MUSK-OX

Musk-oxen (Ovibos moschatus) plural Musk-oxen (species Ovibos moschatus), shaggy-haired Arctic ruminant of the family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla). Musk-oxen are stocky and have large heads, short necks, and short, stout legs. They have a musky odour. Bulls stand about 1.5 m (5 feet) at the shoulder and weigh about 400 kg (880 pounds); cows are smaller. Horns, to about 60 cm (2 feet) long in old males, are present in both sexes. In males, they are broad based and proceed sideways from the midline of the skull, dipping downward at the sides of the head and curving upward at the ends. Females and young have smaller horns. The coat of musk-oxen is of long, dark brown hair that reaches nearly to the feet, conceals the short tail, and nearly covers the small ears. Shorter hair covers the face. Underneath the shaggy coat is a thick wool, shed in summer. It is used by the Eskimos to make a fine cloth similar to cashmere or guanaco. Musk-oxen travel in herds, often of 20 to 30 individuals. They are not aggressive but, when attacked, form a circle with the young inside and the larger animals presenting a formidable front of horns that is effective against Arctic wolves and dogs. Musk-oxen feed on grass and low-growing plants such as lichens and willows. Some authorities, considering musk-oxen as Arctic cattle, are urging their domestication in suitable areas. In the Pleistocene Epoch (which occurred from 1,600,000 to 10,000 years ago), musk-oxen were circumpolar in distribution. They are now found in parts of northern Canada and Greenland. In 1929 a group of musk-oxen was introduced on Nunivak Island, near Alaska.