The musk ox is a mammal, artiodactyl animal of the Bovid family. The Latin name – “ovibos”, or “ram-ox”, reflects the unique combination of the external massiveness of yaks and the herd instinct of rams. Genetically, the musk ox is close to the Asian buffalo. The animals were first seen at the end of the 17th century in Canada. There are several protected places in the world where the musk ox lives today.
Origin of the species and description
In the prehistoric Miocene era, the helmeted musk ox roamed the mountains of Central Asia.Whether ancient animals differed in appearance and behavior from modern ones is unknown. Archaeologists have not found enough remains to recreate their appearance.
About five million years ago, the harsh climate forced musk oxen to descend from the Himalayan mountains and explore new territory - northern Eurasia and Siberia. The heyday of the animal population occurred during the Pleistocene period. The musk ox's path is then traced to North America. It is endemic to Alaska and Greenland.
The second name of the animal – “musk ox” – contradicts the physiology of musk oxen, since they lack musk glands. The Canadian Indians used the word “musked” to describe a wetland in which large artiodactyls were found.
In a modern description, the musk ox looks like this:
- height at withers - 135 centimeters;
- weight - 260-650 kilograms;
- body length - 190-260 centimeters;
- hump on the back of the neck;
- the front of the body is wider than the back;
- rounded large hooves;
- elongated head;
- the horns are curved from bottom to top;
- the short tail is hidden under the fur.
Males are larger than females. The size of musk oxen is also affected by the abundance of food. Artiodactyls living in captivity weigh more than their wild counterparts. But the largest musk oxen live in western Greenland.
The main feature of the animals is long, thick hair that hangs down to the hooves. Its length is 60 centimeters at the sides. The shaggy musk ox is completely covered with it. Thanks to the dense undercoat, which is 8 times warmer than sheep's, it does not freeze in cold weather. Males have thicker hair on the nape. The color of the animals is brown. White bulls are almost never seen.
Muskox wool consists of eight types of pile and is the warmest in the world.
The baby musk ox is called a calf. From birth, he is protected from the cold by subcutaneous fat. Musk ox calves are born one at a time.Two cubs in a litter is a rarity, which is explained by abundant and nutritious feeding. In the wild, multiple births do not occur in animals.
Where does the musk ox live?
Modern habitats of musk oxen:
- the North American continent, the land of Greenelev and Parry;
- north, west, east of Greenland;
- Canadian Banks Islands, Victoria;
- the continental part and islands of the Arctic Archipelago of Canada;
- Islands in the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska - Nunivak and Nelson.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska remains the habitat of musk oxen in North America. Animals are adapted to harsh climates.
The southernmost region of their distribution is in the Canadian taiga - in the east and north of the mainland.
The extermination of Canadian musk oxen at the beginning of the 20th century marked the beginning of the conservation and resettlement of animals in Eurasia. After World War II, Norway and Sweden accepted the settlers. But their number has not increased significantly.
The musk ox population was restored in the Russian tundra. In the 70s they were accepted by Taimyr and Wrangel Island. The number of animals increased to fourteen thousand by 2015, but in 2019 it halved due to poaching. The musk ox population on the protected Wrangel Island has been preserved. Other distribution areas of musk oxen on the European mainland:
- polar Urals;
- Yamal;
- Republic of Sakha, which belongs to Yakutia;
- Zavyalov Island, Magadan region.
Taimyr and Wrangel musk oxen live in the Gornokhodatinsky Nature Reserve of the polar Urals. A shelter has been created for the animals - a corral. Some of them live permanently in natural conditions. In the Magadan region, unique artiodactyls can be seen in the Solnechny Nature Reserve.
The musk ox is distributed only in the northern hemisphere, in natural zones with arctic, subarctic and temperate climates. In the southern hemisphere, Antarctica has a suitable climate for musk oxen, but the animals will not find food in the ice.
What do animals eat?
The herbivorous musk ox obtains food by digging out a layer of snow. The animal eats herbs, bush branches, mushrooms, berries, reindeer moss. In the warm season, musk oxen use saline soil to replenish their need for mineral salt.
Artiodactyls can dig up half a meter of snow. The animals' front hooves are wider and longer than their hind hooves, and are specially adapted for breaking snow cover. But food at greater depths is not available to musk oxen. Also, musk oxen cannot break through hard crust.
Therefore, glaciation often causes starvation and extinction of animals.
In winter, musk oxen feed on dry, frozen vegetation, which is difficult to digest. Therefore, they spend less time searching for food than digesting it. In the spring, the herds go to the banks of rivers, where they feed on young forbs.
Lifestyle and character traits
The musk ox wanders in search of food and water: in the winter it rises to the mountains, and in the spring it descends to the valleys. Thanks to its warm coat, it is adapted to low air temperatures. Animals wait out snow storms by lying with their backs to the wind. The behavior of musk oxen is the same as that of wild sheep:
- females with cubs unite in a herd;
- males live in a separate group or alone;
- each herd has a leader, behind whom it follows in search of food;
- in summer, animals feed in the morning and evening, and rest in the midday heat;
- They sense food and predators thanks to their developed sense of smell and acute vision.
Musk oxen live 12 years. Good adaptation to conditions and protection from poachers increases their life expectancy to fourteen years.
Social structure and reproduction
The rutting period for musk bulls begins in July and lasts until December. At this time, one or more males join the group of females. They compete in strength, butting heads. Sometimes fights end with the death of one of the opponents. Pregnancy of female musk ox lasts 9 months. Newborn cubs weigh 8 kilograms. On the day of birth, they are already on their feet and walking next to their mothers. Females find their children in the herd by smell, and calves identify their mother by appearance and voice.
In a herd of musk oxen, maternal groups are formed. The cubs gain experience in joint games that last up to two months. Then the young animals switch to adult food, try moss, grass and start playing less games. Calves feed on mother's milk from four months to a year.
Members of a herd of musk oxen are in close social relationships. Calves are immediately accepted into the group. More boys are born than girls. On rich mother's milk, they quickly gain weight - up to forty kilograms by two months.
Natural enemies
In nature, musk oxen are hunted by:
- wolverine;
- wolf;
- brown, white bear.
Musk oxen are sensitive to the approach of predators, so it is difficult to take them by surprise. Fighting with large horned animals is deadly for enemies. Poachers are worse for populations.Animal horns and fur are highly valuable. Musk oxen notice the slightest movement and, in case of danger, run away at a speed of 40 kilometers per hour.
If the animals cannot escape, the males form a circle in the center of which the females and small calves gather. Participants in the circle repel the attacks of predators, but are defenseless against a bullet.
Population and species status
The musk ox is not listed in the International Red Book. It is not in danger of extinction in the absence of significant climate change and the interest of illegal hunters. There are 148 thousand individuals in the world. The population of musk oxen on the largest island of Greenland is 12 thousand. Hunting animals living in the National Park is prohibited. There is a quota for hunting bulls living outside the protected area in the south of the island.
In the Arctic and Russia, musk oxen are protected. Shooting animals is prohibited in Yakutia and the Magadan Nature Reserve. The fine for poaching is almost 8 million rubles.
Yak and musk ox: differences
Genetics can distinguish a musk ox from a yak or bison by the diploid number of chromosomes. Externally, the animals are very similar. The musk ox and yak have a hump and long, warm hair. The difference will be visible if the animals are placed side by side - the shape of the head, nose and horns.
The following table will help you compare animals:
| Parameter | Yak | Muskox |
| Height at withers (meters) | 2 | 1,3 |
| Body length (meters) | 4 | 2 |
| Tail length (centimeters) | 75 | 14 |
| Weight (kilograms) | 1000 | 650 |
| Hump | Low, not highlighted with fur | Shaggy, covered with a thick mane |
| Neck | Long with short hair | Hidden by massive fur |
| Horns | Thin, extend horizontally in different directions, smoothly bend upward | They start from a convex base on the forehead (in females it is distinguished by white down), descend vertically along the sides of the head, bend forward and upward at eye level |
| Tail | Movable, covered with coarse hair, horse-like | Not visible under fur |
| Wool | Flat on the sides, shaggy, long, reminiscent of a skirt on the legs and stomach | Hangs evenly down to the hooves, very thick on the neck |
| Color | Brown, gray, black, with white spots | Dark brown, black |
Yaks are larger in size, but look more elegant. They are found in the mountains of Tibet, India, China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Iran. Most animals are domesticated. Wild yaks live only high in the Tibetan mountains, avoid people and die out. Their social organization and behavior are the same as those of musk oxen.
They also plan to breed musk oxen as pets. From them you can get valuable giviut fluff, milk and meat. In addition to practical benefits, musk ox farms aim to improve the ecology of the regions and preserve representatives of prehistoric fauna.
