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Musk Ox
Related Category: Vertebrate Zoology
hoofed ruminant mammal, Ovibos moschatus, found in arctic North America and Greenland. The northernmost member of the cattle family, the musk ox grazes on the stunted vegetation of the tundra.
Musk ox Hoofed mammal that is a herbivorous (Ovibos moschatus) living in Arctic America and Greenland. It was exterminated in Alaska around the middle of the 19th century, but was later restored their Nunivak Island.
Musk ox
Taxonomy Ovibos moschatus [Zimmermann, 1780]. Citation: Geogr. Gesch. Mensch. Vierf. Thiere, 2:86. Type locality: Canada, Manitoba, between Seal and Churchill Rs.
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Musk oxen (Ovibos moschatus) are large, long-haired, horned mammals that are well-adapted to their cold, Arctic environment. They are found in the far north of Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Norway, Siberia, and some Arctic islands.
Musk ox (Ovibos moschatus)
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Musk ox
Musk oxen are truly arctic animals, well-adapted to their extreme environment with a superbly insulated, long, thick coat of dark brown hair and woolly undercoat.
Musk Ox
The Inuit name for the musk ox is oomingmak, meaning bearded one.
The musk oxen's soft, warm underfur, called qiviut (pronounced KIV-ee-it), is thought to be the warmest natural fiber.
Carnivore. Musk oxen, Peary caribou, Arctic foxes, ptarmigan, lemmings, seals, nesting birds, and Arctic hares.
Predators and Threats
Polar bears, other wolves, humans.
For example, a fully-grown musk ox or caribou would be far too large for any single wolf to tackle. A herd of musk oxen will automatically form a defensive circle with their calves in the middle if they sense the approach of wolves.
It frequents the Barren Grounds even in the most intense winter colds, its movements being directed in a great measure by those of the herds of Rein Deer, Musk Oxen, and Bison, which it follows, ...
Animals found in the tundra include the musk ox, the Arctic hare, the polar bear, the Arctic fox, the caribou and the snowy owl.
When the Arctic wolf wants to hunt musk ox, the pack will gather and work as a team attempt to isolate it from the herd and take it. An adult musk ox is simply too big for one Arctic wolf to try and take on alone.
Wolves primarily hunt in packs for large prey such as moose, elk, bison, musk oxen, and reindeer. Once these large ungulates are taken down, the wolves attack their rump, flank, and shoulder areas.
The takin (rhymes with rockin') is an antelope-like goat and a little known relative of the musk ox. The Sichuan takin browses in the dense bamboo forests of China, a habitat it shares with the giant panda.
They catch seals and sometimes walrus pups, as well as birds, beluga whales, musk oxen and reindeer.
The Wolf preys on lemmings and arctic hare, but its most substantial source of food is the musk ox and caribou. Because of the scarcity of grazing plants, animals must roam a large area in order to find enough food to survive.
Diet: Arctic hares, lemmings, caribou, musk ox
Breeding Season: January to March
Sexual Maturity: 2-3 years
Number of Offspring: 5-14 (average 7)
Predators: coyotes, gray wolves
Average Lifespan: 5 years ...
It belongs to the subfamily Caprinae, along with thirty-two other species including true goats, sheep, the chamois and the musk ox. The mountain goat is the only species in the genus Oreamnos.
Hunting: Life in a pack is extremely important to the survival of Arctic wolves. They live in very harsh conditions. Hunting together allows them to kill larger prey including musk oxen and caribou.
It feeds mainly on seals, especially Ringed seals that poke holes in the ice to breathe, but will eat anything it can kill: birds, rodents, shellfish, crabs, seals, Beluga whales, walruses, occasionally Musk Oxen, ...
 See also: Musk, Wolf, Bear, Deer, Polar Bear
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