Musk Ox Report by: David
Appearance: The musk ox is 6 half feet long. It weights 400 to 900
pounds. It has a double layer of fur, that falls out in the
summer.The musk ox hair is brown, shaggy and silky.The musk ox
hair is 70cms long ( 2 to 3 feets)!The hair of the musk ox, can
be on the ground while on the moving allong.The musk ox is really
looks like a huge beast with the hair. The outside layer is call
the "Guard layer".
Habitat: The musk ox live in many places like Canada, Greenland, Polaraland, on the tundra, Alaska and Ellesmere Island.
Food: The musk ox eat lots of food like grass, willows, arctic flowers, mosses, lichens, aspens, birsh shoots, berry bushes, sedges, leaves, twigs and even barks if they can find some.
Enemies: The musk ox's enemies are arctic fox, arctic wolf, polar bears and mosquitos which bite the musk ox.
Life Cycle: One young after a pregnancy of eight months. They live two 12 to 20 years in the wild. They might live even longer.
Other Facts: Since the 19 century, the musk ox was nearly exterminated. Now there are laws to protect the musk ox in the 1980's. The musk ox will dig in the snow to get food. They live in herds as 100 or more! the musk ox males have a gland on top of their eyes which is a musk, that mark the ground to make a strong smell. It starts to get horn at the age one! Musk oxen do not like to share territory because they remain apart. The musk ox is realated to the antelope. If you shave the hair of the musk ox, it would look like a small cow! In blizzards the musk ox lies all together to make them warm. The name of the musk ox is call "qiviut". Its hair falls is call of in the summer. To defend itself or it's family, they use there horn. When they use the horn, they also use the hoofs for stomping the animal which had attacked the musk ox. The musk ox can be call the "doomingmaq" which means " the animal with skin like a beard". The leader calls himself "the musk ox horn." Musk ox are not smelly. They are clean in the wild. The musk ox belong to the goat family. The musk ox look like a bison, but they have wool like sheep. Hooves are on the foot of the musk ox for the musk ox to stay up on the snow. The inside layer of hair is waterproof. The mosquito can't bite the musk ox anywhere, so it always goes after the nose.