Moose

Moose is a large North American and European ruminant? of the deer? family with very large flattened antler?s. The word "moose" is thought to be from "mus" or "moos" of the Algonquian? (North American Indian) family of languages. Moose in Europe are also called elk. However, in North America, moose and elk are two different animals.

The latin name for the moose is Alces alces, with the following subspecies:

• A. alces gigas in Alaska
• A. alces americanus in Canada and the rest of the United States
• A. alces machlis in Europe

Male moose weigh over 550kg (1200 lbs) on average and females are often more than 400kg. Calves weigh around 15kg at birth but quickly increase in size. Height at the shoulders generally ranges between 6.5-7.5 feet (over 2 metres). Only the males have antlers, averaging 160cm across and 20kg in weight with a broad, flattened shape fringed in up to 30 tines. An Alaskan moose discovered in 1897 holds the record for being the largest known modern deer; it was a male standing 2.34 metres and weighing 816kg. Its antler spread was 199cm.

On rare occasions you can see European moose swimming in the Baltic Sea near Koenigsberg and Memel?, today Klaipeda? , Lithuania.

The horses named Trakehner are recognized by their trade-mark, elk/moose antlers. For the Trakehner brand emblem see Trakehner.

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