Muskox

The muskox (Ovibos moschatus) is a hoofed mammal of the family Bovidae. It lives in the Arctic and is known for its thick coat and a special smell that male muskoxen make during the seasonal rut. This smell helps attract females during mating season, and it is from this smell that the muskox gets its name. In the Inuktitut language, its name umingmak means "the bearded one".

Historically, muskoxen lived mainly in Greenland and across the Canadian Arctic, including areas like the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. They also used to live in Eurasia, with the most recent records of them there around 2,700 years ago. Today, muskoxen have been brought back to places such as the U.S. state of Alaska, the Canadian territory of Yukon, and Siberia. There is also a group of muskoxen in Norway, some of whom have moved into Sweden, where a small number now live.

Evolution

Extant relatives

The muskox is part of a group called the subtribe Ovibovina in the family Bovidae. It is closer to sheep and goats than to oxen. The muskox is one of the two largest animals in its group, along with the Takin Budorcas.

Fossil history and extinct relatives

The modern muskox is the last of its group. This group first evolved in Asia and later lived in cold tundra areas. Its ancestors moved from forests to grasslands in Asia during the Pliocene. Over time, these animals spread to Europe and North America.

One early muskox relative, called the "shrub-ox," lived in North America two million years ago and had very large horns. Another relative, Soergelia, lived in Eurasia and later moved to North America. A third relative, Praeovibos, lived in Europe and Asia and later moved to Alaska and the Yukon.

Modern muskoxen appeared in Germany almost one million years ago and later spread to the British Isles and other parts of Europe. Today’s muskoxen are thought to have come from Siberia to North America between 200,000 and 90,000 years ago. They survived cold times by finding areas without ice and away from humans.

Physical characteristics

Muskoxen have long, curved horns and stand between 1.1 to 1.5 meters tall. Females are smaller than males, measuring 135 to 200 centimeters in length, while males can be 200 to 250 centimeters long. They usually weigh around 285 kilograms but can range from 180 to 410 kilograms.

Their thick coat of black, gray, and brown fur helps keep them warm in cold weather. Muskoxen can run up to 60 kilometers per hour and live between 12 and 20 years. Some muskoxen are raised on farms, especially in Alaska, for their soft wool called qiviut.

Range

Prehistory

Long ago, muskoxen lived across much of the Arctic, from Urals to Greenland. They came into North America between 200,000 and 90,000 years ago.

During a very cold time called the Wisconsinan, muskoxen lived south of a big icy area, in places that are now the Midwest, the Appalachians, and Virginia. Their numbers grew until around 20,000 years ago, but then they became rare, especially after the climate changed. The last muskoxen in Europe died out in Sweden about 9,000 years ago.

Recent native range in North America

Today, muskoxen live in the Arctic parts of Northern Canada, Greenland, and Alaska. They were lost from Alaska in the late 1800s or early 1900s due to hunting and possibly climate changes, but have since been brought back. They have been reintroduced to places like Nunivak Island, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and many other areas.

There have been efforts to raise muskoxen for their soft fur. In the 1950s, calves were taken from Canada to Vermont, but the group did not do well there. They were later moved to a farm in Palmer, Alaska, where they have done better.

Reintroductions in Eurasia

Muskoxen were brought to Norway from Greenland starting in 1925. Some groups survived, while others did not. In Russia, muskoxen were introduced to the Taymyr Peninsula and Wrangel Island in the 1970s, and their numbers have grown.

Introductions in eastern Canada

Muskoxen have not been found in eastern Canada before, but they were brought there in 1967 from Ellesmere Island to Quebec. Though there were plans to use their fur for a local industry, the government changed its mind and released the animals into the wild. Today, they have grown into healthy groups in northern Quebec.

Ecology

In the summer, muskoxen live in wet areas like river valleys. They move to higher places in the winter to avoid deep snow. They eat grasses, arctic willows, woody plants, lichens, and mosses. In the winter, willows are their most common food.

Arctic wolves are the main predators of muskoxen. Sometimes, grizzly bears, polar bears, and wolverines may also try to hunt muskoxen, especially young or weak ones.

Physiology

Muskox are special animals that can keep some parts of their bodies cooler than others. This helps them save heat, especially in their legs. They have a type of blood that works better in very cold places, letting their bodies get lots of oxygen even when it’s freezing outside.

Social behavior and reproduction

Muskoxen live in herds of about 12 to 24 animals in the winter and 8 to 20 in the summer. During summer, stronger male muskoxen may push other males out of the herd. They mark paths with special glands near their eyes.

Both male and female muskoxen have groups based on age, with older animals leading younger ones. Older males often get the best food and can push younger males away from good grazing spots in winter.

When mating time comes in late June or early July, the strongest males fight for the right to lead a group of females and their young. They show off by rubbing special glands, making loud sounds, and charging at each other until one gives up. The females take charge when they are expecting babies, deciding where the herd will go and when they will rest. Babies are born between April and June after an eight- to nine-month pregnancy. These newborns can follow the herd soon after birth and are cared for by their mothers. The mothers and babies stay close together for safety.

When danger appears, the herd forms a circle with adults facing outward to protect the young. The males usually stand in front to guard against threats.

Conservation status

Muskoxen were once in danger because people hunted them too much. But now, rules protect them, and their numbers are growing. Today, there are many muskoxen in the world, with lots living on Banks Island in Canada.

In Greenland, muskoxen face few big dangers. However, because their groups are small and spread out, changes in the weather can affect them. Most live in national parks where they are safe from hunting. They can be found in four protected areas in Greenland, including Northeast Greenland National Park and special reserves like Arnangarnup Qoorua Nature Reserve and Kangerlussuaq and Maniitsoq Caribou Reserves. Some muskoxen are also being raised to produce qiviut, a special wool-like material.