots on it become shorter.

When does an elk shed its antlers and why?

In November - December, the elk sheds its old antlers. This process does not cause pain to the animal, but only brings relief. To get rid of antlers as quickly as possible, elk rub their antlers against trees. In April - May, the animal begins to grow new antlers, which finally harden by the end of July, and in August the moose cleans them from the skin. Females do not have horns.

An elk needs antlers not for protection from predators, as it might seem, but only for a mating ritual. They attract females and scare away rival males. At the end of the mating season, they lose their function, and the elk sheds its antlers. This makes his life easier, since in winter it would be difficult to move with such a weight on his head.

And yet, why do the horns fall off? The fact is that after the mating season, the amount of sex hormones in the elk’s blood decreases, as a result, cells appear at the base of the horns that destroy bone matter and weaken the attachment point of the horns to the skull. Eventually the horns fall off. Shed elk antlers, which contain a lot of protein, are eaten by rodents, birds and predators or softened in marshy soil.

Where does moose live?

Moose are common in the Northern Hemisphere. The now numerous moose population 19th century was completely destroyed in Europe, excluding Russia, and only as a result of conservation measures taken at the beginning of the 20th century, these animals again settled in Northern and Eastern Europe. Now on the European continent, moose live in the countries of the Scandinavian Peninsula (Finland, Norway), in the north of Ukraine, in Belarus, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the Baltic countries (Latvia, Estonia), in Russia: from the Kola Peninsula in the north to southern steppes. In Asia, they occupy the taiga zone of Siberia, reaching the forest-tundra, as well as the Far East, northeast China, and northern Mongolia. IN North America Moose live in Canada, Alaska and the northeastern United States.

Concerning natural areas habitat, moose usually live 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. The elk prefer forests with dense undergrowth and young growth, avoiding tall, monotonous forest areas.

Moose live more or less sedentary and do not move around too much. Making short journeys in search of food, they remain for a long time within the same area. In summer, the area where elk live and feed 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. The first to leave are the moose cows with their calves, followed by the males and females without offspring. In the spring, moose return to their usual habitats in the reverse order.

Moose live mostly alone or in small groups. In winter, animals gather in herds in places where there is more food and less snow. Such favorable places, in which there is a lot of food and a lot of individuals gather, in Russia they are called a “camp”, and in Canada a “yard”. In the spring, the moose disperse again.

What does moose eat?

Elk is a herbivore that feeds on trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, mosses, lichens, mushrooms. The type of food changes with the changing seasons. In summer, the main food of animals is leaves of trees and shrubs, aquatic plants, and grasses. The best food elk eat are the leaves of rowan, ash, maple, buckthorn, bird cherry, and willow. Mammals also love marsh, aquatic and semi-aquatic plants: water lilies, egg capsules, marigolds, horsetails. In spring and early summer they are large quantities eat sedge. Among the herbs they prefer are tall, juicy umbrella herbs, fireweed or fireweed, and sorrel growing in burnt areas and clearings. By the end of summer, moose eat mushrooms, blueberry branches and lingonberries with berries. In the fall, moose's diet also includes bark and fallen leaves. In September, animals begin to bite shoots and branches of trees and shrubs, and by November they almost completely switch to tree food: branches, pine needles, bark. In the first half of winter, moose prefer to feed on deciduous trees and shrubs, and in the second half – on coniferous trees. Winter food for moose includes willow, fir, and rowan. Animals also eat bark during a thaw, or in the southern regions, where it does not freeze as much as in the north, they eat lichens, finding them on trees during a thaw or on the ground under the snow. From under the snow, mammals also obtain rags of sedge and berry bushes. In winter, moose drink very little water and do not eat snow so as not to lose heat.

IN different parts habitat, elk can consume a variety of foods. Very often, animals in one region do not eat food at all, which they eat with pleasure in another region. An adult moose eats up to 35 kg of food per day in summer and 12-15 kg in winter.

In addition, moose love salt very much and visit natural or artificial salt licks almost everywhere: they gnaw salt-rich soil, lick stones, and drink brackish water. Salt licks serve as a source of minerals for moose.

Moose do not have a specific feeding or resting time during the day. In the summer, with the appearance of blood-sucking insects (,) and the onset of heat, they rest more during the day, lying down in cool or damp places, in clearings where the wind blows, lie in shallow waters, and periodically go into water up to their necks. They feed mainly at dawn or at night. In winter, periods of feeding and rest alternate several times a day. During severe frosts, elk lie down a lot, sinking into loose snow, wandering into the thicket under the cover of young coniferous trees. During the rut, animals are active at any time of the day.

Why does moose eat fly agarics?

Life expectancy of moose.

Life expectancy of moose favorable conditions is 20-25 years. But in nature this period is much shorter and often does not exceed 10 years. Most moose die early: from natural enemies, and, from disease, at the hands of a person for whom elk is the most important game animal, they drown at river crossings during ice drift. Young moose calves cannot withstand the cold during long springs.

Types of moose, photos and names.

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 advances in genetics, it has been determined new classification, according to which the genus of elk (lat. Alces) includes 2 species: European elk and American elk. The number of subspecies is still undetermined and will likely change.

• Species Alces Alces (Linnaeus, 1758) – European (eastern) elk
  • Subspecies Alces Alces Alces (Linnaeus, 1758) – European moose
  • Subspecies Alces Alces caucazicus (Vereshchagin, 1955) – Caucasian elk
• Species Alces Americanus (Clinton, 1822) – American Elk (Western)
  • Subspecies Alces Americanus Americanus (Clinton, 1822) – eastern Canadian moose
  • Subspecies Alces Americanus Cameloides (Milne-Edwards, 1867) – Ussuri elk

Below is a description of the current species of moose.

• European moose (lat.Alces Alces) in Russia it is often called 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. Females are smaller in size. 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. Upper lip, belly and inner parts of legs are almost white. In summer the color is darker. Moose antlers with a well-developed spade, up to 135 cm in span. The European moose lives in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, the European part of Russia, the Urals, Western Siberia to the Yenisei and Altai.

• – 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. In summer the color is darker, in winter it is lighter. The weight of an adult moose varies from 300 to 600 kg or more. Body dimensions are approximately the same as Alces Alces. Moose antlers have a widely divided spade. The anterior process, separated from the shovel, branches. The span of the horns reaches more than 100 cm. The width of the shovel reaches 40 cm. The American moose lives in Eastern Siberia, on Far East, V Northern Mongolia, in North America.

Elk is the largest representative of the deer family. The elk lives in Europe, North America, central Russia, and the Far East.

Anyone who has seen a moose will confirm that this is an animal of impressive size. So how much does an adult moose weigh if it is that big?

Appearance

Where does moose live?

Moose common in forest areas Northern Hemisphere, less common in forest-steppe and steppe. In Europe lives in the following regions:

In North America, the elk lives in the northeastern United States, Alaska, and Canada.

There are about 1.5 million moose all over the Earth, 730,000 of this number live in Russia.

Various sources claim that there are from 4 to 8 subspecies of elk. The largest representatives belong to the East Siberian and Alaskan subspecies. The smallest is Ussuri.

Nutrition, lifestyle

Elks inhabit forests, live on the banks of rivers and steppe lakes, and are found in thickets of willow trees; in the forest-tundra - along birch and aspen forests. In the tundra and steppe, animals can be observed far from the forest.

Reservoirs are of great importance for animals., near which moose escape the heat and find edible aquatic vegetation. IN winter period they prefer conifers and mixed forests. Where the snow cover level is no more than 50 cm, animals lead sedentary image life, in snowier regions they move to places with less snow for the winter. Migration to wintering areas usually occurs in late autumn. The females and cubs go first, followed by the males. During the day, the animal can cover 10-15 km. The return to their previous place of residence occurs during the period of snow melting.

Moose do not have strictly defined resting and feeding times.. Here everything is dictated by the season. In summer the animals are predominantly nocturnal; in winter they are active during the day. The location of their camps depends on the availability of food. IN Central Russia these are young pine forests, in Siberia - thickets of willow or birch trees, in the Far East - rare coniferous forests. One stall can be occupied by several elk at the same time. There is evidence that 100 or more animals gathered in a small area.

Here's what moose eat:

• grass;
• shrubs;
• woody vegetation;
• mushrooms;
• lichens.

In summer they take out leaves even from tall trees, like to feed on semi-aquatic and aquatic plants, grass. Towards the end they begin to eat the branches. During a thaw, they eat the bark. An adult moose eats about 30 kg of food per day, in winter - about 15 kg. Thus, an elk consumes more than 7 tons of feed per year. Imagine how much the moose weighs afterwards.

If the number of animals is large, they can damage forest nurseries and plantings. Animals often visit salt licks, and in winter they lick salt from the roads.

Moose – excellent swimmers and runners. Can remain underwater for more than a minute; the sense of smell and hearing are developed, although vision is rather weak. They defend themselves from predators by striking their front legs.

The elk attacks people very rarely, usually when the biped approaches the cubs or under other irritants.

Social structure, reproduction

Single individuals of both sexes live separately, but occasionally they can live in groups of 4-5 animals. In summer and winter, females live with elk calves; sometimes single individuals join them; by spring, this formation disintegrates.

The rut occurs in the fall, at this time you can hear the characteristic roar of males. IN this period the animals are extremely aggressive and can even attack humans. Males arrange fights, as a result of which one of the rivals often dies. Because the animals are monogamous, they rarely mate with more than one female moose.

Pregnancy lasts about 235 days. One cub is born, although older females occasionally have twins. Elk calves stand on their feet immediately after birth, and after a couple of days they are able to move around. Sexual maturity occurs at approximately 2 years.

IN natural conditions The life expectancy of an elk is about 10 years, but in captivity it can increase to 22 years.

Economic purpose

Game animal. In a number of countries they tried to domesticate it, but the idea was not successful due to the complexity of its maintenance. But since Soviet times, two moose farms have remained in the Russian Federation: the Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve and the Kostroma one.

Moose milk is similar to cow's milk, but fattier, which is why it is often used for medicinal purposes. Moose meat is much tastier than meat other deer are softer and more tender.

Number

Poachers cause great damage to the population. Diseases and injuries also lead to a reduction in the number of animals, often causing death. The number of moose is also decreasing due to predators.

Annual mortality in adults is 7-16%; among young people, in the first year of life, up to 50%. Moose are hunted by wolves and bears. As a rule, sick, old and young animals become prey. The wolf is not dangerous to a strong adult individual.

Most often the elk gets sick due to tapeworm, striking nervous system, and also because of the tick.

Moose are often hit by cars, and by the way, drivers often suffer Vehicle. Don’t forget, an elk can weigh a lot.