Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure

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Fast Facts:

Oxen are believed to have been around since the last Ice Age.
Both sexes have long, curving horns that meet at the center of the head and grow down along the side of the jaw.
The underwool called qiviut is believed to be the world's warmest natural fiber and is as soft as cashmere.

Musk Ox

Scientific Name:	Ovibos moschatus
Classification:	Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae
Status:	Once on the brink of extinction, Musk Oxen have been saved by effective herd management and successful reintroduction into the wild.
Range:	Arctic areas
Habitat:	Tundra
Diet:	Arctic grasses, sedges, reeds, and other above ground plant material.
Size:	Height: 4-5 feet Length: 6-7 feet Weight: 440-902 pounds
Lifespan:	20 - 24 yrs.
Location:

Special Features:

During times of deep snow, they use their horns and hooves to dig down to the grasses forming large circular patches called food craters. They defend them vigorously.
Musk oxen survive most of the year in sub-zero temperatures with virtually no light.
The name Musk Oxen comes from the pungent odor emitted by the gland under the male's eyes during mating season.
Limited hunting permits are still issued to the Inuit people who use them for food, hides and horns.

Social Structure & Behavior:

Social animals, they live in groups of 10-20. Fights for dominance consist of threats, loud bellows and head butting at great speeds.

Reproduction:
Sexual maturity at 5 years for males and 2 years for females. Gestation 8-9 months. Single birth. Weaned at 1 year. When threatened, members of the group circle around the young, facing the predators with their heads down.