Moose

1. Moose A biological presentation By Daniel Carter

2. What are they? • Moose are the largest member of the deer family and are also one of the largest land mammals in North America

3. Moose classification • Domain: Eukarya- nucleus with a nuclear envelope and membrane bound organelles • Kingdom: Animalia- they ingest other organisms to get their energy(heterotrophic) • Phylum: Chordata- at some point while zygote is forming it has a notochord, dorsal hollow nerve chord, pharyngeal gill slits, and a muscular tail • Class: Mammalia- has lungs, fur, and produces milk • Order: Artiodactyla- has even number of toes protected by hooves • Family: Cervidae- has antlers (deer family) • Genus: Alces • Species: Alces alces

4. Subspecies • There are eight subspecies of moose, there are different subspecies because moose have adapted differently to different habitats and situations. The moose that live her in Utah are Alces alces shirasi they are also the same species that live in Yellowstone and Wyoming.

5. Moose Measurements • 5 to 6.5 feet tall • 800 to 1,800 Lbs. • Antlers can spread up to 6 feet long • Life span is anywhere from 15 to 25 years they don’t start suffering from old age until 12

6. Habitat • Moose live in forested areas where there is lots of snow in the winter. • The forest also has to be nearby a body of water like lakes, bogs, swamps, streams, or ponds.

7. Diet and adaptations • Moose are perfectly adapted for forest life they can eat anything that grows in them from leaves, grass, pinecones, and bark to aquatic plants that grow in ponds and lakes. • They are also adapted for cold weather they have hollow hair that keeps them warm, they have long legs so they can walk and run through snow without any problems. • They also have good hearing and a excellent sense of smell, but poor eyesight.

8. Life cycle • Moose have a mating season that is from September to October. Where male moose (bulls) fight over female moose (cows) • Afterwards the winning male leaves, the female moose is pregnant for 8 months(230 days) and raises the calves by herself • Moose can have one to 2 calves a year each weighing 30 pounds they are born in spring • The mother will raise, take care of, and protect it until the next mating season where then it will chase it off to live on it’s own • When the calf is around 20 months old it can participate in mating season

9. Predators • 86% of calves die every year because of the moose's predators. A moose’s predators are bears and wolves. Since a mother moose can only have 2 calves a year she is very protective of her young.

10. Fighting strategies • Having predators means the moose has to protect it and it’s babies on a regular basis. • When a moose sees a wolf it will go for shallow water because it will be harder for the wolf to move around in and if there is no water it will back itself up against a tree • When it sees a bear it usually runs away with its long legs it can run over and around most obstacles in the forest without any problems

11. Skills and weaknesses skills weaknesses • Strength • Immune to cold levels in its habitat • Acute hearing and smell • Size • Very strong swimmer • Poor eyesight • Can’t handle heat above 80 degrees Fahrenheit

12. Body temp is 101 • Flap bellow their neck is called a bell • Lose their antlers in the winter grow new ones in the spring it grows back with “velvet” fur on it they have to scrape it off to get ready for mating season • The older a moose gets the more bowl shaped it’s antlers get • Moose in Alaska and Russia are the biggest and grow up to 7.5 feet tall • Moose generally hate dogs Fun facts

13. Work cited • World book encyclopedia • Britannica.com • https://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2012/hautaka_gavi/classification.htm