Moose

The biggest deer in the forest

The moose is the biggest deer in the world: as tall as a horse, with antlers 2 metres wide! It lives in northern forests — Scandinavia, Russia, Canada. A moose swims very well and eats water plants from the lake bottom, keeping its head underwater for a whole minute. Its antlers fall off every winter and grow back in summer.

The moose (Alces alces) is the largest deer: 2 m at the shoulder, up to 700 kg; it lives in the taiga of Europe, Siberia and North America. Long legs suit deep snow and bogs, and the drooping lip strips twigs; it eats 30 kg of plants a day and needs water plants in summer (a sodium source). A bull's antlers regrow every year (up to 2 cm a day — the fastest-growing tissue), reaching 20 kg. Solitary, rutting in autumn. Enemies are wolves and bears; a kick can kill a wolf. In Sweden and Canada it is the main cause of road accidents, so special 'moose fences' are built.

Fun facts

• Moose antlers grow 2 cm a day — the fastest-growing tissue in the animal world.
• A moose eats plants underwater, holding its breath for a minute.
• One kick from a moose can kill a wolf.