The under-layer can be used to spin a form of wool that is 8 times warmer than a sheep’s wool – one of the warmest natural fibers in the world.Musk Oxen have 2 layers of fur – the outer layer (called “guard hairs”) and the inner layer of shorter hairs called “qiviut” that fall out for the summer season.Musk Oxen get their name from their strong smell given off by males during the mating season.Grizzly bears and polar bears are also known to attack the Oxen, mainly to go after the young and elderly. ![]() Musk Oxen’s main predator is the Arctic Wolf, which accounts for up to half of the Oxen’s deaths due to predation. Musk Oxen live up to about 20 years in the wild. They’ll feed on their mother’s milk for about 2 months, slowly being weaned after that as they learn to feed on their own. The pregnancy lasts about 8 ½ months, the calves being born from April through June.Ĭalves are able to move with the herd on their own within a few hours of being born. Once pregnant, the females take over, becoming aggressive and making the decision as to how far the herd’s grazing will take it within a day. The harems and bachelor male herds will re-congregate around the end of the summer months to form one larger unified herd again. They’ll kick at the female with their forelegs in order to calm them before mounting. The dominant males herd their harem’s females in the sense of shepherds herding sheep, making sure none can leave. The winner creates a harem of about 6 females the loser will go off with a small sub-herd of elderly and non-dominant males (returning to the larger herd if threatened by predators). ![]() Males will clash by repeatedly charging at each other and ramming their heads until one male capitulates. Mating season arrives around the beginning of July. What are Musk Oxen mating rituals like?įemales reach sexual maturity at 3 years, males at 5. Musk Oxen can run at speeds up to 60 km per hour. When threatened Musk Oxen will form a defensive circle, horns outwards, with the bulls as the first line of defense. Males will further show their dominance over other lesser males by treating them like females – kicking at them like they do at females during mating season and even sometimes mock-mounting them. They’ll chase off contenders by roaring, pawing the ground, and by lowering their heads and rushing. The dominant Oxen in the hierarchies get first choice of the best food sources. They do not hold territories but do mark their trails with their pre-orbital glands – scent markers secreted from slits descending from their eyes. ![]() The Oxen have 2 separate hierarchies – one for males and one for females. In the summer the herds spread out a bit, reducing in numbers to about 8 to 20. In the winters the herds range from about 12 to 24 members. Musk Oxen move with the seasons, relocating themselves to areas where the snow is thinnest so it requires less energy to dig through to get to plants. Appearance: Black, gray, brown, very rarely white How do Musk Oxen forage?
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