Muskox
A species of Muskox Scientific name : Ovibos moschatus Genus : Muskox
Muskox, A species of Muskox
Scientific name: Ovibos moschatus
Genus: Muskox
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Ansgar Walk , used under CC-BY-SA-3.0 /Cropped and compressed from original 
Description
The muskox (Ovibos moschatus), also known as musk ox or sheep ox, is a cloven hoofed animal from the subfamily of the Antilopinae, within which it belongs to the kinship group of the goat-like species (Caprini). The up to 1.50 m high male and up to 1.30 m high female animals are residents of the arctic tundra and are originally only found in Greenland, Canada and Alaska. In 1974, however, a herd of musk oxen from Canada and Alaska was successfully resettled on the Taimyr peninsula in northern Siberia. Today, the population is estimated at 3000 to 4000 animals. Smaller herds now also live in Norway and Sweden.
General Info
Lifespan
12-20 years
Diet
Muskox predominantly feeds on a diet of arctic grasses and sedges. They also consume other vegetation like willows, lichen, and mosses during harsh winter months. Supplementing their diet are woody plants and even aquatic plants when available.
Appearance
The muskox is a large, muscular animal cloaked in a thick, insulating coat of long hair, generally brown to pale in color. This hair darkens in winter and lightens in summer. It has a hump body shape, a distinctive large head followed by a broad, powerful neck. The muskox boasts a pair of magnificent, curved horns that sweep out and up on both sexes, but are larger and heavier in males. The female's horns are more slender and less curved.
Behavior
Muskox is social, displaying gregarious behavior during winter. It employs a migratory strategy to locate food sources, covering large distances in the harsh tundra. Territorial disputes are rare due to the widely available food supply. Unique to muskox are musk-filled preorbital glands used in marking territories and individuals during mating season.
Population
Decreasing
Scientific Classification
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