Musk Ox
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The musk ox's outer coat of long, coarse hair and thick layer of fine under fur, protect it from the severe Arctic cold and enable it to live farther north than any other hoofed animal. The musk ox's name comes from the musk like scent the male gives off during the mating season. The glands that produce the odor are located beneath each eye, and the male stimulates them by rubbing his face on his forelegs.

Habits: In the barren Arctic, food is very scarce, and there is a little protection from the year round blizzards. The musk oxen gather in herds as large as 100 animals. The oxen bunch close together for warmth and shelter.  The thick outer hairs of the musk ox's coat grow two to three feet long, sometimes touching the ground.

Breeding: In the summer rutting (mating) season, bulls fight with other males, either to keep a harem of females or for the chance to mate with a new female. Rival males charge headfirst at each other until one gives up or is gored by the other's horns.  The female or cow, gives birth the following April or May when it is still dark during most of the day. Although the calf is born with a thick, curly coat, the chance of it freezing before the birth fluid  dries is great. If it survives, the calf huddles under its mother's long coat for warmth. For the first three months of its life the calf feeds only on its mothers rich and nourishing milk. By the time it is four months old it begins eating grass and herds.  Because of the harsh conditions a herd of 20 to 30 oxen usually has only three or four calves.

Food & Feeding: In winter food is so scarce that the musk ox survives on lichens and mosses buried beneath the snow. Like other members of the cow family, the musk ox has no upper incisor (cutting teeth). It uses its tough upper lip to pull at vegetation, which it crops with its sharp lower teeth. During the short summer, vegetation is abundant, and the musk ox travels over wide area eating every plant it can find, willow, dwarf birch, alder, and herbs.  In September the musk ox moves into the hills where the snowfall is lighter and food is not so deeply buried.

Predators: The main natural predator of the musk ox is the wolf. When a pack of wolves attacks, the musk oxen form a tight circle with their horns pointing outward toward the predators.  The young are protected in the center of the circle or under their mothers shaggy coats. Some of the males, called bulls, rush at the wolves. The wolves usually retreat. But this defense was useless against armed explorers, who shot the musk ox for food. Eskimos and Indians killed high numbers of the musk oxen when they first acquired rifles. Musk ox calves were once captured for zoos.  But it was first necessary to kill the adults that protected them.  Today hunting musk ox is prohibited by law, and sanctuaries have been established in Canada to protect the animal.

Key Facts:
Sizes:
Height: Up to 8 ft . Female one third smaller than males.
Length: Up to ft smaller in its northern most range.
Weight: Up to 900 lbs in the wild, 1,400 in captivity.

Breeding
Mating: August to September
Gestation: 8 months
No. of young: 1

Lifestyle
Habit: Forms herds that provide warmth and protection.
Call: Snorts when annoyed
Diet: Grasses, lichen, sedges, herbs, dwarf birth, alder, willow

Related Species: The musk ox's nearest relative is the taken or golden fleeced cow, Budorcas taxi color, which inhabits sub alpine forests in rugged areas of western China, Bhutan, and Burma
Distribution: Across northern Canada and Alaska., Greenland, and the Arctic.
Conservation:  Numbers were reduced drastically at the beginning of this century. Sanctuaries were set in Greenland and also in Canada, where killing has been prohibited. The musk ox is no longer considered endangered.

Did you know?
The thick coat of the musk ox protects it from swarms of black flies and mosquitoes.
The wide hooves of the musk ox have sharp edges that cut into rough and snowy terrain, enabling the animal to run at a surprisingly fast pace.
According to Eskimo legend, if a musk ox migrates south, all the other oxen will follow. In 1898, Canadian Eskimos, fearing that their herds would follow, slaughtered five oxen captured by the trader Buffalo Jones so that he could not take them south.

Features of the Musk Ox:
Ears: Pointed Covered by coat so that only the tips are exposed.
Horns: Those of the mature bull spread out at the base to form a very tough plate up to four inches thick. Must ox uses them in defense against predatory bears and wolves.
Eyes: Small. Protected by the horns.
Hooves: Short and wide to give a firm grip on tough, icy, or snowy ground.
Coat: Back hairs mush shorter than those on chest, neck, and hindquarters, which can reach three feet in length. Provides extremely good insulation.
Summer Coat: Dark brown from June to July
Winter Coat: must longer and almost black. Fades to a lighter brown in spring.