MUSK OXEN

(photos taken at the Calgary Zoo, June 2009)


musk ox,
When the temperature rises the musk oxen shed their thick inner coat.
Patches of woolly hair cling to the long outer coat. A new undercoat
grows all summer. The hair of the outer coat is shed throughout the year.


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The coat is a very dark brown colour. The lower legs have light brown to white "stockings".
The hooves spread out allowing the animal to walk on snow without sinking too deep.
The sharp hooves are used to get at the grasses buried under the snow.


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The musk oxen uses its horns to fight off enemies.
On the bulls, the base of each horn stretches across
the forehead to meet as a solid "boss" of horn and bone
up to 10 cm thick. The horns curve downward then out
and up to form sharp tips. On cows, the "boss" is smaller
and divided in the middle by a tuft of fur.


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J.Giannetta
July 2009

photos are property of J.Giannetta and S. Fiedelleck
jgiannet@hotmail.com