Muskoxen
Meet a survivor of a prehistoric era. We are home to female ‘Tilly’ and male ‘Diesel’.
Cold temperatures are no problem with hair like this
Big and bulky and with sharp horns, a muskox may look intimidating, but this herbivore’s toughness is saved for surviving the cold of its Arctic home. Muskoxen stay warm on the frozen tundra with two layers of hair that insulate them against frigid temperatures. Like its goat and sheep cousins, a muskox has horizontal pupils that help it to reduce the sun’s glare on snow and ice.
- IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (at relatively low risk of extinction)
- Type: Mammal
- Habitat: Tundra of Canada, Alaska, and Greenland
- Diet: Herbivore – willows, sedges, and flowering plants
- Size: 1.2 to 1.5 metres at the shoulder
- Weight: 226 to 362 kilograms
facts about our animals
Fun Facts about Muskoxen
Just hours after a muskox is born, it begins walking around with the rest of the herd.
Males will often lead the herd during the breeding season, while females lead at other parts of the year.
When a herd is threatened, members will stand in a defensive circle, keeping their young safe in the middle while adults point their horns at attackers.
Their brown under hair, qiviut, is incredibly soft and highly valued.
The skull of an adult male muskox is over seven centimetres thick.
Muskoxen get their name from the smell they release during mating season.
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