A-moose-ing Trivia Quiz

Answer: Moose

It may seem confusing, but the plural of moose is simply moose. The name elk is sometimes also used in British English. The scientific name for the moose is Alces alces. Historically the genus Alces also includes the extinct species Alces gallicus, the Villafranchian elk from about 2 million years ago. Though smaller than the modern moose, Alces gallicus actually had larger antlers.

Answer: South America

In each of the three continents one will find moose in the more northerly regions. Looking at a map of the world, the habitat of the moose covers a broad belt-like area. Their habitat is generally made up of forested areas with a cool climate. Large numbers of moose can be found in northerly nations including Canada and Russia.

Answer: Herbivore

The moose focuses its eating on plant life, particularly branches and twigs on trees. While land based vegetation is a large part of the moose's diet, the moose will venture into water to get some water-based plants to make certain sufficient salt gets into its diet. The average moose's diet can include up to 23,000 calories throughout the day.

Answer: Bulls and Cows

For moose, the males are bulls and the females are cows. Both sexes are relatively large but the males (380-700 kilograms or 840-1,540 pounds) weigh more than the females (200-490 kilograms or 440-1,080 pounds) more on average. Generally speaking, the moose is the largest species of deer in the world.

Answer: No

By and large, moose are solitary animals. The main exception is a nursing female and its young. The calves generally stay with their mother until she enters estrus (being "in heat"), which occurs when the young are about 18 months old. At that point, it is common for the mother to chase away the young.

Answer: Lions

Lions and moose really do not have overlapping habitats. Wolves and bears are more understandable, if occasional, predators. It may be surprising to imagine moose as the prey of orcas (killer whales) but it does sometimes happen to moose swimming in the ocean. Remember that moose are strong swimmers and are in the water more than expected as a fair bit of their diet is found there.

Answer: Autumn

Like other deer, male moose engag in rutting - mock battles using their antlers. These battles occur in August and September. If successful, the bull moose mates with a female in October. Once they have mated (over several days), the male often moves onto another female. There is also a secondary rutting between female moose over males.

Answer: Neck or jaw

The dewlap is loose skin that hangs from the lower jaw or neck of the animal. It is not unique to the moose, but can be found on many other animals. They can be found on both male and female moose. The exact biological function of the dewlap is unclear.

Answer: Males

Female moose growing antlers is rare and usually indicates a hormonal imbalance. Typically, only male moose have antlers. Unlike the antlers of other deer, which are made from keratin, moose antlers are largely made of bone. Moose antlers are described as "palmate" or "hand-shaped" as opposed to deer antlers which are described as "dendritic" or "twig-like".

Answer: No

Moose are largely diurnal (daytime) creatures. They are most active near sunrise and sunset with the activities of eating and moving. Moose are somewhat less active at midday, particularly during summer months.