Mammals · Artiodactyla · Cervidae

Moose

Alces alces

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It is the largest living member of the deer family. Its palmate antlers, carried only by males, regrow completely every year.

Weight

365 kg – 725 kg

Size

up to 2 m

Lifespan

18 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Irregular activity

Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestTundraHerbivore Variable activity Solitary Temperate forest Tundra Mammal

15countries 57parks23same family

Fun facts

It is the largest living member of the deer family.
Its palmate antlers regrow completely each year after the rut.
It puts on roughly 1 kg a day while it is nursing.
alimentaciónIt is the largest living deer in the world, and can submerge its head completely to feed on water plants on the bottom of shallow lakes.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Boreal forests and the country bordering the Arctic tundra across North America and Eurasia
Birth weight: Born precocial
Size at birth: Born precocial
Sexual maturity: 2.1 years
Gestation / incubation: 216-240 days (~7-8 months)
Litter / clutch size: 1 young per birth (twins occasional)
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 18.4 years

Sources consulted: A-Z Animals; Animal Diversity Web (Alces americanus); AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Wildlife Informer; ScienceInsights; ADFG (bear predation moose review)