How long do musk oxen live?

“A male muskox can weigh up to 900 pounds.” Musk oxen live in groups called herds. These large mammals can live up to 20 years.

a-z-animals.com - Muskox Animal Facts | Ovibos moschatus

Are musk ox aggressive?

Muskoxen are not normally aggressive, but they are still wild animals, and can pose a threat to humans and especially dogs. These basic precautions...

Last updated Jan 20, 2022

Can a soulmate be romantic?

A soul mate doesn't have to be a romantic partner—it can be a platonic friend, too. "Similar to romantic relationships, there are people we connect...

Last updated Feb 11, 2021

Do you really know who the “One” is? Your true Soulmate?

Promotion

This post may contain affiliate links to our partners like Chewy, Amazon, and others. Purchasing through these helps us further the A-Z Animals mission to educate about the world's species..

View all of the Muskox images!

“A male muskox can weigh up to 900 pounds.”

Musk oxen have physical adaptations that allow them to live in the harsh Arctic climate year-round. They are herbivores eating grass, roots, flowers, lichen, moss, and other plant life. Musk oxen live in groups called herds. These large mammals can live up to 20 years.

5 Incredible Muskox Facts!

These mammals have a double coat of fur. The wool layer of hair next to their skin is called qiviut These animals use their strong hoofed feet to dig into the icy ground for grass and plants growing on the tundra

They are more closely related to goats and sheep than oxen

A male musk ox’s horns are connected and form a browband, or boss, on its head

Many musk oxen live on nature preserves so they are protected

Muskox Scientific Name

Ovibos moschatus is the scientific name for a musk ox. The Latin word Ovibos means sheep-ox and moschatus means musky. These mammals are called Oomingmak (bearded-one) by the Inupiaq people in Alaska. Musk oxen belong to the Bovidae family and are in the Mammalia class.

The two subspecies of musk ox include:

Greenland Musk Ox

Barren Ground Musk Ox

Muskox Appearance & Behavior

Musk oxen have a double-layer coat of long dark brown fur. Some musk oxen have a coat that is so dark it looks almost black. They have a layer of wool next to their skin and a top layer of long, guard hairs that block moisture as well as the wind. Both males and females have two horns as well as four sturdy hooves. A male’s horns are larger than a female’s horns. Furthermore, the horns of a male musk ox form a browband, or boss, on the top of its head. A male’s browband is larger and thicker than a female’s browband. This mammal has a hump on the upper area of its back. Male musk oxen are about five feet tall at the shoulder while females are about 4 feet tall. Males weigh from 600 to 900 pounds while females weigh from 400 to 500 pounds. A 900-pound musk ox weighs about the same as an adult horse. A 500-pound female musk ox is half as heavy as a grand piano! A five-foot-tall male musk ox is one-fourth the height of an adult giraffe while a four-foot-tall female is two-thirds the height of a refrigerator. The record for the longest horn of a musk ox comes in at just under 30 inches. The physical adaptations of a musk ox allow it to survive in the harsh climate of the Arctic tundra. One physical adaptation of this animal has to do with its hoofed feet. They use their tough hooves to break and dig through the ice to find grass and other vegetation. Also, their sturdy hooves allow them to walk on the ice and snow for months at a time without hurting their feet. If you look closely, you’ll see the musk ox has eyes with horizontal pupils. The design of their eyes provides protection from the sun’s glare as it reflects off the snow and ice. This is important, especially because these animals are always on the lookout for predators. Musk oxen live in groups also called herds with an average of 18 members. Living in a herd serves as some protection from predators. Adult musk oxen are able to kick at predators with their hoofed feet and try to hit them with their sturdy horns. Otherwise, musk oxen are passive animals until the mating season arrives and males begin to compete for the attention of females.

What turns a Pisces off?

Pisces: The number one Pisces turn-off is someone who is too similar to Pisces. They want to blur boundaries and bend ideas. Let them think that...

Last updated Oct 31, 2018

Are two people destined to be together?

Life happens but when two people are meant to be together the universe always makes a way for them to be together. You can not stay away from each...

Last updated Feb 19, 2022

Promotion

The Thick Coat of the Muskox

The double coat of a musk ox allows it to live in its frigid, windy environment. Their top layer of guard hairs repels water, snow, and wind. The layer next to the ox’s skin is made of light wool called qiviut. This layer helps to keep the musk ox warm. Musk oxen shed their qiviut, pronounced kee-vee-ut, in the warm summer months. It grows back once again with the approach of the winter months.

Muskox Habitat

Muskox are found in Alaska, Greenland, Canada, Russia, and Norway. They live on the Arctic tundra throughout the year. This habitat has frigid temperatures and a layer of snow and ice in the wintertime. In the summer, there is an increase in the vegetation available and temperatures are warmer. In the wintertime, musk oxen move to higher elevations including hillsides where it’s a little easier to retrieve vegetation from beneath the snow and ice. The snow is less deep on hillsides. In the early spring and throughout the summer months, they live in river valleys where they graze near a stream or river.

Muskox Predators and Threats

Arctic wolves are natural predators of musk oxen. Grizzly bears have also been known to attack musk oxen. Wolves move around the environment in packs and stalk a herd of musk oxen from different directions. If they can get the herd moving, the wolves work together to separate a calf or older ox from the herd. An adult ox can defend itself with its horns or by kicking with its powerful hoofed feet. A wolf that is kicked by an adult musk ox is likely to be seriously hurt or even killed. This is why wolves usually go after calves or older, less powerful oxen. A lone Grizzly bear may go after a calf or an older musk ox if the herd is moving. However, though a Grizzly bear is a large and powerful mammal, it is still outmatched by a herd of adult musk oxen positioned in a circle, protecting their calves. Changes in climate are a threat to musk oxen. These changes can result in reduced vegetation growth. Humans are another threat to the musk ox. They are hunted for their meat as well as their qiviut. Fortunately, there are now hunting laws in some areas that protect musk oxen from being hunted for their meat, horns, etc. Also, many of these mammals live on nature preserves where they are protected. Despite these threats, the conservation status of the musk ox is Least Concern with a stable population. Musk oxen are herbivores eating different types of plants during different seasons of the year. They build up their body fat in the summertime to tide them over when plant life isn’t as abundant during the winter. This is comparable to a polar bear building up fat during the warm weather months. But, a musk ox doesn’t hibernate!

What do musk oxen eat?

Which zodiac signs are brutally honest?

There are a few zodiac signs that are known for their brutal honesty. Aries, Scorpio, and Sagittarius are all signs that are known for speaking...

Last updated Jul 30, 2019

Which parent decides blood type?

The child's blood type is decided by both parents' blood type. Parents all pass along one of their 2 alleles to make up their child's blood type....

Last updated Jul 6, 2019

Promotion

In the summertime, musk oxen eat grass, flowers, forbs, and sedge. In the wintertime, their diet includes roots, lichen, and moss.

What eats a Muskox?

The predators of musk oxen include Arctic wolves and sometimes Grizzly bears. Adult musk oxen are much larger than Arctic wolves and they can defend themselves with their horns. So, wolves usually attack their calves or older oxen. Musk oxen form a physical circle around their calves to protect them when they’re being stalked by Arctic wolves. This is sometimes called, ‘circling the wagons.’ When musk oxen form this protective circle, it may persuade a pack of Arctic wolves to move on and find another herd. In addition, some people hunt musk oxen for their meat, their horns or both.

Muskox Reproduction and Lifespan

Breeding season for musk oxen begins in late summer and runs into autumn. Male musk oxen release a musky smell during mating season which is how this animal got its name. Males compete for females in the herd by charging one another and bashing horns together. They can sometimes run at each other at speeds of up to 25 mph! Eventually, one of the males becomes worn out and moves away. Though this is a very loud and powerful show of aggression, the male oxen are usually not injured. The gestation period of a female musk ox is about 8 months. She gives live birth to one baby also called a calf. Sometimes female musk oxen give birth to two calves, but that’s a very rare occurrence. A calf weighs around 20 pounds at birth but gains weight quickly with each passing day. Musk ox calves are standing and moving with the herd an hour after they are born. This makes sense because a calf that is on the ground or moving slowly is especially vulnerable to attack by wolves. A baby ox nurses from its mother for the first 8 months of life. Calves are weaned at about 10 months old and can live independently at 2 years of age.

Musk oxen can live for as long as 20 years.

Muskox Population

According to the IUCN Red List, the total population of the musk ox is between 133,914 and 136,914 mature individuals. In terms of the region:

An estimated 75,400 mature individuals live in the northwestern territories of Canada

An estimated 3,714 mature individuals live in Alaska

Approximately 9,500 to 12,500 musk oxen live in Greenland

Approximately 35,000 live on the Arctic islands

The conservation status of the musk ox is Least Concern with a stable population.

View all 149 animals that start with M

a-z-animals.com - Muskox Animal Facts | Ovibos moschatus

How long is Tears in heaven?

4:36 Tears in Heaven ""Tears in Heaven"" Length 4:36 Label Warner Bros. Songwriter(s) Eric Clapton Will Jennings Producer(s) Russ Titelman 13 more...

Last updated Nov 25, 2021

What is the highest kissing record?

58 hours, 35 minutes and 58 seconds Ekkachai Tiranarat and Laksana Tiranarat, took the world's longest kiss title with a record time of 58 hours,...

Last updated Nov 6, 2019

Promotion

What are physical signs of attraction?

Signs of Physical Attraction Smiling when around the person. Maintaining prolonged eye contact with them13. Feeling nervous at the prospect of...

Last updated Feb 10, 2020

Promotion

Can you feel when your twin flame misses you?

Twin flames are sensitive to their intuitions. So even when you can't put your feelings into words, you just know that they miss you too.

Last updated Jan 3, 2018