About Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758)
This species is Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758), commonly known as moose. On average, adult moose stand 1.4–2.1 m (4.6–6.9 ft) high at the shoulder. This shoulder height is on average more than 30 cm (1 ft) taller than that of the wapiti, the next largest deer species. The moose's tail is short, measuring 6–8 cm (2.4–3.1 in) in length, and has a vestigial appearance. Unlike the tails of other ungulates, a moose's tail is too short to swish insects away. Adult male moose (called bulls) normally weigh 380 to 700 kg (838 to 1,543 lb), while adult female moose (called cows) typically weigh 200 to 490 kg (441 to 1,080 lb). Weight varies based on racial or clinal differences, as well as individual age and nutritional status. Head-and-body length ranges from 2.4–3.1 m (7 ft 10 in – 10 ft 2 in), and the vestigial tail adds only an extra 5–12 cm (2–4+1⁄2 in) to this total length. The Alaskan subspecies (A. a. gigas) is the largest of all moose races. Alaskan moose can stand over 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) at the shoulder, have an antler span of 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in), and average 634.5 kg (1,399 lb) for males and 478 kg (1,054 lb) for females. For most mature bulls, however, antler span typically falls between 1.2 and 1.5 m (3 ft 11 in and 4 ft 11 in). The largest confirmed size on record for this species is a bull shot at the Yukon River in September 1897, which weighed 820 kg (1,808 lb) and measured 2.33 m (7 ft 8 in) high at the shoulder. There have been reports of even larger moose, including a bull killed in 2004 that weighed 1,043 kg (2,299 lb) and another bull reported to weigh 1,180 kg (2,601 lb), but none of these larger size reports are authenticated, and some are not considered reliable. Moose require habitats that provide adequate edible plants (such as pond grasses, young trees and shrubs), cover from predators, and protection from extremely hot or cold weather. Moose move between different habitats with the changing seasons to meet these requirements. Moose are cold-adapted mammals with thickened skin, a dense heat-retaining coat, and a low surface-to-volume ratio. These traits give them excellent cold tolerance but poor heat tolerance. Moose survive hot weather by accessing shade or cool wind, or by submerging themselves in cool water. In hot weather, moose are often found wading or swimming in lakes or ponds. When heat-stressed, moose may not forage adequately in summer, and may not gain enough body fat to survive the winter. Additionally, female moose may not calve if they do not gain enough weight over the summer. Moose require access to both young forest for browsing and mature forest for shelter and cover. Forest disturbed by fire and logging promotes the growth of fodder that moose eat. Moose also need access to mineral licks, safe calving sites, and aquatic feeding sites. Moose avoid areas with little or no snow, because this increases their risk of predation by wolves. They also avoid areas with deep snow, because deep snow impairs their mobility. Because of this, moose select their habitat based on trade-offs between predation risk, food availability, and snow depth. After bison were reintroduced to boreal forests, there was concern that bison would compete with moose for winter habitat, and worsen moose population decline. However, this competition does not appear to be a problem. In early winter, moose prefer sub-alpine shrublands, while bison prefer wet sedge valley meadowlands. In late winter, moose prefer river valleys with deciduous forest cover or alpine terrain above the tree line, while bison prefer wet sedge meadowlands or sunny southern grassy slopes. Moose are mostly diurnal. They are generally solitary, with the strongest social bond being between a mother moose and her calf. Although moose rarely gather in groups, multiple moose may stay in close proximity during the mating season. Rutting and mating take place in September and October. During the rut, mature bulls stop feeding completely for a period of approximately two weeks. This fasting behavior has been linked to neurophysiological changes that support redeployment of the sense of smell to detect moose urine and female moose. Male moose are polygynous, and will seek out multiple females to breed with. During the rut, both sexes call to one another. Males produce heavy grunting sounds that can be heard from up to 500 metres (1,600 ft) away, while females produce wail-like sounds. Males fight for access to females. Initially, the males assess which of them is dominant, and one bull may retreat. If dominance is not resolved, the interaction can escalate into a fight using the bulls' antlers. Female moose have an eight-month gestation period. They usually give birth to one calf in May or June, or twins if food is plentiful. With good nutrition, the rate of twinning can reach as high as 30% to 40%. Newborn moose have fur with a reddish hue, in contrast to the brown fur of adult moose. Calves stay with their mother until just before the next calf is born. The average lifespan of a moose is 15–25 years. At one year of age, moose populations are typically stable at a ratio of 25 calves for every 100 cows. When adequate nutrition, mild weather, and low predation are available, moose have great potential for population expansion. Moose are hunted as a game species in many of the countries where they are found. In The Maine Woods, Henry David Thoreau wrote that moose meat tastes "like tender beef, with perhaps more flavour; sometimes like veal". The protein content of moose flesh is similar to that of other comparable red meats (such as beef, deer and wapiti), but moose meat has a low fat content. The fat that is present in moose meat has a higher proportion of polyunsaturated fats than saturated fats. In his 1999 book Moose: Behaviour, Ecology, Conservation, Valerius Geist wrote that in Sweden, no fall menu is complete without a mouthwatering moose dish. The Swedes fence their highways to reduce moose-vehicle fatalities and design moose-proof cars. Sweden is less than half as large as the Canadian province of British Columbia, but the annual moose harvest in Sweden is upward of 150,000, twice the size of the total moose harvest in North America. Boosting moose populations in Alaska for hunting is one reason given to allow aerial methods to cull wolves in designated areas. As Craig Medred put it: "A kill of 124 wolves would thus translate to [the survival of] 1488 moose or 2976 caribou or some combination thereof". Some scientists believe that this artificial inflation of game populations is actually harmful to caribou and moose populations, as well as the broader ecosystem. This is because studies show that when game populations are artificially boosted, it leads to habitat destruction and an eventual population crash.
