Musk bull. Musk ox: lifestyle features On which mainland does the musk ox live

The musk ox or musk ox (Ovibos moschatus) is an arctic mammal from the bovid family, known for its long coat and strong specific odor in males during the breeding season.

Description

A massive and stocky representative of the musk ox genus, in appearance resembles american bison. The musk ox has a barrel-shaped body, short, thick legs, a short tail and neck, and a small hump on the shoulders. The coat is dark brown to black in color, with lighter on the legs, muzzle and back. It consists of a dense, soft undercoat protected by dark, coarse guard hairs that can grow up to 60 centimeters and reach the ground. This long hair is sometimes called a skirt. They act as a protective barrier against wind, rain and insects. Females and males of musk oxen have wide horns that grow down and then turn outward.

The horns meet in the middle of the skull to form a large, massive forehead. The legs of musk oxen are white. Males are larger than females, in captivity they can reach an impressive weight of 650 kilograms, and have more massive horns. Like other mammals in the bovid family, musk oxen are ruminants. They absorb large amounts of food, regurgitate it, and then chew better again.

The size of the musk ox depends on its habitat and may vary depending on the northern and southern territories. Common name of this species, the musk ox, came from the characteristic musky odor emitted by the male during the mating season, although many refute this. The body length of the musk ox is about 190-230 cm, the tail is 9-10 cm, the height at the withers is about 120-151 cm and the weight is from 200 to 410 kg.

Habitat

Musk oxen are full-fledged. In summer, they tend to use protected and wet lowlands such as river valleys, lake shores, and in winter time moving to higher slopes strong winds prevent the accumulation of deep snow, thus feeding becomes easier.

Musk oxen are well adapted to the cold and are one of the few large mammals able to live all year round in the harsh climate of the Arctic. The thick coat provides excellent insulation, while the short, stocky legs and rounded hooves allow the musk ox to move through the snow.

area

Musk oxen have historically occupied Alaska, northern Canada, and parts of Greenland, although the current range has been greatly reduced as the species has been extirpated in some areas over the past century. Currently, musk oxen can be found in Alaska, in areas of Greenland, in Russia, Norway and.

Nutrition

Although this species is not adapted to foraging in deep snow, they tend to confine themselves to areas with little snow. The diet of the musk ox mainly consists of grasses, sedges, willows and herbs.

Behavior

Musk oxen have characteristic behavior defense, in which the herd gathers together, often forming a line or circle with the cubs inside, and the sharp horns of adults are directed upwards. Musk bulls tend to form mixed herds of about 10 to 20 individuals, and sometimes more than 100. Males can also be found alone or in separate bachelor herds. In summer, small groups form a harem, led by a dominant male, with rivals being eliminated through the use of threats, actions or serious fights. The fight between males for dominance is an impressive sight and is accompanied by a clash and a roar that can be heard from a long distance.

reproduction

The mating period runs from July to September, pregnancy lasts 8-9 months, as a result of which one cub is born. The calf joins the herd immediately a few hours after birth and feeds on mother's milk throughout the year. Puberty in females of the musk bull occurs at the age of 3 years, in males - at 5-6 years. Musk oxen can reach the age of 20-24 years and have a relatively low reproductive rate, since the female gives birth only once every 1-3 years.

Threats and conservation status

Musk oxen have long been hunted for their meat, hide, horns, fur, and soft undercoat, considered one of the lightest and warmest in the world. However, the increasing number of people in the Arctic during the 19th and 20th century led to overhunting, especially when musk oxen are grouped together during times of threat and therefore become easy targets for hunters with firearms. The result of unrestrained hunting was the complete extermination from the territory of their historical habitat. Fortunately, hunting regulations and re-population by musk oxen, the restoration of species in the historical range, contributed to the revival of the population.

Currently, the musk ox population is not considered globally threatened. However, in the future, a drop in the number of muskoxen associated with the impact of global warming and growing human activity in the Arctic spaces. Among animals, the main threat comes from predators such as wolves and bears.

Protection

Musk oxen are found in a number of specially protected areas, and hunting for them is now regulated by regulations and permits, with preference, as a rule, being given to locals not having enough food. Reintroduction, undertaken in response to fears of a sharp decline in the population, became successful in 1930 in Alaska and is considered an important event in the history of the conservation of the species. Further measures for the conservation of musk oxen include population monitoring, public education and the development of long-term management plans. The musk ox's habitat is believed to be still widespread, and it is hoped that, with proper management and support from society, such an iconic animal will meet more than one generation of mankind.

Videos musk ox fight

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Musk oxen have long hair that hangs down to the ground; under it is a thick layer of downy hair. Such wool protects the animal from the fierce arctic frosts.
DIMENSIONS
Length: up to 2.45 m, females are a third smaller. In the north, the animals are smaller.
Height: up to 1.5 m.
Weight: 410 kg in the wild, in captivity - 650 kg

BREEDING
Mating season: August, September.
Pregnancy: 8.5 months.
Number of cubs: 1.

LIFESTYLE
Habits: forms herds.
Food: grass, perennial, dwarf birch and willow.
Sounds: snorts when irritated.

related species. The closest relative is the takin, a huge artiodactyl animal that lives in the subalpine forests of Eastern China and Bhutan.
Musk oxen, also called musk oxen, owe their second name to the strong smell that males emit during the mating season, their odorous glands are located under the eyes. The smell of male musk ox, which spreads during mating, can be felt at a great distance.
Enemies. In addition to the indigenous people of Northern Canada, and trophy hunters, packs of wolves are the greatest danger to musk oxen. During the attack of a hungry pack of wolves, musk oxen form a protective circle, tightly pressing their bodies against each other, and direct their horns at the enemy. Calves hide in the center of the circle. When a predator attacks, the ring is not broken, only the nearest musk ox throws up the attacker with its horns, and the neighbors trample it with their feet. The wolves, making sure that it is impossible to break through the ring, stop the attack.
But such a method of self-defense could not save the musk oxen from armed hunters. When did the Eskimos first pick up firearms, they began to massively exterminate musk oxen. The cubs were caught and taken to zoos. After the government of Canada recorded a sharp decline in the number of musk oxen, hunting for them was banned and reserves began to open.

Food. In winter, musk oxen can find some food. Therefore, at present they are on mountain plateaus, extracting their food from under the snow: lichens, willows, thistles, horsetails, dwarf birches and grasses.
Musk oxen are ruminants, so they don't have upper incisors. They pinch the grass, pressing it with sharp lower incisors against the keratinized plate on the upper jaw. The short arctic summer, when the snow melts and a sufficient number of plants appear, gives the muskoxen plenty of food. Their herds move from one place to another, eating everything along the way. edible plants. In September, when the first winter storms and snows come, the musk oxen head to the mountains, where the snow has not yet fallen.
Reproduction. The mating season for musk oxen occurs at the end of summer. Males fight fiercely among themselves for the right to mate with females. During tournament fights, rivals hit each other with the bases of horns. In a zoo, a bull that strikes like that can tear down the fence. After several rounds, one of the competitors gives way to the other. Cubs are born in April or May of the following year. At this time, the night is longer than the day.

Newborns are covered with thick, wavy hair, but they often get frostbite before they dry out after birth. If the children can survive these first dangerous moments, then they hide from the frost under the warm long hair of their mother. During the first three months, they eat only hearty mother's milk. A few weeks later, the calves try to nibble grass and other plants for the first time. But the mother feeds the cub with milk during the entire first year of his life.
Lifestyle. It is hard to imagine the difficult conditions in which musk oxen live in the distant Arctic. In this northern region, where there are no forests, there is also little food. All year round winds blow in the Arctic, from which it is impossible to hide. To keep warm, animals are forced to gather in flocks, which provides musk oxen with both protection from enemies and allows them to protect themselves from freezing. Winter herds of musk oxen can even consist of a hundred individuals.
Did you know… The Eskimos believed that all musk oxen would go south if at least one of them went there or was bred. When, in 1898, Buffalo Jones tamed five musk oxen in Canada and wanted to take them south, the natives slit the animals' throats to prevent the musk oxen from leaving.
Thick wool protects musk oxen from frost and from flocks of mosquitoes and midges. Only areas near the eyes and auricles of musk oxen are not protected from the attack of insatiable insects.
Their hooves are sharp-edged and widen at the bottom to make it easy for the animal to move through deep snow.

Description.
Ears: Short and covered with hair. Only the ends are visible.
Horns: in adult males, flat at the base, widened and covering the forehead, then bent down, and their ends are bent forward and up. Horns serve to protect against bears and wolves, as well as for duels between males.
Coat: on the back, the coat is shorter than on other parts of the body, where it can reach 90 cm. It is very dense, 60-80% down hair.
The eyes are small, covered with horns.
Hooves: Widen so they hold on tight.
Summer coat: in June and May - has a dark brown color.
Winter coat: long, almost black, with dense undercoat. In spring it turns dark brown.
Places of residence. In northern Canada, Alaska and Greenland, Svalbard, Wrangel Island and Taimyr. On the freedom of the herd, musk oxen are found in Sweden, Norway.
Preservation. At the beginning of the 20th century, the number of musk oxen living in freedom decreased to a minimum. Later, reserves were opened in Greenland and Canada, so now the musk ox is not a species that is threatened with extinction.

The musk ox is an animal with intrigue in its name. In our article, you will learn the history of the origin of the breed and understand why this animal is so unique.

Musk ox is the second name of the musk male. The name itself initially prompts the question, which family of animals does this beast belong to ?! Its kinship group is quite ambiguous: rams and classic bulls are the main contenders for kinship in terms of similar characteristics.

The musk ox is the only representative of its kind. The habitat has led to the appearance of two subspecies. The first category includes the inhabitants of the northern regions of Canada, and the second - musk oxen living in Greenland and the Canadian archipelago. Sometimes there are individuals in Norway, Siberia and Sweden.

Origin

Scientists have established that the ancestors of musk oxen existed several million years ago. This hypothesis is supported by the presence long hair reminiscent of the wool of the mammoths themselves. arctic belt The Eurasian continent is the historical homeland of musk oxen. The Illinois glaciation prompted them to immediately migrate first to North America, and from there to Greenland. During the Pleistocene period, a sharp warming of the climate was observed, which caused a decrease in the population of musky representatives.

Generic predisposition has not been definitively established to date. Until the nineteenth century, the muskox belonged to the bovine subfamily, but now they are increasingly classified as a goat subfamily. Their offspring are commonly referred to as calves.

Appearance

The musk ox is a beast that is adapted to life in a harsh climate, so its appearance matches the environment. If you look closely, you can see the absence of clearly protruding parts of the body. A huge amount of wool visually increases the volume of the animal.

The weight of males is about 350 kilograms, and the height at the withers is 150 centimeters. Female individuals have a body weight less than half that of males, and their height reaches 120 cm. Musk bulls living in captivity are much larger: males weigh about 650 kg, and females - 300 kg. The length of the body is determined by the interval from 190 to 260 centimeters. Feed base in various parts region causes a difference in the size of animals.

The body is characterized by a hump, smoothly turning into a narrow back. The hind limbs of musk oxen are an order of magnitude longer than the front ones. The legs are distinguished by their stockiness, and the hooves are rounded for comfortable movement in mountainous terrain.

The head is large and elongated. The horns are tightly attached to the forehead, have a sinuous structure and are used as a defensive attribute when enemies attack or compete with each other. It is noteworthy that the horns of females are much narrower at the base and shorter than those of males. Eye color is brown. The ears are tiny and neat, as is the tail, hidden under a mop of hair.

The wool of bulls is dense and reaches the ground. Color hairline varies from dark shades of brown to completely black on the face and lower body, and brown to white in other areas. Surprisingly, the hair consists of four categories: guides, guards of three orders, intermediate two orders and down.

reproduction

Musk bull females are capable of bearing offspring starting from a year and a half. Puberty males takes a little longer and occurs at the age two to three years. Females are fertilized up to the age of fourteen and usually bear one cub. With high-quality and regular nutrition, musk ox girls bring babies every year during the childbearing period.

diet

The musk male is considered a herbivore. Willows, sedges, herbs - the usual diet. In the course of their evolution, musk oxen adapted to the meager set of Arctic cultures. Due to the harsh climate, most of their lives they are forced to eat the remains of plants that lie under the snow cover. IN summer months musk oxen visit salt licks to enrich the body with useful minerals.

Enemies of the Musk Ox

The enemies of musk oxen include wolves, bears, wolverines and humans. The bull has sufficient strength and is able to protect both himself and his offspring. At mass attack on them they cooperate in a circle and try to drag the attacker into the middle to score. If this method does not help, then they take flight. It is almost impossible for musk oxen to escape from a person, since the animal is immediately shot from a weapon.

Human Application

It is especially valuable for a person to obtain a musk ox undercoat, which has a soft texture and a warming property. Musk ox moult comes in April and continues depending on the temperature environment. A healthy individual is capable of producing more than two kilograms of light fluff. In captivity, it is obtained by combing, and simply the sky is collected from wild animals.

Musk ox meat often reeks of musk and is reminiscent of palatability beef. Meat fat is similar to mutton and makes up 30% of total mass body.

Musk ox is rare view animals, which is carefully protected in the Arctic and requires resettlement. A population of musk oxen in the north can fill a free ecological patch. It is possible that in the near future the musk ox will be equated with hunting animals.

Video "Overview of the musk bull breed"

We invite you to enjoy the company of a musk ox while watching a fascinating video about him.

The first mention of the animal, which today is called the musk ox, appeared in the 17th century. But studies have shown that this species has lived on earth for at least a million years. Even the appearance of the musk ox suggests that the animal appeared on earth a very long time ago. It is covered with thick and long hair, which resembles the wool of mammoths. This makes it possible to draw a conclusion about the habitat of musk oxen. Let's talk about why the animal bears such a name, where the musk ox lives and what it eats.

Where do musk oxen live? Animals can most often be found in Greenland and Canada. According to research conducted by scientists, animals first lived in Central Asia and the Arctic, namely in the highlands. But as the climate changed, the musk oxen had to descend from the Himalayas, where it was getting colder and colder. In this way, they reached North America and Greenland, where musk ox populations are still found today. Over time, representatives were transported to Russia.

In addition to North America and Greenland, musk oxen can be found in Alaska and Taimyr, Greenland, northwestern Canada, Nanivak Island, Svalbard, and Wrangel Island. It is interesting that even in the 19th century, musk oxen disappeared from Taimyr. The same applies to Alaska and Svalbard. But, after some time, the animals were brought back.

The musk ox is a rare animal, so scientists are trying by all means to save this population. On the territory of Russia, the musk ox is found in nature reserves, where experts carefully monitor that the animal does not disappear as a species.

It is worth noting the fact that animals prefer mountains to plains, so mountainous areas, including hilly tundra, are chosen for habitat. Although you can meet musk oxen in the polar deserts. One herd, as a rule, occupies about 40-50 square meters. km. Up to 50 individuals can coexist in this territory.

Why is the animal called a musk ox

The name, which is rather specific, was given to the musk ox because of its appearance. It is impossible to determine who is the ancestor of the musk ox. Experts do not have enough genetic material to draw any conclusions. If we talk about the general plan, then the animal resembles a bull. He has horns that are set high enough on a powerful and large head. The dense body reaches a length of up to 2.5 m. The height at the withers can be 1.5 m.

As for the first part of the name, scientists are still arguing here. Most people in the world of science say that the muskox is more like a ram than a sheep. And, accordingly, it would be more logical to call the animal a ram-ox, although its tail and coat structure are more suitable for sheep. However, if you look at the literal translation Latin name"Ovibos", then, just the same, we get the name "ram-ox". It is likely that the reason for the name that is used today is the inaccuracy of the translation.

The musk ox has another, no less common name. The animal is referred to as the musk ox. It owes this name to the specific smell that comes from it. This smell is vaguely reminiscent of perfume, which was very popular in the 18th century.

Appearance

As mentioned above, the musk ox is a large animal. Its weight sometimes reaches 400 kg. But this applies mainly to males. The weight of females averages 250-280 kg. As for the weight of musk oxen, which are kept in captivity, it can reach 600 kg in males and 300 kg in females.

Depending on the sex of the musk ox, its height and body length vary. The body length and height of the male is 250 and 130 cm, respectively. In females, the body length reaches 2 m, and the height at the withers is 115-120 cm. But these are the maximum figures. Among all representatives there are large and small individuals. As for the small ones, their body length is 135 cm for females and 200 cm for males.

The decoration of the musk ox is its unusual horns. They lie on the head like a hoop, and at eye level they bend outward and upward. The length of the horns of males reaches 75 cm. The females boast massive and ugly horns, 40 cm long. The horns are very close to each other. Only a small strip of wool separates them on the head. In females, the hair between the horns is usually white and soft, more like down.

A feature of the musk ox is that the length of the front legs is much shorter than the hind legs.

Wool

The musk ox is valued for its thick wool, the length of which reaches 80-90 cm. However, this only applies to wool growing on the sides. On the back, the maximum length of the animal's hair is 16 cm. There is no other creature in the world that could boast the same thick and long hair. Its color is usually dark brown. In winter, the coat becomes almost black, in summer it fades to dark brown.

In addition to the main coat, there is an undercoat. And if the outer hair is quite rough to the touch, then the undercoat is very soft. Musk oxen wool is used to make products, and it is quite expensive. The most valued white undercoat, for which dealers are willing to pay $ 280 for just 100 g of such fluff. But there are not so many white animals today. Currently, the white musk ox can only be found in northern Canada. The musk ox begins to molt in May, and ends in July.

Nutrition Features

The musk ox is an unpretentious animal in terms of nutrition. It eats vegetable food, respectively, settles near pastures. It is noteworthy that the leader of the pack chooses the pasture. Summer for the musk ox, wherever he lives, is a full time. He can eat any herbs, branches of sedges and willows, etc. But in winter, things are somewhat worse. But, here it is worth noting that in winter the musk ox leads a passive lifestyle. Accordingly, they do not need in large numbers food.

In the cold season, animals feed on dry grass, which is extracted from under the snow. The main food in the winter season are lichens and dwarf tundra plants. Musk bulls prefer to live in areas with little snow, where it is easier for them to get food in winter. Very often, animals climb mountains, where the wind blows away the snow, exposing the ground. This allows the musk ox to quickly get to food. With the onset of summer, animals move closer to streams and rivers. To get what the body needs nutrients, musk oxen visit salt licks rich in sodium and other trace elements.

It is worth noting the fact that musk oxen can hardly be called nomads. They move to small areas, and then in case of emergency. The herd, and musk oxen live in herds, has an average of 20 heads. Depending on the season, the number of livestock in the herd varies. In winter, as a rule, the herd is less numerous than in summer.

Reproduction features

Musk bulls are difficult to enroll in the ranks of centenarians. The average life expectancy of musk oxen is 14 years. Cases have been recorded when animals lived to be 25 years old, but this is rather an exception to the rule. IN natural area, outside the supervision of specialists, the musk ox does not live for 25 years.

The mating season for musk oxen falls at the end of summer and the beginning of spring. By this time, matured bulls begin to fight for females. Their struggle comes down to the fact that the animals begin to collide with their foreheads. It is difficult to imagine how much impact the males can withstand in a collision, given that the weight of each is at least 250 kg. The fight continues until one of the musk ox stops fighting. The winner gets everything, and the loser is left with nothing. The victorious musk ox will not allow any male from the entire herd to approach the females.

As soon as it is born in females new life, males stop being aggressive. But the females, which were calm before pregnancy, become aggressive during the gestation period (from 8 to 9 months). Average weight a newborn musk ox is about 8 kg. With proper nutrition, the cubs grow very quickly and by the age of 6 months, that is how long the calves feed on mother's milk, they can reach a weight of 100 kg. The cub stays next to the female for 2 years.

Musk ox enemies

The musk ox is a fairly peaceful animal that is exclusively herbivorous. But musk ox meat is attractive to many predators. The natural enemies of the animal are:

• arctic wolf;
• polar bear;
• Grizzly bear.

The Musk Ox will never run for his life. This may be due to both the lack of fear in the animal and its slowness. A musk ox will not be able to escape from a single predator. Since the animal is gregarious, the whole herd defends itself together. Adult males become in a circle, calves and females are located inside the ring. The animal beats off the attacks of enemies with its forehead. Periodically, representatives of the herd make small sorties from the ring and attack the enemy, after which they immediately return to their place.

This method of dealing with predators is quite effective and allows you to successfully repel the attacks of many enemies. But, unfortunately, it is impossible to defend yourself in this way from a hunter with a gun, so the musk ox is an easy prey, which attracts people. Today, it is forbidden to destroy representatives of this species, but earlier hunters killed a huge number of musk oxen. And if measures had not been taken in a timely manner, then the musk bull would have expected the same fate as the helmet-bearing one, which today is an extinct species.

Conclusion

Of all the ungulates of the Arctic, only the musk ox and the reindeer were able to survive glacial period. The musk ox got its name not only because of the outward resemblance to sheep, bulls and rams, but also because of the manner of behavior. At the same time, this animal should not be considered a hybrid of a sheep and a ram or a bull. The musk ox as a species has been around for much longer.

In the photo, the musk ox looks like a cross between a ram and a bull. But not a single photo will convey the true power of an animal that weighs 400-600 kg. Despite the fact that the animal has existed for more than one million years, the musk ox came to Russia not so long ago. Currently, the musk ox is an endangered species and is under state protection.

Or musk ox(lat. Ovibos moschatus) - the only modern representative genus musk oxen (Ovibos) from the family of bovids. The closest related group is goats and sheep.

Name etymology

Musk ox is the traditional European name for musk oxen, it has nothing to do with musk and musk glands, but is associated with the name of the wetlands in the Cree language - "musked". Russian name“musk ox” is a literal translation of the Latin name “Ovibos” (literally, “ram-ox”), which is associated with the controversial systematic position of musk oxen: they were sometimes classified as bulls, then goats, which also includes the genus of sheep.

The offspring of musk oxen, despite the fact that they belong to goats and therefore should be called lambs, are traditionally called calves.

Appearance

Musk oxen in the process of evolution acquired a characteristic appearance adapted to the harsh Arctic conditions of life. They lack protruding body parts, which is due to the problem of keeping warm in cold climates. Due to the long and thick coat, musk oxen look larger than they actually are.

Musk oxen are characterized by significant sexual dimorphism. Average height at the withers adult about 132-138 cm, weight varies from 260 to 650 kg. Male musk oxen reach a body weight of up to 350 kg and a height at the withers of up to 150 cm. The mass of females is approximately 60% of the mass of the male, and growth at the withers reaches 120 cm. In captivity, males reach 650 kg, females - 300 kg. The body length of males is 210-260 cm, females - 190-240 cm. The habitat region also affects the size and weight of animals, which is associated with differences in the food supply. So, the largest musk ox live in western Greenland, and the smallest - in the north.

There is a hump-back at the shoulder, which goes into a narrow back. The legs of musk oxen are small and stocky. When measured along a curve, the hind legs are much longer than the forelegs.

Musk oxen have large, rounded hooves, specially adapted for walking on snow and rocks. Moreover, the front hooves are larger than the hind ones, which makes it easier for musk oxen to search for food under the snow. Lateral hooves are small, when walking do not leave marks on the ground or snow.

The head of musk oxen is very massive and elongated. On the head are sharp rounded horns with a massive base on the forehead. The antlers are not shed annually and grow until the age of six. They first bend down, then forward, then up and out. Males have much larger horns than females. Males and females use horns to protect themselves from predators, in addition, males use horns during the rut to fight among themselves. Females have a patch of skin between the horns covered with white down, and the horns themselves do not have a thickening at the base. On the sides of the head are dark brown eyes.

Musk oxen have small ears (3 cm in calves and 6 cm in adults) and a tail (6-6.5 cm in calves and 12.2 to 14.5 cm in adult musk oxen), hidden under the coat.

The udder of female musk oxen is small, covered with light hairs. The length of the nipples is from 3.5 to 4.5 cm.

hairline

Musk oxen have long and thick hair that hangs almost to the ground. The coat color of musk oxen varies from dark brown to black on the lower part and on the muzzle, and from light brown to white in other parts. Wool consists of 4 categories of hair:

1. guides,
2. long and rough guard hairs of 3 orders, which can reach 60 cm in length,
3. intermediate 2 orders,
4. thick and soft downy 2 orders, constituting the undercoat, called giviot. Giviot is thinner than cashmere and eight times warmer than sheep's wool. With the approach of the Arctic spring, the giviot is shed and grows back by August.

Wool covers the musk ox completely, except for the horns, hooves, lips and nose. On the shoulders, the hair of males is very shaggy and outwardly creates something similar to a mane. Hair length varies in different parts of the body and reaches a maximum at the bottom of the neck, and a minimum at the bottom of the limbs. In summer, the hair is much shorter than in winter period. Thus, the length of downy hair on the body of a musk ox is 2.3-2.5 times shorter in summer than in winter. Moulting occurs in a short time in the spring in May-June, the specific time depends on several factors, including climatic and feeding conditions. In pregnant and old individuals, molting is late. The change of covering (guides, guard and intermediate) hair occurs throughout the year.

Anatomy

The anterior orbital glands are developed from calf age in both males and females. Their secret serves to alert in case of danger, as well as during the fights of males. There are no sweat glands on the hind limbs, but they are on the neck, back and sides. Musk glands, despite the name, do not have musk oxen.

The sense organs of musk oxen are well developed. It has large eyes, with which the musk ox is able to recognize objects in the dark or on a polar night. The sense of smell is less developed than in reindeer, but allows you to detect the approach of predators and find food under the snow. Musk oxen prefer to signal by auditory or optical communication: males and females sniff or snort when alarmed, calves bleat in search of a mother, and males roar during contractions.

Puberty

Female musk oxen become sexually mature in the second year of life, but under good nutritional conditions, females are fertilized already at 15-17 months of age. Males are ready for breeding from 2-3 years of age. Females bring offspring up to 11-14 years.

Female musk oxen usually give birth to only one cub, sometimes, but rarely, twins are born. If the food is good, then females can bring cubs every year until they reach the age of 10, after - only a year later. Depending on age, the proportion of pregnant females differs: at the age of 18 to 35 months, less than 25% of females are pregnant, older - up to 63%.

Gon

Depending on the habitat, the musk ox rut begins in the period from late July to early August, and ends in mid-October. Sometimes, due to weather and food conditions, the rutting period may shift to September-December. According to the observations of the researcher of the tundra zone of Taimyr Grigory Yakushkin, musk oxen have a false rut from mid-April to the first half of May, however, fights between males at this time take place to reveal the hierarchical status and are demonstrative.

The rut of musk oxen, like that of all ungulates, is divided into three stages:

1. Start. Occurs when females enter estrus, they begin to allow dominant males to sniff and courtship. The dominant male loses the rhythm of feeding and resting, he becomes aggressive towards young males. At this stage, the first pairs are formed. The duration of the stage is a week.

2. Razgar (mass rut). At this stage, pairs are quickly created between the dominant male and females from his group, repeated mating occurs and the pairs break up.

3. Attenuation. The circadian rhythm of the dominant male returns to normal, his aggressiveness towards young males disappears.

In a herd of musk oxen during the rutting period, there is usually one dominant male. However, in large herds of adult males, there may be several: one dominant and one or more subdominants.

When the females start estrus, they begin to emit a specific smell, which makes the males understand that they are ready to mate. During the rut in sexually mature animals, the infraorbital glands begin to work actively. The female shows her sexual sensitivity with the secret of the glands when in contact with the male. The male, on the other hand, excites the female with the pungent smell of his urine and feces, as well as the secretions of the prepuce.

During the rut, adult males are very aggressive. There are skirmishes between them for females. However, they generally avoid violent combat and limit themselves to a threat display that includes: roaring, headbutting, hooves hitting the ground, head tilting, and other behavioral components. If after that the males do not disperse, then a fight begins, during which the males run at each other from a distance of 30-50 meters and knock their foreheads together. There can be up to 40 such collisions per battle. Rarely, but it happens that a fight can be fatal for one of the opponents.

Pregnancy and childbirth

Pregnancy in natural conditions lasts on average 8-8.5 months, depending on the habitat. calf in normal conditions born in late April - early June, and in the case of an active rut, calving is reduced to two weeks starting from the last week of April. At the end of May, herds begin to migrate to drier areas of the tundra with better foraging grounds, and females that did not have time to calve before that give birth right on the way.

A pregnant female is extremely difficult to identify among other females due to the body structure and thick hairline, which hide external signs pregnancy. With the approach of the moment of childbirth, the female becomes more restless, begins to stay at the edge of the herd. The births themselves take place in the herd or next to it, if this is the first birth of the female. Contractions last 8-10 minutes, and after 5-28 minutes the newborn is on his feet. The weight of a newborn calf ranges from 8 to 10 kg and doubles during the first month of life. Newborn calves, in order to survive in harsh conditions (air temperatures can reach -30 ° C), already have a large fat layer.

Twins are not typical for musk oxen. It is believed that the appearance of twins is associated with favorable feeding conditions. According to the observations of scientists, the chance of having twins is 3.9%. There is no documented information on the viability of twins in musk oxen in wild populations. So, for example, a female with twins was found on Devon Island, but in winter they were found dead with signs of exhaustion.

The first feeding of the calf by the female occurs several tens of minutes after birth. In the first two days, the number of feedings ranges from 18 to 20 times, and the time spent on one such feeding is from 1 to 9 minutes. On the third day of life, the intensity of feeding increases simultaneously with a decrease in feeding time. This pattern continues on and on. During feeding, the calf hits the mother's udder with his muzzle so that she gives him all the milk. As the calf matures, such blows become painful for the female and she may interrupt feeding because of them. By the month of life, calves go mainly to pasture, and five months after birth, milk feeding stops altogether.

Between the calf and his mother from the very beginning there is eye contact. Females do not have acoustic and visual mechanisms for determining their cub, therefore, when it is time for feeding, they begin to walk around the herd and sniff the calves in search of their own. The calves, in turn, remember their mother's appearance and her voice, which allows them to accurately locate their mother.

The calving females with calves form the so-called maternal groups in the herds. On the second or third day of life, calves begin to group for joint games, which unites the females into one group. Maternal groups are also created for the joint protection of calves and the rapid accumulation of experience by them. In calves, from 10 to 13 elements of play behavior are distinguished. Games last up to 2-2.5 months, and then, with the transition to grazing, the number of games decreases sharply.

social organization

Musk oxen are a social species with a highly developed herding instinct. Social connections especially strong among young musk oxen and females with calves. Musk oxen almost always live in groups, the exception to this rule are single adult males, whose number in summer can reach 9%. In autumn and summer, there are also groups of musk oxen, consisting only of males. The average group size in winter is from 15 to 20 animals, in summer - from 10 to 15. In summer, the composition of groups is usually stable.

Since females almost always live in groups, males do not create their own harems, but try to join and take over an already existing group, expel young males from there. Since such groups are protected and supported by a dominant male, they are considered harems. Close and frequent contact is maintained between mother and calf. Nothing can isolate the mother from other musk oxen, both before and after childbirth. A newborn calf immediately becomes a member of the group and begins to interact with other members of the herd, maintaining social contacts. various types, including participating in social games, which are important element herd life.

Despite their weight and slowness, in times of danger, musk oxen quickly group into a defensive stance or leave at a gallop. Animals are able to develop a speed of 25-30 km / h and maintain it for several kilometers.

Behavior

Inhabitant of the hilly arctic tundra and polar deserts, in winter it often grazes in the mountains, where the wind blows snow off the slopes. In summer they move to the places richest in food - in the valleys of rivers and lakes and depressions in the tundra. The preference for certain habitats depends on the season and food availability. The way of life resembles sheep.

Lives in herds, 4-7 heads in summer, 12-50 in winter, climbs rocks very cleverly, feeds on moss, lichens (moss and others), grass, various types of shrub willows and birches. Animals willingly eat cotton grass, sedge, astragalus, reedgrass, mytnik, bluegrass, meadow grass, foxtail, arctagrostis, arctophila, dipontia, dryad. In summer, animals alternate feeding and resting about 6-9 times a day. From September to May it roams. They do not make large seasonal movements. The area of ​​the winter area of ​​one herd on average does not exceed 50 square meters. km, the size of the annual area reaches 200 km². In search of pastures, the herd bull or adult cow leads the herd, but in dangerous situations only the herd bull plays the dominant role. Animals usually move slowly and calmly, but if necessary, they are able to reach speeds of up to 40 km / h and run considerable distances.

In winter, musk oxen sleep or rest most of the time, digesting the food they eat. During arctic storms, musk oxen lie down with their backs to the wind and, unlike migrating reindeer, spend the winter staying on small area territory. Musk oxen tolerate any frost well, but high snows are destructive for them, especially those covered with an ice crust, although they are able to get food from under loose snow up to 40-50 cm deep.

Nutrition

Musk oxen are herbivores. The basis of their diet is sedges, willows and herbs. In the course of evolution, musk oxen managed to adapt to the extremely scarce fodder lands of the Arctic. Due to the fact that the Arctic summer lasts only a few weeks, musk oxen feed on dry plants that they dig under the snow for most of the year. Before the start of the active rut in the snowless period (usually summer months), musk oxen visit natural salt licks to obtain mineral macro- and microelements.

natural enemies

Musk oxen are strong enough animals to fight back predators and protect their offspring. In danger, they line up in a tight circle or leave at a gallop. If escape is impossible or difficult, they stray into a circle, and when a predator approaches, one male from the herd attacks him, and immediately after a lunge, backing away into a circle, or members of the herd approach him. This method of protection was quite effective against all natural predators, but it was completely useless when hunting a person. The herd, standing in a circle and covering the young with their bodies, remains motionless when the musk oxen are shot with a gun.

Habitat

For the first time this animal was discovered for Europeans by an Englishman, an employee of the Hudson's Bay Company, Henry Kelsey in 1689.

In 1917, the Canadian government took this species under protection, a ban on the musk ox fishing was introduced, which was in effect for 52 years. Since 1950, the musk ox has been protected in Greenland. In Russia, a find by paleontologist N.K. Vereshchagin is known - a musk ox skull with a shot through facial bone from the Taimyr Peninsula, which suggested that the last musk oxen may have died out in North Asia already in historical time.

At present, the indigenous populations of the musk ox inhabit the region of North America north of 60 ° N. sh., except for the mainland, it is found on the land of Parry, Greenel land, in western and eastern Greenland and on the northern coast of this island (83 degrees northern latitude). Until 1865, he lived in the north of Alaska, but was completely exterminated. It was brought back in 1930. In 1936, the musk ox was introduced to Nunivak Island, in 1969 - to Nelson Island in the Bering Sea and to a reserve in northeast Alaska, in all these places it successfully took root. Attempts to acclimatize the musk ox in Sweden, Iceland and Norway were not very successful.

reintroduction

USSR and Russia

As early as the 1920s, many zoologists raised the question of the expediency of settling musk oxen in the tundra zone of Russia, since the country has a vast territory in the Arctic suitable for re-climatization of the musk ox. Potentially, several hundred thousand musk oxen can live in Russia. But for this it is necessary to organize a wide migration of young animals to new areas, since they themselves must do this due to the presence of wide swampy areas and major rivers extremely difficult, and from Wrangel Island it is completely impossible.

Taimyr and Wrangel Island

In the mid-1970s, in Taimyr, at the mouth of the Bikada River and Wrangel Island, an experiment began on the reintroduction of musk oxen that previously lived here. Canadian zoologists caught the first batch of musk oxen for Taimyr in August 1974 on Banks Island, 10 young animals (at the age of 15 months), equally males and females. In the spring of 1975, another 40 animals were captured for the USSR on Nunivak Island off the coast of Alaska (USA). They were delivered, then divided into two equal groups and sent to different places: one - to the reserve "Wrangel Island" (12 females and 6 males of 11 months of age and a two-year-old female and male), and the other - to Taimyr, in the lower reaches of Bikada, where animals from Canada have already wintered. The imported musk ox took root successfully. The first successful calving on Wrangel Island was noted in 1977, and on Taimyr - in 1978. The population has gradually increased over the years since release, and the populated area has expanded. By the early 1990s, musk oxen had completely populated Wrangel Island.

In 1994, the number of musk oxen in Taimyr exceeded 1,000. About 300 animals lived on Wrangel Island at that time.

Currently, according to some estimates, about 8 thousand musk oxen live in the Taimyr tundra.

The population on Wrangel Island has reached its maximum size (850 heads) and can become a source for resettlement and the creation of new herds on the mainland.

Polar Ural

By 2000, free-living populations of musk oxen had been created in the Polar Urals.

Yamal

In 1997, musk oxen were brought to the Gornokhadatinsky district reserve in order to fill an empty ecological niche with commercial ungulates. As a result artificial breeding from 1997 to 2011, the number of musk ox increased from 43 to 75 individuals. In the district reserve, musk oxen are kept in semi-free conditions - in an aviary, the perimeter of which is more than 10 km.

Yakutia

By 2000, free-living populations of musk oxen had been created on the Terpyai-Tumus peninsula, in the Lena delta, on Bolshoy Begichev Island in the Khatanga Bay, and in the lower reaches of the Indigirka near the village of Chokurdakh. The number of musk oxen in the republic in 2012 exceeded the number of one thousand.

In October 1996, the first batch of musk oxen (24 six-month-old calves) was brought from Taimyr to the Bulunsky ulus of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). In total, 101 animals were resettled from Taimyr. The livestock in Yakutia exceeded 400 heads. 4 viable populations were formed - Bulunskaya, Anabarskaya, Begichevskaya and Allaikhovskaya. In 1997, a group of musk oxen was released in the Yamal Peninsula; the reacclimatization of the musk ox in the tundra zone is generally going well: the number is increasing, and the species is gradually self-dispersing. Many mountain regions of our North are also suitable for the introduction of this species.

Magadan Region

In 2005 from Taimyr to Magadan region 30 musk oxen were delivered. Shortly after the delivery, the organization that delivered the animals was disbanded and the gold mining artel "Kryvbas" took care of the animals. In 2010, the animals that had previously been fed mixed fodder and harvested hay were released into wildlife. As a result, two herds of 16 and 10 animals were formed, respectively.

USA

Until the end of the 19th century, musk oxen lived in Alaska, but were exterminated by man. In 1930, 34 musk oxen were brought to Fairbanks from East Greenland. From there they were transported to Nunivak Island. Musk oxen took root there, and by 1968 their population amounted to almost 750 animals. Then, musk oxen from among the animals that lived on Nunivak were settled on the territory of the Seward Peninsula (English), Cape Thompson (English), Nelson Island (English) and in the Arctic National Reserve(English). In 2000, about 4 thousand musk oxen lived in Alaska, but in last years the number of animals in the Arctic National Reserve and adjacent territories has decreased.

Sweden

Musk oxen came to Sweden from the neighboring Norwegian Dovrefjell, where they were acclimatized in 1947. In 1971, a small group of musk oxen, consisting of a bull, two cows and two calves wandered into the neighboring Swedish province of Herjedalen. At first, in the 70s, the herd grew and reached the number of 34 animals, but then it began to slowly but steadily decrease. By 2009, there were 7-13 musk oxen in Herjedalen. In June 2010, a musk ox research and breeding center was opened in Tenness, where a calf was born in June 2011, increasing the total number of musk oxen to seven at that time.

Economic importance

Much attention is paid to the production and processing of giviot - a soft and extremely warm undercoat of musk oxen. Their molt begins in April and depends on temperature and duration. daylight hours. From an adult healthy animal, you can collect from 2 kg or more of fluff. In captivity, giviot is collected while combing musk oxen, and from wild animals, giviot is collected from vegetation in their habitats.

The meat of males, and sometimes females, can strongly respond with musk. The meat tastes like beef, and the fat is closer in quality to lamb. By autumn, animals gain a thick layer of fat, up to 30% of body weight. The natural annual increase averages 15-30%, and the natural annual return is 5-10%.

Commercial value

The musk ox is a protected species in the Arctic. It needs a wide distribution. In the coming years, the musk ox will probably officially become a game animal in Russia, and trophy hunting still exists today.

According to scientists, the restoration of the musk ox population in the north allows filling an empty ecological niche. This will serve to increase hunting and trade resources and ensure the traditional nature management of the indigenous peoples of the Far North.