Animal profile

Moose

Alces alces

MammaliaBoreal and mixed forest with lakes, bogs and beaver pondsLeast Concern

Field profile

The moose is the largest living deer, with bulls carrying broad palmate antlers that are grown and shed each year. It browses willow, birch and aquatic plants, and is solitary outside the autumn rut.

Published field notes

2024-04-27

Moose

Moose dive to graze on lake bottoms

A moose will submerge completely to crop pondweed rooted metres below the surface. The plants carry little energy, but they are loaded with sodium, a mineral that the surrounding boreal forest almost entirely fails to supply.

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