COMMON NAME (S): Moose

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Alces alces

CLASSIFICATION: Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Cervidae

DESCRIPTION: Length: 8.5-10.5 feet (2.5-3.2 meters)
Height at the shoulder: 5.5-7.5 feet (2-2.25 meters)
Weight: 1,000-1,800 pounds (450-810 kg.)
General: Moose are the largest member of the deer family and the tallest wild mammal in North America. They are noted for long legs, a short neck, broadly palmate antlers, a prehensile muzzle and a dewlap or bell on the throat.

RANGE: Alaska, Canada and the northern tier of the U.S. south into the Rocky Mountains.

HABITAT: Swamps and forested or mountainous areas near water.

STATUS: General: Secure.
               WA State: Rare, increasing.

DIET: Consists primarily of browse and aquatic plants when available.

REPRODUCTION: Breeding season extends from September through October. The gestation period is about eight months. The first pregnancy most often results in a single calf. In subsequent pregnancies, the female generally gives birth to twins. At birth a calf will weigh 20-25 pounds.

LIFE SPAN: 10-15 years.

BEHAVIOR: Moose are non-migratory ruminants that can consume up to 60 pounds of browse per day. They also make use of seasonally available pond plants and are capable of feeding well below the surface of the water. Moose are excellent swimmers. They are generally solitary. Bull moose in rut do not gather a harem but mark out a territory to which cows will be attracted. The bull stays with one cow for a week or so before breaking off to find another. During the rut, cows protect their calves from the very aggressive rutting bulls.

NAMES: adult male - bull; adult female - cow; baby - calf; group - herd

SOURCES: World of the Moose, J.Van Wormer
Sportman's Guide to Game Animals, Leonard Lee Rue
Lives of Game Animals, Seton
Moose Ecology, Trek Library