Jethro
Posts : 167 Participation : 267
| Subject: BIG PREY - Musk-Oxen Sat May 05, 2018 10:25 am | |
| The Musk-Oxen ■ Type: Mammal■ Diet: Herbivore■ Average life span in the wild: 12 to 20 years■ Size: Height at shoulder, 4 to 5 ft (1.2 to 1.5 m)■ Weight: 400 to 880 lbs (180 to 400 kg)■ Group name: Herd■ Size relative to a man:Musk-oxen live in the frozen Arctic and roam the tundra in search of the roots, mosses, and lichens that sustain them. In winter, they use their hooves to dig through snow to graze on these plants. During the summer, they supplement their diet with Arctic flowers and grasses, often feeding near water. These animals have inhabited the Arctic for many thousands of years, and their long shaggy hair is well adapted to the frigid climate. The outer hairs, called guard hairs, cover a second, shorter undercoat that provides additional insulation in winter. This undercoat falls out when temperatures climb at winter's end. Female musk-oxen carry their calves during an eight-month pregnancy, but after birth there is little time to waste. The infants are able to keep up with their mothers and the rest of the herd within a few hours. Musk-oxen are herd animals, and groups of two or three dozen animals are sometimes led by a single female. Herds use cooperation to deal with predation by wolves or dogs. When threatened, they "circle the wagons" and array themselves with their young in the middle and their sharp horns facing outward toward their foes. A cornered musk-ox can be a fearsome enemy, charging with its massive bulk and attempting to use its horns to deadly effect. Such defenses are not terribly effective against human hunters, who killed great numbers of musk-oxen for their hides and meat. Today, legislation protects herds in Alaska, Norway, and Siberia, where the animals live on preserves.
Weight Range Bulls: 660-880 lbs Cows: 400-600 lbs 01: 660 lb (bull) / 400 lb (cow) 02: 665 lb / 415 lb 03: 670 lb / 425 lb 04: 675 lb / 450 lb 05: 680 lb / 465 lb 06: 685 lb / 485 lb 07: 690 lb / 500 lb 08: 695 lb / 510 lb 09: 700 lb / 525 lb 10: 705 lb / 530 lb 11: 710 lb / 535 lb 12: 725 lb / 540 lb 13: 730 lb / 545 lb 14: 745 lb / 550 lb 15: 760 lb / 555 lb 16: 775 lb / 560 lb 17: 790 lb / 570 lb 18: 810 lb / 580 lb 19: 840 lb / 590 lb 20: 880 lb (bull) / 600 lb (cow) Originally from STP Strong |
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