Alces alces
by Katie P. -Bowdoinham Community School-Grade 4
My dad, a friend, and I were canoeing on Roach Lake in Northern Maine last summer. A great big mother moose came out of the woods into the swampy area. She didn't run off because you could see and hear her baby in the woods. She just stomped her feet. This is why I chose the moose for my topic.
A moose is a member of the deer family. The Algonquin Indians called the moose "musee" which means twig-eater. Moose can also run very fast for a long way. Moose will mingle with horses to graze but never with cows. Moose are very interesting animals.
A large Alaskan bull moose will stand 7 and one half feet tall, and its antlers alone can weigh 50-60 pounds and can be 6 feet from tip to tip. Antler growth begins in early April. By July they are full grown. Antlers do not reach full size until the bulls are 6 years old. Moose shed their antlers in December. The moose will knock them against the trees so they will fall off faster. Female moose are called cows and do not have antlers.
Moose can swim 15 miles per hour and have a keen sense of smell and hearing. Moose will live their entire life within 15 miles of where they were born. They have a life span of up to 20 years but average 10 years.
Maine moose eat mostly water plants. They can go under water for a full minute and dive 20 feet deep to feed on bottom growth. A moose can eat 40 to 60 pounds a day; winter and summer. Their main diet is eel grass, pond lilies, pond weeds, and wild rice. Winter and spring diets are mostly willow trees, buds and grass. Moose chew their cuds like the (farm animal) cows. The moose's upper lip is very muscular and flexible.The moose uses its upper lip to pull food into its mouth.
Bulls rut for two months. The peak of the season is in September. A bull and a cow may stay together for ten days.
The World Book Encyclopedia M 13 1994 Edition
The World Book Encyclopedia M 13 1985 Edition
Meet The Moose by Leonard Lee Rue III
Alces alces
by Chris C. -Bowdoinham Community School-Grade 4
Moose is a Native American word that means twig or bush eater. The moose's scientific name is Alces alces. There are twenty-five million moose that live in North America today. Twenty-five thousand of those moose live in Maine.
Moose stand about six feet tall and weigh around one thousand pounds. Most moose are dark brown. Males have antlers and dewlaps on their throat. Their antlers can grow to be six feet across that can weigh seventy-five pounds. Young bulls have a single antler called a spike. Females are called cows and males are called bulls. Moose have long legs that help them run through small ponds and swamps. Moose can run up to thirty-five miles an hour. Moose have four stomachs. The first stomach can hold fifty pounds of food a day. They can regurgitate to eat later. Moose generally are found in North America but also live in Europe and Asia. Moose sleep in meadows and use tall grass for a soft bed. Moose are found in woods with lots of trees. In the winter they stay in groups and find shelter among the trees and sleep in the snow. Marshes, logs, and lakes provide food for the moose. They dive up to 18 feet to eat juicy pond weeds. Twigs and grass are important to their diet.
Cows have a calf in May or June. The calf weighs up to 25 to 35 pounds. The calf stays with its mother for a year. The cow will give her life for her calf. In one year the calf can weigh up to four hundred pounds.
A few other facts that I found interesting, are that moose call each other by making a bellowing noise. People see a lot of moose on the side of the road in spring because they like the salt that gathered there over the winter. Moose look friendly, but if you invade their habitat they may charge.
I studied moose because they are interesting animals. I learned a lot and because other people can read my report and find out facts about the moose.
Bibliography
The Wonder of Moose by Rita Richie and Jeff Fair
Animal Wonders 1996
KINKS:
Moose, U of Michigan Animal Diversity Web