Wildlife Tracks

MOOSE
(Alces alces)

Moose Prints!
Tracks

Mass: 200 to 825 kg
Length: to 10 ft. (3 m)
Biomes: taiga, temperate forest & rainforest
Status: no special status.
Range: Limited to the Rocky Mountains as far south as Colorado, and to the eastern states bording Canada. Moose occur over most of Alaska. Their overall range coincides with that of coniferous forest. Generally found near streams or ponds where there are willows. Also Northern Europe and Asia.

Hiker's Note:
The largest member of the deer family. Adults may stand as tall as 2 1/3m high. The largest recorded antler spread is over two meters. Moose are good swimmers, able to sustain a speed of 6 miles an hour. They move swiftly on land. Some have been clocked at 35 miles an hour. Moose measure in height up to 7.5 feet.

They generally live in forested areas where there is snow cover in the winter, and prefer moist conditions where there are lakes, ponds, and swamps. Moose eat twigs, bark, roots and the shoots of woody plants. In the warm months, moose feed on water plants, water lilies, pondweed, horsetails, bladderworts, and bur-reed. In winter, they browse on conifers and eat their needle-like leave. They require 20kg of food per day.

Moose tracks are 5 - 6 in. (13 - 15 cm.) long and more pointed that the similarly-sized elk's. Dew claws are evident in snow, mud, and when running.

References

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