Domain: Eukaryotes

Kingdom: Animals

Type: Chordata

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 its long neck, then the moose is a true giant. From time immemorial, moose have been hunted, but the attitude towards this animal was not purely consumerist, but respectful. Among the American Indians, bearing the name Moose was considered an honor.

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

What does a moose look like?

Among other deer, the elk stands out sharply due to its appearance. The first thing that catches your eye is its huge size - the body length can reach 3 m, the height of the elk exceeds 2 m, and its weight is 500-600 kg. The elk's body is relatively short, but its legs are very long. The muzzle of the elk also does not look like its brothers. The moose's head is large and heavy, the muzzle is long, the large upper lip hangs slightly over the lower one. The horns of an elk have a characteristic shape: the base of the horn (trunk) is short, from it the processes spread forward, to the sides and back in a semi-fan, the trunk is connected to the processes by a flattened part - a “shovel”. For this shape, the elk received the nickname “elk”.

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

The hooves of elk, compared to other deer, are very wide. This shape 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 easily move in dense forests, along muddy river banks and deep snow.

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.

Types of moose

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, a new classification has been defined, according to which the genus of elk (Latin Alces) includes 2 species: European elk and American elk. The number of subspecies is still undetermined and will likely change.

1. Species Alces Alces (Linnaeus, 1758) – European (eastern) elk
   • Subspecies Alces Alces Alces (Linnaeus, 1758) – European moose
   • Subspecies Alces Alces caucazicus (Vereshchagin, 1955) – Caucasian elk
2. 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. The upper lip, belly and inner parts of the 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, in the Urals, in Western Siberia to the Yenisei and Altai.

American moose (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. 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, 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 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.

In summer, moose willingly eat grass, mushrooms and even algae. Elks are generally partial to aquatic vegetation; they gladly visit bodies of water, where they not only hide from summer midges, but also graze. An elk can even dive for a portion of algae, although usually it is enough for a long-legged elk to simply bend its neck.

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

Where does the moose live?

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

Regarding 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.

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 the Siberian taiga. Russia is home to approximately half of the total animal population.

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.

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

Why does a moose shed its antlers?

Usually by the onset of winter the animal sheds its antlers. This is an absolutely painless procedure that brings him relief. To free itself from its antlers, the elk actively rubs them against trees, after which the antlers fall off. In the spring it grows new antlers, which harden in July. By the way, only males have horns, while females are deprived of such decoration.

There is an opinion that antlers are needed to protect the elk in the forest from other animals, but this is not true. The main purpose of the horns is to attract a female mating season and protecting her from other males. As the mating season passes, the horns become unnecessary. Shedding antlers for winter makes wintering much easier - it is easier for the animal to move around and find shelter.

The immediate cause of horn loss 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 weaken significantly and then disappear altogether. The elk's horns become an important food source for forest animals - squirrels, birds and predatory animals eat the protein, which is contained in abundance in the horns.

Is 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 even see a person short distance because 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

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

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

Moose are hunted by 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.

It is difficult for elk 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. With this signature blow, Moose is capable of splitting the skull of a wolf and can easily defend himself against a bear. Therefore, predators avoid meeting Elk “face to face.”

Why does moose eat fly agarics?

In Russia and Scandinavia, attempts have been made to domesticate and use moose as a riding and dairy animal, but the difficulty of keeping them makes this economically impractical. There were 7 moose farms in the USSR, and currently there are two – the moose farm of the Pechora-Ilychsky Nature Reserve in the village of Yaksha and the Sumarokovskaya moose 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. Tours are available at the farms.

There is a practice of domesticating moose. After the first feeding, a wild elk calf becomes attached to a person for life. Females easily get used to milking. Moose are very hardy animals; they can be harnessed to a sleigh and also ridden on horseback. They are indispensable in swampy taiga, difficult forests, and muddy roads. 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 elk and 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 its height reaches 1.5 meters in large species.
• Elk legs are long and thin, widening at the hooves. A deer's legs are shorter and more proportional.
• The antlers of a deer develop vertically, while those of an elk develop horizontally and have a different structure.
• Female moose, like female deer, do not have antlers. But among deer there is an exception: for example, female reindeer wear antlers, and water deer are antlerless, regardless of gender.
• As a rule, moose live separately, and among deer there are both solitary animals and herd animals.
• Elk spend a lot of time in the water, which is not typical for many deer. Although, for example, water deer live in swampy areas, are excellent swimmers and can swim several kilometers.

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- motionless standing man he cannot see at a distance of a few tens of meters.

In a fight with predators, the Elk uses its strong front legs, so even bears sometimes prefer to give the Elk a wide berth. 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.

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

Introduction to heavenly Elks or Deer were characteristic of many hunting peoples. The constellation Ursa Major in Russian tradition was called Elk. Among the peoples of the North, legends are widespread 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 figuratively imagined the sun 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.

Interesting information. did you know that...

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

Video

- the largest species of game. Height at shoulders 240 cm, weight 570 kg (record 655 kg). The male bears horns of more than one and a half meters in span and weighing up to 20 kg. By autumn, the little moose, born in the summer, reaches a weight of a hundredweight.

The most large animals inhabit Eastern Siberia. Medium-sized moose live in the European part of the USSR; the south of the Far East is inhabited by even smaller ones, although average weight the bulls of these moose weigh more than 200 kg, and the maximum weight is 400 kg. Far Eastern moose are distinguished by the absence of a “shovel” of flat expansion on the horns. The span of their horns is no more than a meter, and their weight is only 5 - 6 kg. The history of the distribution of the moose is amazing: the habitat area seems to be “breathing”, then the boundaries rapidly (of course, on the scale of history) move away - southern to north, northern to south, and the range of the animal sharply narrows; then just as quickly the boundaries of the species’ habitat expand, and there are many moose again.

Increased human persecution is commonly cited as an explanation for fluctuations in moose numbers. But there were fewer moose even where no one was chasing them. There are absolutely correct indications that there are more moose after intensive deforestation, when the animals receive a lot of fresh food from growing young animals. But there have been cases in the history of the species when there were more clearings and fewer elk. The answer lies in the fact that fluctuations in the number of moose are influenced not by one factor, but by many, and above all purely natural ones - climatic, environmental and so-called population ones, that is, internal regulation mechanisms contained in the animals themselves. Climatic factors include snow depth and air temperature.

All these mechanisms are, of course, under heavy pressure from the direct influence of man - changes in the animal’s living environment, hunting, simply anxiety, etc.

Moose now occupy the largest areas they have ever inhabited, but the total number of animals is beginning to decline. It was highest in the late 50s and 60s and was close to 500 thousand heads, and according to some sources, even 800 thousand. In the 70s it hardly exceeded 400 thousand.

Moose live everywhere - from the tundra to the steppes and even semi-deserts, but, of course, neither in the treeless tundra, nor in the monotonous mountain taiga, nor in the bare steppe and semi-desert do moose live permanently; they can only come here for a while. They prefer river valleys, swamp areas, forested islands among fields, and forested ravines.

In summer, moose live scatteredly, in winter they gather in groups, almost constantly feeding in the same places - stalls. At this time, especially in spring, when the snow is deep, moose travel only a few hundred meters per day. But autumn migrations reach 5 - 6 km, and single males in search of females are able to walk several tens of kilometers.

The location of the stands depends on the feeding areas. IN Central Russia These are mainly young pine forests, in the north - burnt areas and clearings, in Siberia - thickets of willow trees or shrubby birches along river banks, in the Far East - sparse coniferous forests with abundant deciduous undergrowth.

The plant food of elk is very diverse. It eats several hundred species of plants - woody and herbaceous, in winter almost exclusively woody, in summer both. Elk are very fond of succulent marsh plants. He also eats mushrooms, sometimes when there is a lack of food - lichens,

Eating 10 or more kilograms of branches and pine needles, moose in some places severely damage forests. They pose a particularly great threat to forest plantings and coniferous crops. This predetermines the need for constant regulation of moose population density during the hunting process.

Heat and midges make moose nocturnal animals, during the day driving animals into loaches, open fields and clearings, where the wind blows, into lakes and swamps, where you can hide up to your neck in water, or, conversely, into dense young coniferous forests, which provide some protection from insect attacks . Moose are excellent swimmers and can dive. Traveling 2 - 3 km for an elk is a mere trifle. We saw how they swam across the Rybinsk Reservoir - 20 km by water. Moose love to visit salt licks. Sometimes the gourmet comes to them 7 - 8 times in one night.

In winter, especially in severe frosts, moose feed during the day, taking breaks from time to time to rest. At night they remain lying down almost all the time. In very severe frosts, animals almost do not get up at all.

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

Main Features

The largest moose in the world live in the northern and central regions Kamchatka Peninsula. The population of these animals in Kamchatka is unique phenomenon, since people brought them here specifically 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 consequence, “gigantism”;
• a more favorable mild climate, which has a good effect on animals in terms of preserving their energy potential.

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

By appearance Kamchatka moose is similar to its relative from Alaska, and scientists were also able 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 moose in the world. The weight of males reaches 800 kg, body length is 346 cm, and height at the withers is 239 cm. Females are significantly smaller in size - 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, Penzhinsky, or Chukotka.

The main pride of the moose

Males have the largest horns of any mammal. They are also the fastest-growing tissue among mammals, with a daily growth rate of 30 cm. Moreover, each male has a unique horn bone shape, and it is almost impossible to find 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 horns 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, gives the animals another name - plow.

It is this source of 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 scope. In Kamchatka elk these values ​​range from 153-165 cm, and in the largest males the range is up to 180 cm.

The largest antlers of an elk that was caught by a man, for a long time The trophy of Kenneth Bering, obtained in Kamchatka in 1993, was considered. The following indicators are recorded in the book of records of the International Safari Club:

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

But in 2015, Lithuanian hunter Arūnas Aišparas managed to catch an elk whose antlers weighed about 50 kg and had a span of 178 cm. It is this trophy that claims to be the largest of its kind.

According to experts, the number of moose in recent years only growing. Therefore, on the pages of the Red Book it is placed next to those species that are least threatened, and hunting them is not prohibited.

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

• In water they can swim at speeds of up to 10 km/h, dive to a depth of 5 meters and hold their breath for up to 1 minute.
• Thanks to their strong, long legs, animals can run at speeds of up to 56 km/h.
• The special structure of their eyes allows them to notice the movement of objects behind them without turning their head.
• 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 sounds made by their relatives even 3 km away.
• Very long legs cause them significant inconvenience when drinking. To quench its thirst, the animal has to go deep into a pond or kneel down.
• The animal's main weapon is not its horns, but its front legs, the blow of which can be fatal even for a bear.
• They love to feast on rotten apples because the fermentation process gives them a feeling of euphoria.

According to observations of elk calves born in captivity, in the first 10-15 minutes they can already stand on their feet, but soon fall; The fur and umbilical cord are wet on the first day. On the second day, the calf moves better, although its legs still wobble and sometimes move apart. From the third day he walks freely, on the fifth day it is difficult to catch up with him, on the tenth he does not lag behind his mother, and at two weeks of age he is already a good swimmer. IN natural conditions the calf remains more or less in one place for at least a week. When the female leaves to feed or runs away if a person appears, the calf lies down, hiding in the grass or bushes; The moose cow does not try to protect the elk calf from humans.

Lactation lasts 3.5-4 months, i.e. approximately until the rut. Some females, apparently mostly not participating in the rut, continue to lactate in November-December and even later. A cow elk killed in the area of ​​the Pechoro-Ilych Nature Reserve at the end of December was milked with 200 g of milk. The elk calf that was with her weighed 43 kg more than the largest one on the moose farm. On the moose farm of the Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve, a moose cow produces 150-200 liters of milk per lactation with a maximum daily milk yield of up to 2 and even 3 liters (June - early July); At the beginning and end of lactation, daily milk yield is the lowest. The fat content of milk in May - June is 8-10 and up to 13%. Compared to cow's milk, moose milk contains 2.4 times more fat and ash, 5 times more proteins, but 1.6 times less lactose. The elk calf begins to eat green food at about two weeks of age or a few days later; in captivity, moose calves try to suck green leaves at the age of 2-3 days. An elk calf, weaned from its mother at the age of 1.5 months and subsequently fed on only green food, develops more or less normally, not lagging behind in growth from other elk calves.

Observations of 56 elk calves raised in the Pechora-Ilychsky Nature Reserve and Buzuluksky Bor showed that the weight of newborns ranged from 6-14 kg for females and 8-16 kg for males. A calf from a paired litter, as a rule, weighed no more than 10 kg. Elk calves, weighing 6-9 kg, were usually very weak and subsequently often died. From other parts of the range, data on the weight of newborn moose calves are based on single weighings (Lapland Nature Reserve, Serpukhov Game Farm, Demyanka River basin, Novosibirsk and Irkutsk regions), and they completely fit into specified limits. There is no data on the weight of newborn elk calves of the largest moose in the USSR from North-Eastern Siberia. In Scandinavia, the usual weight of newborn elk calves is 10-16 kg, sometimes 6 kg in twins.

Elk calves gain weight very quickly and in 6 months their weight increases approximately 10 times, reaching an average of 120-130 kg, and for the most developed ones 160 and even 206 kg. During the first 1-1.5 months of life, while milk predominates in the diet, the calf gains relatively less weight than in the next two months, when it begins to eat large quantities green food In July, the average daily weight gain of Pechora and Buzuluk elk calves is close to 2 kg. In American moose, the average daily gain of moose calves during the first month of life is 450-900 g, during the second - 1300-2250 g.

In the fall, weight gain slows down, and by the beginning of winter, when moose calves completely switch to woody food, it slows down even more (southern parts of the range) or stops completely. In the Pechora-Ilychsky Nature Reserve, the weight of elk calves remains unchanged from the beginning of winter until the end of the camping period and spring molt, and in the case of a snowy and protracted winter it even decreases. Thus, a calf at about a year old weighs the same here as at 6 months, and sometimes even less. Only those moose cows that did not participate in the rut and continue to lactate in winter, which is rare, can moose calves, at least at the beginning of winter, gain weight in the north.

The height at the withers of a newborn elk calf is 70-90 cm, at 2 months 105-110, at 4 months - 125-130, in the winter in the first year up to 135, in the second up to 155 cm. Adults have 160-216 cm at the withers, more often about 175 cm. On the moose farm of the Pechora-Ilychsky Nature Reserve, moose calves after October usually did not increase in growth until spring, and the winter-spring stabilization was even more pronounced than in terms of weight. Elk calves of the Yakut experimental station at the age of 1 month had the height of the withers: male 107 cm, female 105, at 3 months 120 and 117 cm, respectively, at 6 months 139 and 132 cm, at 9 months 146 and 145 cm, at 12 months (female) 151 cm. The growth of these moose calves and their weight gain continued in the winter.

In the second summer of life, the elk continues to noticeably gain weight, and under particularly favorable conditions (cool, rainy summer, small amount of midges), the gain over the summer can be 150 kg or more, so that by the age of 1.5 years its weight often doubles; some moose can reach a weight of 350 kg. The relative weight gain of an elk is always greatest in the first year of life, and the absolute weight gain, depending on the meteorological conditions of summer, can be greatest in the first or second year of life. In the third year, the elk’s weight gain slows down, and in the fourth year the animals reach full weight. physical development. Subsequently, the weight of an adult moose undergoes only more or less regular annual seasonal changes, and their amplitude reaches 80 kg or more, amounting to 20-25% of the maximum weight of the animal for a given year. Heaviest weight moose are present in late August - early September, the smallest in late April - early May. During the rut, males lose up to 17% of their initial weight, and during the subsequent winter, 3-5 times less. In moose cows, weight loss during the cold season occurs more smoothly; During the rut, by November, they lose no more than 5% of their original weight.

Observations in Sweden have shown that after 4-5 years, moose cows do not gain weight, while males usually reach their maximum weight no earlier than 10 years.

Within the same age group, the variability of weight is extremely large, as a result of which animals sometimes have the same weight completely of different ages: males aged 1.5-3.5 years were recorded weighing about 275 kg; Some one-and-a-half-year-old female elk, as well as animals aged 2.5 and 3.5 years, weighed up to 300 kg.

Data on the weight of moose in Siberia and the Far East are fragmentary and almost completely fit within the indicated limits of variability in the weight of moose in the European part of the range. The largest known weight for a Siberian moose (male) is 655 kg (Yenisei basin), for a European one - 619 kg. One male out of more than a hundred elk killed in 1903-1912 weighed 619 kg. in b. Petersburg province; all other animals weighed no more than 477 kg. Weight most big bull in Buzuluksky Bor - 563 kg, in the Pechoro-Ilychsky Nature Reserve up to approximately 500 kg, usually the weight of adult moose here ranges from 300-450 kg.

Where elk are intensively hunted, large animals are not found at all, since most are killed in the first years of life. Of more than a hundred moose killed in winter in southern Karelia, not a single one weighed more than 311 kg. Weight Limit male caught in the river basin. Demyanka, was 422 kg, females - 370 kg. The usual weight of moose in Eastern Siberia is 320-400 kg and very rarely (males) up to 480 kg. 11 moose killed in the Amur region weighed 260-320 kg. The male, caught at the end of September on Sikhote-Alin, weighed 400 kg, although the Ussuri moose is considered the smallest in the USSR. There is no exact data on the weight of the largest moose in the USSR - from North-Eastern Siberia; The weight of males in their prime here, apparently, often reaches or even exceeds 600 kg.

In the first autumn, 4-5-month-old elk calves develop clearly visible bumps under the skin; antlers grow from late April - early May to June inclusive, i.e. at the end of the first - beginning of the second year of life. The soft antlers harden only at the end of July or August; the skin on them gradually shrinks, dries out, and the moose free themselves from it, tearing off small trees with their antlers. These horns are 20-28, sometimes up to 32 cm in length and often consist of spokes without processes, in very rare cases they are forked. Young moose shed their antlers after older moose, usually only in February - March, and sometimes in April. The moose's second antlers, which develop at the beginning of the third year of life, are forked. Horns with a well-defined spade usually develop only in the fifth year. Subsequently, under favorable conditions, the weight of the horns increases, the shovel becomes larger, and the number of shoots increases. The weight of a pair of large horns can reach 15-20 kg, and according to some sources, more.

In adult moose, the growth of new antlers in the southern parts of the range begins in April, in the north usually only in May. The horns reach full development at the end of June - the first half of July (in the southern parts of the range, often in June). Thus, their growth continues for 2-2.5 months. While the horns are soft, they are very sensitive to blows and insect bites. Hardening of the horns occurs in July; The very ends of the horns, which look like rounded nodules, remain soft the longest and only then become sharper. By the end of August - beginning of September, the horns are cleared of skin, but on the Kola Peninsula this process occurs only from late August to mid-September. By the beginning of the rutting season, adult elk are always cleaned. In Sikhote-Alin, young moose with remains of skin on their antlers were encountered as early as September 17, while in some years older moose had their antlers cleaned off as early as August 26.

Adult moose shed their antlers from November (less often from the second half of October) to December, sometimes including the beginning of January. On the Kola Peninsula and Yakutia, moose shed their antlers mostly in December. In the third year, moose shed their antlers in January - February. In older moose, the shovels become smaller and lighter, and the number of shoots is often reduced. At unfavorable conditions horns also degrade in those animals that are no more than 6-8 years old.

Moose are born with well-developed deciduous incisors and erupting premolars. The formation of permanent incisors in our moose ends at approximately 18 months of age. In American moose, the first moose begins to erupt at the age of 10-14 weeks (the mandibular is somewhat earlier than the maxillary), at 4-6 months it is fully functional, and at 6-8 months the second one begins to erupt. At 13-16 months, moose usually lose all primary molars; at 16-19 months, the formation of molars ends.

Young moose calves have a red coat color, which is sharply different from the grayish-brown color of adult moose; their legs are no lighter than their bodies. The change of juvenile plumage occurs from the beginning of August (slightly later in the north). By the middle or end of September, young people receive hairline adult moose; At the same time, the legs become lighter, and the color of the body becomes dark brown. In the Lapland Nature Reserve, moose calves molt in September, but, as a rarity, young ones in juvenile fur were seen even in November.

Data on molting of adult moose in natural conditions are very scarce; one of the reasons for this is the great similarity between summer and winter fur color; the first is only slightly darker than in winter. Elks shed once a year - in the spring. By March, winter fur noticeably wears out and loses its shine. The awn begins to fall out in late March - early April, and the undercoat in the second half of April. Shedding begins from the head and legs, with the back being the last to shed. Moose shed especially intensively in May - June, females who have given birth to calves - in June and the first half of July. In the northern parts of the range, molting is delayed by about two weeks compared to more southern areas. The first to shed are males and barren females, the last are females that have brought calves, as well as exhausted and sick animals. On Sikhote-Alin, adult males moult in early July or earlier, and females only in August. Normally well-fed male and female killed in the river basin. Demyanki molted completely on July 16-20, but the feeding and very emaciated female retained the remnants of winter wool even on July 25.

Moose, especially young ones, have a hard time molting. At this time, body weight drops abruptly, in other cases it remains stable, but weight gain is delayed. Some young animals that have endured a hard winter lose up to 30 kg in weight during the spring molt.

In the second half of July - August, moose wear short, shiny summer fur; The fur on the belly is very sparse. The skin is a little thinner than in winter. In August, the undercoat begins to grow and the coat lengthens. During October or a little earlier, the elk puts on winter clothes.

The moose reaches its peak of strength at the age of 6-12 years. There is a widespread belief among our zoologists that moose live no longer than 20 years. However, a male moose, tagged in Sweden with a calf and then released, was recaptured at the age of 20 years. He was quite viable and had horns with 11 and 12 ends. At the Stockholm Zoo, a moose cow calved at the age of 21, but the calf was not viable. Judging by these data, the potential life expectancy of an elk is more than 20 years and, possibly, exceeds 25 years, as Cherkasov once assumed (1884). However, the vast majority of moose die much earlier. In the moose population of the Lapland Nature Reserve, no more than 3% of all animals were older than 10 years.

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 most major 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, they prefer coniferous and mixed forests. Where the level of snow cover is no more than 50 cm, animals lead a sedentary lifestyle; 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 people 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 information that on small area 100 or more animals were collected.

Here's what moose eat:

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

In summer they take out leaves even from tall trees, love to eat near-water 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. During this period, 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. Strong adult The wolf is not dangerous.

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

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