Elk, almost completely destroyed at the beginning of the twentieth century in our country, now lives in most of Russia. In Soviet times, the elk expanded its habitat at the expense of Kamchatka, where it had not been before. Elk is a popular animal with hunters, whose meat is very tasty, and elk antlers are an excellent trophy. The life of the moose and its habits will be discussed in this article.

Where does the elk live?

With a high probability, elk can be found in swampy areas, near small rivers and forest streams. In these places they can feed on their favorite algae. In rivers and swamps, he also hides from insects, climbing into the water up to his neck. Moose are excellent swimmers, they can swim across rivers more than 5 km wide. It is often possible to observe a picture of how an elk dives into the water and can hold out without air for more than two minutes.

The largest moose live in Eastern Siberia, the weight of males reaches 500 kg, the height at the withers is more than 2 meters, the body length is about 3 m.

Moose life and nutrition.

In the summer, the heat causes them to be "night dwellers". During the day, they hide in the shade or climb into the water. In winter, on the contrary, they lay down at night. The elk arranges a bed in the snow, hiding behind it like a blanket, from under which only the head is visible.

They feed on branches and leaves of trees, moss. Moose are great fans of mushrooms, in winter they are not averse to eating bark.

Moose rarely leave their native places, they are sedentary animals. Only the lack of food and deep snow (more than half a meter) make them change their place of residence. Looking for a better life they can move to 200 - 300 km. And under normal conditions, moose walk about 15 km a day. These are rather slow animals, they walk measuredly, unhurriedly, they switch to a gallop only in force majeure circumstances, a disturbed elk can run more than 10 km. without stopping, until he reaches the most impenetrable wilds, where no elk lover can get him. Moose can run up to 60 km/h.

The main enemies of the moose are wolves, bears and lynxes. Most of all, moose die from wolves, other predators are less dangerous for them. But a healthy adult moose can fight back any pack of wolves, so for physically developed moose there is practically no natural enemies. The elk defend themselves with the help of their front legs: when attacked by wolves, the elk stands with its back to the tree and strikes with its hooves. Often, predators receive injuries that are incompatible with life, for example, wolves with a broken skull are the work of elk hooves.

Moose, like most other ungulates, are deprived of sight, therefore they are guided by hearing and smell. Still standing man they may not notice at a distance of several tens of meters.

Moose are in great need of obtaining mineral salts, so they often visit natural salt shakers and lick salt off the roads.

Males have horns that weigh about 25 kg, which begin to grow in April, and in November, at the end of the rut, moose shed them. Elk antlers are very well valued as a trophy, and you can buy elk antlers for no less than 15,000 Russian rubles.

Moose rut begins in early autumn and lasts about a month and a half. The roar of male moose can be heard at this time for many kilometers. Calm and friendly moose become very aggressive at this time. The vast majority of moose attacks on humans occur just during the rut. Like other deer, males engage in combat with each other, which sometimes ends in the death of one of the males. The winning male mates with the moose cow and after 230-240 days, moose calves appear in the spring. Moose males almost always remain faithful to one female and rarely change partners. There are rarely more than two moose in one litter, most often one small moose is born.

Moose calves already half a day after birth can move independently, the mother feeds them with her milk for 3-4 months. The mother has been raising calves for two years and protecting them from predators. Often, bears who decide to attack her cubs also die from her hooves.

In captivity, moose live up to 20 years, in the wild - no more than 12.

The animal is very large. The height at the withers is from 170 to 235 cm. The length of the body from the end of the muzzle to the tail is from 220 to 300 cm. The oblique length of the body is about 160 cm. The maximum length of the skull of adult males is over 500 mm (from 540 to 620 mm). The live weight of adult males ranges from 350 to 570 kg. Females are somewhat smaller and lighter built than males; their live weight rarely exceeds 400 kg.

In physique, long-legged, high-profile and long heavy head draws attention. The height at the withers is significantly (sometimes 15 cm) higher than the height at the sacrum. The withers are high, giving the impression of a hump. The limbs, especially the front ones, are long, in combination with them the body seems short. The neck is short, massive.

The back behind the withers is straight or concave. The croup is strongly drooping. The tail is short, no more than 10-15 cm. The hooves are narrow and long, in males they are wider and with more rounded ends. The lateral hooves are relatively well developed, on the front legs they are about half the length of the main ones, and when walking on soft ground they touch the ground. Both the fore and hind limbs have interdigital glands. The tarsal and metatarsal glands are also located on the posterior ones, indicated on the outside by dark tufts of hair glued together at the bases.

The stumps of the horns, moving away from the skull, are directed to the sides perpendicular to its longitudinal axis and almost in the same plane with the forehead. The bases of the horns themselves are located in the same plane, but then the horns are bent upwards. Typically, in adult males, already near the bases, the horns expand and form a wide flat shovel with a significant number (up to 8 or even 16 on each horn) of finger-like processes extending from it to the sides and upwards. A normally developed shovel usually consists of two parts: 1) anterior, or lower, smaller, with a small number of processes and representing a branched and flattened supraorbital process, and 2) a posterior, or upper, larger, set more vertically and having a large number of processes . The processes extending from the shovel, unlike the fallow deer, are not directed back, but forward, to the sides and up. The weight of a pair of horns of a large male can reach 15-20 kg, usually less.

The degree of development of the horns is subject to strong individual, age and geographic variability. In young, as well as in aged moose and in moose living in adverse conditions, the shovel may not develop at all. , The absence of a shovel is typical for the Ussuri elk; in the latter case, the number of processes on each horn is usually four: supraorbital, middle, and two terminal; if there is a fifth, then it represents a branching of the first (supraorbital) process.

The hairline in winter consists, like that of other deer, of a coarse, brittle awn and a thin, crimped, but sparse undercoat. The length of the winter coat on the back is about 6-8 cm. The head, as well as the legs, below the middle of the forearm, and the lower legs are covered with short, curved, but not wavy hair, lying close to the skin. Only tufts of hair on the sites of the metatarsal glands rise above the general cover. The tail is covered with the same hair as the body and does not have a brush at the end. The hair on the “earring” and the lower part of the neck are elongated to 12-15 cm, and along the upper edge of the neck and at the withers they form a kind of mane that rises when the beast is excited. Softer guard hair on inside ears, on the back of the abdomen and in the groin.

History and distribution of moose

According to Flerov (1950), the roots of the genus Alces L. lead to a common ancestor with true deer, the Lower Pliocene genus Cervavitus Khomenko. The descendants of the latter are the Middle and Upper Pliocene genus Eucladocerus Falc., certain types which (for example, E. pliotarandoides Aless.) are found in the structure of the facial skull and teeth with similarities with elks. Representatives of the genus AIces are first found in the Upper Pliocene or Lower Pleistocene of the Tiraspol gravel, in the Lower Quaternary deposits of the river. Ishim in Siberia and in a number of other places. In the pre-glacial period and later, up to the beginning of the Mindelrissian, in Eurasia, there was an enormous broad-fronted elk (Alces latifrons Johns.). The modern species, Alces alces L., appears on the geological scene from the Middle Pleistocene and is quite common in the fauna of the Upper Paleolithic and, especially, Neolithic sites.

The modern range of the moose covers almost the entire taiga zone of Europe, Asia and North America, in some places wedged into the forest-steppe and northern crooked forests (forest-tundra). As a result of intensive persecution and due to a number of other, still unexplained reasons, both the northern and, especially, the southern borders of the range have repeatedly and strongly changed already in historical time (Buturlin, 1934). IN Western Europe, with the exception of Poland, the elk was preserved in an insignificant number. It is still a common animal in most of the Scandinavian Peninsula and in Finland.

moose species

More generally accepted is the allocation of three subspecies of elk.

1. european elk- A. alces alces Linnaeus. Smaller race. Height at the withers up to 216 mm. Weight up to 500 kg. The color of the body is relatively uniform brownish-brown. There are no pure blacks. The lower parts of the sides, the front of the belly and the upper parts of the legs are only slightly darker than the neck and back. Seasonal dimorphism in coloration is weakly expressed. A bare patch on the upper lip (nasal planum) is close to a rhombic or elliptical shape. Front edge choan is rounded. The nasal opening is relatively "short. Its length from the anterior end of the nasal bones to the anterior end of the premaxillaries is equal to or less than the distance from the anterior end of the nasal bones to the middle of the posterior edge of the skull. Distribution: Europe, western Siberia east to the Yenisei, Altai.

2. AmericanElk- A. alces americanus Clinton. In general, a larger race (except for moose from southern regions range); height at the withers up to 235 cm, weight up to 570 kg. Coloring is very different on different parts of the body. The neck and upper part of the body are rusty-brown or gray-brown with a black coating, covering the pure black color of the lower part of the sides, abdomen and upper parts of the legs, as if with a saddle. Color variation is most pronounced at the end of winter, weaker in autumn fur. The naked spot on the upper lip (nasal mirror) is pear-shaped, T-shaped. Distribution: eastern Siberia, Far East, North America.

3. Ussuri elk- A. alces bedfordi Lydekker. It is characterized by small size - height at the withers about 180 cm, live weight no more than 400 kg - shortened nasal region of the skull, poorly developed horns without spatulate extensions and rich dark color. Distribution: south of the Amur, in the southern part of the Khabarovsk and Primorsky regions.

Moose biology. Elk is a typical forest animal. If it enters the tundra in the north, and the steppe zone in the south, then it does not go far from the forest border and adheres to areas where there is vegetation of a tree or shrub type.

moose breeding

Moose reach puberty, as a rule, in the third year of life. Males actually begin to participate in reproduction no earlier than in the fourth year, since before this age they are driven away by adult, stronger rivals. The beginning of the sexual season in moose is detected by the roar of males. The first roaring males can be heard already in the second half of August, but, as a rule, the beginning of the roar falls on the first days of September. In the European part of the range, males roar along the edges of the forest, in forest glades, in forest islands among swamps. The roar is more like a groan, difficult to express with the sounds of a human voice; some pass it on as “ioh-ioh” (Abramov, 1949), others compare it with a short, abrupt bark, lowing, or with the sound of an ax head hitting wood; none of these comparisons can be called successful. They roar more often in the evenings and in the morning, and sometimes even at night.

It should be noted that the roar is not always and not always pronounced clearly. For example, it is not in the Pechora taiga; weakly and not at all observed in the Sayans.

Females come into hunting, apparently somewhat later than males, and leave their calves for this period. An elk moose in hunting responds to the roar of the male with a peculiar lowing or snoring. Unlike red deer, moose are monogamous animals. Most of the male during the sexual season can be seen with one female. But this monogamy is rather conditional. Occasionally (in 10% of observed cases) one can see several females near one male. At home, one young male covered three females during the season. It is possible that in nature, couples can break up and a strong male successively fertilizes several moose cows.

During the rut, males are very excited, hitting bushes and trees with their horns. They have a very thick neck. They sniff the females; in the place where the female urinated, they knock out a hole with their hooves, urinate into it themselves, sometimes wallow in this mud (Buturlin, 1934), lick the urine of females, stretching out their head and sticking out their upper lip (Kaplanov, 1948). Males during this period, probably due to increased secretion of the skin glands, emit a sharp specific smell. The latter is felt even the next day at the place where the gloss was. When two males meet, fights with horns take place between them, sometimes ending in injury or death (Teplov, 1948). Males during the rut eat very little and during this time they lose a lot of weight. Females behave much calmer and noticeably do not lose fatness. Mating is fast, but the male covers the female several times.

According to observations on Far East rut in elk takes place in a shorter time than in red deer (Kaplanov, 1948). Its height falls in the second half of September and the beginning of October, and the rut ends by the middle or end of October. Later, only individual young males roar.

Gon from year to year takes place in the same places.

Moose domestication

The idea of ​​domesticating and using the elk as a transport animal, due to its size and strength, is very tempting and not new. Attempts to domesticate moose have long been made in many places. There is evidence that even in the time of Charles IX in Sweden they rode elks. Numerous reports about the domestication and use of moose also appeared in our pre-revolutionary literature. However, in all the cases described, it was about isolated, purely amateur attempts to tame, and not domesticate, the elk.

On a larger scale, in a planned manner and on a scientific basis, these works began to be carried out in the Soviet Union. Elk domestication experiments were carried out at the Yakutsk experimental station of the Institute of Polar Agriculture (Popov, 1939) and in a number of state reserves (Knorre, 1939, 1949, 1953, 1956). The first experimental elk farm was organized at the Pechora-Ilychsky Reserve. The results of her work, as well as all previous experience, allow us to draw the following conclusion. Caught up to a month old, fed and brought up in constant communication with people, a calf easily gets used to a person, stops being shy, allows you to treat yourself like a pet, and is easy to train in a harness, on horseback, under a pack. The younger the calf is taken from the mother, the easier it is to tame and learn to work. Moose calves caught at the age of one month retain traces of the nature of wild animals even when tamed (Popov, 1939). Caught calves are fed cow's milk, but from the first days it is recommended to offer them greens in the form of branch food. 150-200 liters of milk are spent on drinking during 3-3% of the months. From an early age it is necessary to provide a calf with grazing.

So far, the question of the free summer grazing of moose remains unresolved, since during this period they tend to disperse and graze alone, and besides, it is almost impossible to detect their presence in the snowless period. Therefore, at the Pechora experimental moose farm, the summer keeping of moose in large pens is still practiced. Free grazing in the summer is provided only to females with calves kept in pens where mothers come to feed them.

Throughout the year, domestic moose are grazing. They do not need to be fed with concentrated feed, and they even tolerate it poorly. Both adult elks and calves are recommended to give tops of vegetables and root crops in autumn, and in winter - root crops or potatoes themselves in the amount of 2-4 kg per head per day. Only young people eat hay.

Elk is a very precocious animal. Live weight gain in the first six months of life can reach up to 830 g per day, surpassing large cattle(Knorre, 1939). Without requiring fodder and being within all year round grazing, pastures unsuitable for other livestock and haymaking, domesticated elk creates prospects for inclusion in the circle economic use"inconvenient" lands of the taiga zone.

Infraclass - placental

Suborder - ruminants

Family - deer

Genus - moose

Literature:

1. I.I. Sokolov "Fauna of the USSR, Ungulate animals" Publishing house of the Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 1959.

The large-sized deer is the largest of all modern species of the family. In general appearance, the elk is a very powerful and strong, somewhat heavy, but slender animal. Its constitution is peculiar and very different from that of other deer, primarily by its high legs, powerful and massive development of the chest and shoulders, and a large heavy head. The animal usually holds its neck and head low, more or less horizontally.

Since the legs of the elk are very high, the torso, which is generally of normal length, looks relatively short, the withers are high and, together with the elongated hair covering it, forms a kind of hump. The back is straight, the sacrum is somewhat lower than the withers, the croup is relatively weak, sloping, the tail is very short, much less than half the length of the ear and is invisible in a living animal. The neck is relatively short, thick and powerful. The head is relatively very large, elongated (approximately equal in length to the neck) and narrow, hook-nosed. Upper lip very large and massive, as if swollen, when viewed from above, it is quadrangular in shape and strongly hangs over the lower one. The nostrils are large and directed downward. The ears are very large and wide, oval in general shape, but pointed at the ends, very mobile. The eyes are relatively small. There are small preorbital glands. Under the throat, both sexes have a more or less long soft skin outgrowth (“earring”) hanging down. The earring in profile looks like a triangle, sometimes sausage-shaped. It reaches its largest size in animals at the age of 3-4 years, later it becomes shorter and wider. The length of the earring is up to 35-40 cm, usually 20-25.

The hooves are large, long and narrow, strongly pointed in front. In the female, they are somewhat narrower and sharper than in the male. The lateral hooves (panolegs) are relatively large, set low and, when walking on soft ground, rest on the ground and take on part of the load.

In general appearance, a cow does not differ from a bull, but her physique is somewhat lighter, her chest and scapular regions and withers are less powerfully developed. Animals in the first months of their lives are distinguished by a particularly pronounced disproportion of the trunk and limbs - with a weak trunk, the legs are especially long. In addition, they have a relatively smaller head and the upper lip is swollen very little, almost normal. In its first winter, the young elk is still very different in proportion from the old ones and acquires a more or less typical appearance of an adult animal not earlier than two years of age.

The antlers of the elk are very variable in size and structure, larger than those of our other deer, except, perhaps, the northern one. Changes, except those associated with age, are partly geographical in nature, part of the horn varies greatly individually. In the type of elk horn, it consists of a short trunk extending from the skull horizontally and perpendicular to the sagittal plane of the body, and a wide flattened, more or less curved shovel, the plane of which is directed in a smaller part forward, more to the sides, mainly back. With a horizontal position of the head, the plane of the shovel is located almost horizontally, only slightly rising backwards. From the shovel forward, outward and backward, but not inward (not to the neck), processes extend. They are also directed slightly upward, continuing the concave figure that the shovel itself forms. All of them are more or less the same and evenly frame the periphery of the shovel, but more often the processes directed forward are larger than the others and, as it were, separated from the shovel. Often there is a more significant independence of individual processes on other parts of the shovel, apparently, more often in the posterior or posterolateral, and a certain kind of dissection of the shovel itself.

This type of horn can reach very large sizes. However, in most cases, the flat part of the shovel itself is small, and the processes are long. As a rule, the larger the flat part of the shovel, the shorter the processes and vice versa. Maximal antlers have a very large, long and wide (up to 60 cm or more) shovel with short processes, often with a pronounced forward-directed lobe-process, bearing two or three processes at the end.

The second type of horn is the same type of “shovel”, however, a powerful separate process separates forward from it, usually bifurcated at the end, representing, as it were, two front processes with the front part of the shovel. Between this type and the "typical" horns there are various intermediate forms. Both these types are very similar, and the differences between them are more quantitative. The essential features of the next - the third type of horn.

The third type of horn is the horn of the "deer" type, does not have a shovel at all and is a rather thick short trunk, branching symmetrically in a more or less horizontal plane. The processes are directed forward, sideways and backwards and are bent upwards.

Between these types of horns, especially the first two, there are various transitions; moreover, each of them is subject to great variations. The most common in our elks is a horn with a small spade and long processes, usually with a prominent front forked massive process. The number of processes on especially large horns reaches 36 (on both horns), and maybe a little more. There is a known geographical localization of these types, especially the "deer" antler.

Age-related changes in the horn are as follows. In the second year, the goby carries a small, unbranched "knitting needle", in the third year it usually develops two ends (a fork). In the future, the horn changes without any strict regularity, except for the most general one, than older beast, the larger and more massive his horns, the larger the shovel and the shorter the processes on it. In extreme old age, degradation and secondary simplification of the horn is observed, which, apparently, can go very far.

The hairline of the elk is the same as that of the rest of the deer - it is coarse, slightly wavy, thick hair with air cavities (especially in winter fur), brittle. On the body, the hairs of winter fur are about 10 cm long or slightly longer, along the ridge they are slightly longer. The hairs are especially long at the withers (up to 16-20 cm) and along the top of the neck, where they form a kind of mane. Long hair at the withers largely creates the "hump" that is so characteristic of the general appearance of the elk figure. On the sides of the neck, the hairs are not so long and only slightly longer than those covering the sides of the body.

The head is dressed with short and somewhat softer hair. They are especially short, but more elastic on the entire front of the muzzle, which is completely covered. Only in the middle of the upper lip there is a very small bare space of oval, pear-shaped or triangular shape. It is so small that it does not reach the nostrils far. Sometimes, along with this bare area, on the sides of it, closer to the nostrils, there is one small one. The lips of the elk are covered with hair up to the very border of the oral fissure.

On the legs, especially in their lower half, the hair is short, without wavy bends, slightly arched, resilient and very strong, especially on the front of the legs. This is an adaptation of the animal, which must move through deep snow for most of the year.

The color of the body, upper part of the legs, neck and most of the head of an adult animal is uniform, saturated, brownish-black or almost black. The end of the muzzle is light grey, even whitish. The color of most of the limbs, approximately from the middle of the lower leg and forearm, is light gray, sometimes almost white with a silvery tint, in sharp contrast with the general color of the body. There is no mirror.

There are no significant differences in the coloration of animals in summer and winter fur. There is only one molt in a year - spring; it, however, drags on for most of the summer. Beginning in April, the molt proceeds most intensively in May and June, with the remnants of worn winter fur remaining in July. Full short summer fur (August) darkest, almost black, and shiny. Later, due to the growth of hair towards winter, the color gradually brightens somewhat and becomes more brownish and dull. Wearing out of the dark end parts of the hair in winter also leads to the development of brownish tones. There are no gender differences in coloration.

The coloration of newborns and in the first months of life (before the first winter coat) is even, dark brown or reddish-brown all over the body. The front of the muzzle and legs are painted in the same color. Sometimes a dark stripe is marked along the top of the neck and in the region of the shoulder blades along the ridge. Spotted coloration in young never happens.

Adult bulls have a body length of up to 300 cm, a height at the withers of up to 225-235 cm, an ear length of about 26 cm, a tail of 12-13 cm. Weight up to 570 kg. The span of the horns is up to 150 cm, their weight is up to 20 kg, but sometimes more.

The total length of the skull is up to 620 mm, the zygomatic width is up to 240 mm. Cows are always somewhat smaller and lighter.

A newborn calf has a body length of about 90 cm and a shoulder height of 70-90 cm. Its weight is 13-16 pounds. In the first autumn of his life, the young reaches a weight of about 100 kg, and by the end of the first year about 200.

Elk, also known as elk, is a mammal that belongs to the artiodactyl order, the ruminant suborder, the deer family, the elk genus (lat. Alces).

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

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

Elk is the largest member of the deer family. The height of the moose at the withers is 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 the maximum weight of an elk at 825 kg. Males are usually larger than females. Females weigh approximately 200-490 kg.

Moose are a little clumsy in appearance: high-legged, with a short body. They have 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 long, hook-nosed.

Large, very mobile ears are located on the head, a swollen upper lip hangs over the lower one, and under the throat there is a soft leathery outgrowth, “earring”, 25–40 cm long.

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. Bottom part white legs. In summer, the color of moose is darker than in winter. The length of the tail of the animal is 12-13 cm.

The front teeth on the upper jaw of the moose are missing, but they are compensated by 8 incisors on the lower jaw. Also, animals have 6 pairs of molars (molars) and 6 pairs of premolars (small molars), which are used for chewing food.

Moose are good swimmers (they can swim up to 20 km) and run pretty fast. The speed of an elk reaches 55 km/h.

Moose have the largest horns 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 shovel, which is bordered by up to 18 processes. The number of processes, their length, as well as the size of the shovel itself are different in moose different ages. The older the elk, the more powerful its horns, the shovel is wider, and the processes on it are shorter. Young moose calves grow only small horns a year after birth.

Initially, elk antlers are soft, covered with delicate skin and fur. Blood vessels run inside the horns, so the horns of a young animal can hurt when bitten by insects and bleed when injured, which naturally causes pain. A year and 2 months after the birth of the animal, the horns harden, the blood supply to them stops. In the fifth year of life, the antlers of the elk (antlers) become large, powerful and heavy: the shovel becomes wider, and the processes on it are 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 the antlers as quickly as possible, the elk rubs its antlers against the trees. In April - May, new horns begin to grow in the animal, which finally harden by the end of July, and in August, moose clear them of the skin. The females do not have horns.

An elk needs horns not for protection from predators, as it may seem, but only for a mating ritual. They attract females and repel rival males. At the end mating season they lose their function, and the elk throws off its antlers. This makes it easier for him to live, since in winter it would not be easy to move around 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 blood of the elk decreases, as a result, cells appear at the base of the horns that destroy the bone substance and weaken the place where the horns are attached to the skull. Eventually, the horns fall off. The discarded elk antlers, which contain a lot of protein, are eaten by rodents, birds and predators, or softened in marshy soil.

Where does the elk live?

Moose are common in the Northern Hemisphere. By the 19th century, the now numerous moose population was completely destroyed in Europe, excluding Russia, and only as a result of protective 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 northern Ukraine, in Belarus, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the Baltic countries (Latvia, Estonia), in Russia: from the Kola Peninsula in the north to the 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 of America.

Concerning natural areas habitat, 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.

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.

Moose are kept mostly singly 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, are called “camping camp” in Russia, and “yard” in Canada. In the spring, moose disperse again.

What does a moose eat?

Elk is a herbivore that feeds on trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, mosses, lichens, mushrooms. The type of food changes with the change of season. In summer, the main food of animals is the leaves of trees and shrubs, water plants, grasses. Best of all, the elk eats leaves, mountain ash, ash, maple, buckthorn, bird cherry, willow. Mammals also love marsh, aquatic and near-water plants: water lilies, egg capsules, marigold, horsetails. In spring and early summer, they eat sedge in large quantities. Of the herbs, tall, juicy umbrella grasses, fireweed or Ivan-tea, sorrel growing on burned areas and clearings are preferred. By the end of summer, moose eat mushrooms, blueberry sprigs and lingonberries with berries. In autumn, the elk's diet also includes bark and fallen leaves. In September, the animals begin to bite the shoots and branches of trees and shrubs, and by November they almost completely switch to tree food: branches, needles, and bark. In the first half of winter, moose prefer to eat deciduous trees and shrubs, in the second half - conifers. The winter food of moose includes willow, fir, mountain ash. Animals also eat the bark during a thaw or during 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 snow. From under the snow, mammals also extract rags, sedges, and berry bushes. In winter, moose drink very little water and do not eat snow, so as not to lose heat.

In different parts of their habitat, elk can eat different foods. Very often, animals in one region do not eat food at all, which they consume with pleasure in another part. During the day, an adult elk eats up to 35 kg of food in summer and 12-15 kg in winter.

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

Moose do not have a fixed time for feeding and resting during the day. In 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 water, periodically enter the 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. In severe frosts, the elk lies a lot, plunging into loose snow, wandering into the thicket under the cover of coniferous young. During the rut, the animals are active at any time of the day.

Why do moose eat fly agarics?

moose lifespan

The life expectancy of moose under favorable conditions is 20-25 years. But in nature, this period is much less and often does not exceed 10 years. Most moose die early: from natural enemies, and, from diseases, from the hands of a person for whom the elk is the most important game animal, they drown on river crossings during ice drift. Young moose calves cannot withstand the cold in 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, a new classification has been defined, according to which the elk genus (lat. Alces) include 2 species: European elk and American elk. The number of subspecies is still undetermined and is likely to change.

  • View Alces alces(Linnaeus, 1758) – European elk (eastern)
    • Subspecies Alces alces alces(Linnaeus, 1758) - European elk
    • Subspecies Alces alces caucasicus Vereshchagin, 1955 - Caucasian elk
  • View Alces americanus(Clinton, 1822) - Moose (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 (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 Moose ( 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.

Elk is a truly huge animal, therefore a particularly valuable object of hunting. The weight of the largest specimens can be in the region of half a ton, this is a large amount of tasty healthy meat. In addition, the elk skin was used for sewing various products, and the antlers were used for handicrafts. Even in principle, to get such a big beast is a great pleasure. After all, this is a difficult task that experienced hunters who know the habits of animals well can handle.

Appearance

Elk is a mammal of the deer family, has a body length of up to three meters, a height at the withers of more than two meters, and a weight of 350-600 kg. Enough long legs with large hooves connected by movable membranes, they help to move around uneven terrain: swamps, windbreak. Hooves also serve to protect against predatory animals and other enemies. The blow of such a leg is very dangerous for a person.

It has powerful horns, which are expanded like a shovel, and are divided into parts at the ends. Young male horns are smaller, they increase with age and in an adult animal can reach a 20-kilogram weight. Antlers grow annually, starting in spring, and by winter the elk sheds them. The females do not have horns. Because of the resemblance to an agricultural tool with a plow, an elk is called a moose.

Compared to the long legs and large muzzle, the torso seems a little short, as does the neck. The chest is very wide. On the back there is something like a hump in the region of the nape, another hump-like outgrowth of cartilage adorns the muzzle. The eyes are small, dull, the ears are pointed, long and wide. He hears well, but sees worse.

The coat is long, dense, consists of a thin awn with a fluffy undercoat. There is a dark mane that descends from the back of the head to the neck and chest. The main coat color is reddish-brown, lighter in winter than in summer.

Moose nutrition

Moose lives almost throughout Russia, is found in the forest zone of Eurasia, North America. Inhabits both deciduous and coniferous forests, preferring the former. Although he has more preferred places for each season, this is due to the food supply.

The elk diet contains more than 800 plant species. These are herbs, shrubs, shoots of conifers and deciduous trees, branches. For a year, one individual on average eats up to 5 tons of various feed. Favorite delicacies are shoots of willow, aspen, mountain ash, oak, pine. He loves birch, dandelions in the spring, as well as marsh reeds and reeds. The muzzle is equipped with long lips, which help to easily break branches. With his teeth, he deftly strips the bark from trees.

In addition to food, moose need a lot of water.

Autumn-winter migrations depend on the height of the snow cover. When it increases, moose move to less snowy places where it is easier to move around and forage. If the snow cover does not exceed half a meter in a given area, animals can lead a sedentary lifestyle.

The love of moose for water is known: they enjoy spending time in rivers and lakes, where they escape from midges and heat. Interestingly, moose can eat not only coastal vegetation, but also aquatic, diving after it and being under water for up to several minutes.

Moose lifestyle

Moose can be called lazy animals: they are rather inactive. If most animals spend a lot of time feeding, after which they go to rest, then the elk alternates all this. Feed for a couple of hours, lie down for the same amount, eat again. Where to lie down - it does not matter to him, he does not choose a place: he can sink into a swamp or onto hard ground. He does not like to leave feeding places, if everything is in order, no one disturbs, he can live on several hectares for two to three weeks. A kilometer or two passes in a day, though more in winter. However, in case of danger or during the rut, it can cover up to 30 km per day.

By nature, this animal is not particularly cautious, self-confident, not timid. The beast is considered somewhat clumsy: it often goes ahead through the forest, because its powerful body allows it. Running away, the elk does not actually start running immediately, preferring to walk. Given the long legs, even this way of moving is quite fast.

Moose in nature keep one by one, sometimes in small groups. Most often, this is a female and her small or grown calves, which follow the mother. Surprisingly, elk cubs grow very quickly, overtaking even domestic animals: daily weight gain can be one and a half to two kilograms. Yes, at good conditions the weight of the animal can be:

  • at birth - 8-10 kg;
  • at 6 months - 150-170 kg;
  • at 1.5 years - 300 kg.

In captivity, a moose can live up to 25 years, but in vivo the maximum age is 15 years, on average, in nature, moose live 10-12 years.

Natural enemies are wolves, lynxes, wolverines, bears. Wolverine and lynx, although smaller than elk, defeat him thanks to a sudden attack from above from behind: they immediately bite through the carotid artery. Wolves usually overpower moose in winter time when the latter are weakened. And of course, the number of wolves is reduced by the person who hunts them.

Reproduction in moose

The time when moose lose their regularity and calmness is the rut. It usually occurs in late summer - early autumn. It goes on for about two months. Males during this period are very nervous, irritated, restless. better people don't meet them at this time. Often you can hear the voice of an elk. In general, he rarely screams, low and very loud. However, during the rut, the voice of an elk resembles the sounds made by a red deer, only the mighty beast cries intermittently. So the male calls for rivals to fight. Contractions are very fierce, sometimes the horns suffer. Older deer often do not allow young animals to mate at all. This happens in areas where there are more moose than moose. And the more unequal the ratio, the stronger the rivalry.

Sometimes, on the contrary, fewer males, as they are more likely to die from the shots of hunters. Then an elk in one rut can walk with several moose cows. Moreover, these animals are prone to monogamy, that is, the male may well spend time with one girlfriend. If he covers several, then he spends a week or two with each. Before that, the moose calmly and politely looks after, without aggression and pressure, waiting for her friend to respond with favor. However, to people, especially if moose often meet with them and are not afraid, they can be so aggressive that they even attack.

Females carry cubs for about 37 weeks. In the first birth, they usually bring one baby, and then two, often of different sexes. Often, the birth of triplets. Babies are born in April. Like most ungulates, they immediately try to get to their feet, as soon as the mother licks them. At first they walk unsteadily, the moose cow pushes and supports them with her muzzle. After three or four days, the offspring quite successfully runs after the mother. It is interesting that moose calves feed on milk for a long time, until the next estrus. If we take into account that the cubs grow quickly, then by the end of summer they already have to lie down on the ground in order to get to the coveted udder.

Young moose reach full maturity at two years.

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