Muskox: Difference between revisions

Muskox
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Subfamily:	Caprinae
Genus:	Ovibos; Blainville, 1816
Species:	O. moschatus
Binomial name
	Ovibos moschatus; (Zimmermann, 1780)
	Range map. Blue indicates areas where the muskox has been successfully introduced in the 20th century. Red indicates established range.

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The muskox (Ovibos moschatus) is an arctic mammal of the Bovidae family, noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor emitted by males, from which its name derives. This musky odor is used to attract females during mating season.

Physical characteristics

As members of the subfamily Caprinae of the family Bovidae, muskoxen are more closely related to sheep and goats than to oxen, but are in their own genus, Ovibos. Both sexes have long curved horns. Muskoxen are usually around 2.5 m (8.2 ft) long and 1.4 m (4.6 ft) high at the shoulder. Adults usually weigh at least 400 kg (440 lb) and can exceed 750 kg (880 lb). Their coat, a mix of black, gray, and brown, includes long guard hairs that reach almost to the ground. Rare "white muskox" have been spotted in the Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary^[1]. Muskox wool, or qiviut (an Inuit word), is highly prized for its softness, length, and insulative value. Prices for yarn range between $40 and $80 per ounce (28 g).^[2]^[3]^[4]

Muskoxen are social and live in herds, usually of around 10–20 animals, but sometimes over 70. Winter herds consist of adults of both sexes as well as young animals. During the mating season, which peaks in mid-August, males compete for dominance, and one dominant bull drives other adult males out of the group. Non-breeding males will often form male only herds of 3-10 or wander the tundra alone. During this period all males are extremely aggressive. Bulls will even charge birds if they are close by.

Females are sexually mature at two years of age, and males reach sexual maturity after five years. The gestation period is eight or nine months. Almost all pregnancies yield single calves. The young nurse for a year, but may start to eat grasses as soon as a week after birth.

Muskoxen have a distinctive defensive behavior: when the herd is threatened, the bulls and cows will face outward to form a stationary ring around the calves. This is an effective defense against predators such as wolves, but makes them an easy target for human hunters.

The muskox, or its ancestor, is believed to have migrated to North America between 200,000^[5] and 90,000 years ago.^[6] It is agreed however that the muskox was alive in the Pleistocene period^[7] making it a contemporary of the Mammoth. It is thought that the muskox was able to survive the last ice age (Wisconsin glaciation) by finding ice free areas away from prehistoric peoples^[6]. The muskox gradually moved across North America and arrived in Greenland during the late Holocene^[8].

Habitat and range

Muskoxen are native to the Arctic areas of Canada, Greenland, and Alaska. The Alaska population was wiped out in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, but muskoxen have since been reintroduced to Alaska. The United States Fish & Wildlife introduced muskox onto the Nunivak Island in 1935 as a means for sustenance living.The species has also been reintroduced from Banks Island to northern Europe, including Sweden, Estonia, the Dovre region of Norway, and Russia and from Ellesmere island to Eastern Canada, in the province of Quebec. Muskoxen were close to extinction at one point, but have recovered after being protected from hunting. The world population is estimated at between 80,000^[9] and 125,000^[10], with an estimated 68,788 living on Banks Island.^[11]

During the summer, muskoxen live in wet areas, such as river valleys, moving to higher elevations in the winter to avoid deep snow. They graze on grasses, reeds, sedges, and other ground plants, digging through snow in the winter to reach their food.

The last known muskox population outside North America lived on the Taymyr Peninsula of Siberia, and died out about 2,000 years ago^[7].

Gallery

References

Nunivak Island, Alaska muskoxen 1930's. Shown here in defensive formation.

Template:IUCN2006

External links

Ellis, E. Ovibos moschatus.
Robert G. White Large Animal Research Station at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
Alaska Zoo
Alex Trebek and John Teal's Reintroduction of Muskox to Alaska
Jork Meyer, "Sex ratio in muskox skulls (Ovibos moschatus) found at East Greenland" (Geschlechterverhältnis bei Schädeln des Moschusochsen (Ovibos moschatus) in Ostgrönland) Beiträge zur Jagd- und Wildtierforschung 29 (2004): 187-192.
The New Student's Reference Work/Musk-Ox

Template:Link FA

[1] Search for the Legendary White Musk-ox

[2] The Qiviut Fiber and Yarn

[3] Large Animal Research Station

[4] Muskox wool

[5] Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) fact sheet

[HWW-6] Hinterland Who's Who ISBN 0-660-13637-6

[SD-7] Science Daily

[8] Cambridge Journals Abstract

[9] Robert G. White Large Animal Research Station, University of Alaska

[10] Muskox, (Ovibos moschatus) US Fish & Wildlife Service

[11] Annual Report of Research and Monitoring in National Parks of the Western Arctic 2003, Parks Canada

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@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 | image_width = 230px
 | regnum = [[Animal]]ia
-| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
+| phylum = [[Chordata]]
 | classis = [[Mammal]]ia
-| ordo = [[Even-toed ungulate|Artiodactyla]]
+| ordo = [[Artiodactyla]]
-| familia = [[Bovid]]ae
+| familia = [[Bovidae]]
-| subfamilia = [[Goat-antelope|Caprinae]]
+| subfamilia = [[Caprinae]]
 | genus = '''''Ovibos'''''
 | genus_authority = [[Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville|Blainville]], 1816
@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 }}
-The '''muskox''' (''Ovibos moschatus'') is an [[Arctic]] [[mammal]] of the [[Bovid]]ae family, noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor emitted by males, from which its name derives. This [[musk|musky odor]] is used to attract females during mating season.
+The '''muskox''' (''Ovibos moschatus'') is an [[arctic]] [[mammal]] of the [[Bovidae]] family, noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor emitted by males, from which its name derives. This [[musk|musky odor]] is used to attract females during mating season.
 ==Physical characteristics==
-As members of the subfamily [[Goat-antelope|Caprinae]] of the family Bovidae, muskoxen are more closely related to [[Domestic sheep|sheep]] and [[goat]]s than to [[ox]]en, but are in their own genus, '''''Ovibos'''''. Both sexes have long curved [[Horn (anatomy)|horn]]s. Muskoxen are usually around {{convert|2.1|m|1|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|1.2|m|1|abbr=on}} high at the shoulder.<ref name=ellis/> Adults, on average, weigh {{convert|285|kg|abbr=on|0}} and range from {{convert|180|to|400|kg|lb|abbr=on|0}}.<ref name=ellis>[http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Ovibos_moschatus.html Ellis, E. ''Ovibos moschatus'']</ref> Their coat, a mix of black, gray, and brown, includes long [[guard hair]]s that reach almost to the ground. Rare "white muskox" have been spotted in the [[Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary]].<ref>[http://www.thelon.com/geese.asp Search for the Legendary White Musk-ox]</ref> Muskox [[wool]], or [[qiviut]] (an [[Inuit]] word), is highly prized for its softness, length, and insulative value. Prices for yarn range between $40 and $80 per ounce (28 g).<ref>[http://www.qiviut.com/store/index.cfm?target=Fiber%20/%20Yarn The Qiviut Fiber and Yarn]</ref><ref>[http://www.uaf.edu/lars/qiviut.html#Products Large Animal Research Station]</ref><ref>[http://www.alaskabeadstore.com/Qiviut.html Muskox wool]</ref>
+As members of the subfamily [[Caprinae]] of the family [[Bovidae]], muskoxen are more closely related to [[sheep]] and [[goat]]s than to [[oxen]], but are in their own genus, '''''Ovibos'''''. Both sexes have long curved [[Horn (anatomy)|horn]]s. Muskoxen are usually around 2.5&nbsp;m (8.2 ft) long and 1.4&nbsp;m (4.6 ft) high at the shoulder. Adults usually weigh at least 400&nbsp;kg (440 lb) and can exceed 750&nbsp;kg (880 lb). Their coat, a mix of black, gray, and brown, includes long [[guard hair]]s that reach almost to the ground. Rare "white muskox" have been spotted in the [[Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary]]<ref>[http://www.thelon.com/geese.asp Search for the Legendary White Musk-ox]</ref>. Muskox [[wool]], or [[qiviut]] (an [[Inuit]] word), is highly prized for its softness, length, and insulative value. Prices for yarn range between $40 and $80 per ounce (28 g).<ref>[http://www.qiviut.com/store/index.cfm?target=Fiber%20/%20Yarn The Qiviut Fiber and Yarn]</ref><ref>[http://www.uaf.edu/lars/qiviut.html#Products Large Animal Research Station]</ref><ref>[http://www.alaskabeadstore.com/Qiviut.html Muskox wool]</ref>
-Muskoxen are social and live in [[herd]]s, usually of around 10&ndash;20 animals, but sometimes over 70. Winter herds consist of adults of both sexes as well as young animals. During the [[Estrous cycle|mating season]], which peaks in mid-August, males compete for dominance, and one dominant bull drives other adult males out of the group. Non-breeding males will often form male only herds of 3-10 or wander the tundra alone. During this period all males are extremely aggressive. Bulls will even charge birds if they are close by.
+Muskoxen are social and live in [[herd]]s, usually of around 10&ndash;20 animals, but sometimes over 70. Winter herds consist of adults of both sexes as well as young animals. During the [[mating season]], which peaks in mid-August, males compete for dominance, and one dominant bull drives other adult males out of the group. Non-breeding males will often form male only herds of 3-10 or wander the tundra alone. During this period all males are extremely aggressive. Bulls will even charge birds if they are close by.
-[[Image:Musk ox .jpg|thumb|left|A [[molt]]ing muskox]]
+[[Image:Musk ox .jpg|thumb|left|A [[molting]] muskox]]
-Females are sexually mature at two years of age, and males reach sexual maturity after five years. The [[gestation]] period is eight or nine months. Almost all pregnancies yield single calves. The young nurse for a year, but may start to eat grasses as soon as a week after birth.
+Females are sexually mature at two years of age, and males reach sexual maturity after five years. The [[gestation]] period is eight or nine months. Almost all pregnancies yield single calves.  The young nurse for a year, but may start to eat grasses as soon as a week after birth.
-Muskoxen have a distinctive defensive behavior: when the herd is threatened, the bulls and cows will face outward to form a stationary ring around the calves. This is an effective defense against [[Predation|predator]]s such as [[Gray Wolf|wolves]], but makes them an easy target for human hunters.
+Muskoxen have a distinctive defensive behavior: when the herd is threatened, the bulls and cows will face outward to form a stationary ring around the calves. This is an effective defense against [[predator]]s such as [[wolf|wolves]], but makes them an easy target for human hunters.
-The muskox, or its ancestor, is believed to have migrated to [[North America]] between 200,000<ref>[http://www.taiga.net/wmac/species/muskox/factsheet1_history.html Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) fact sheet]</ref> and 90,000 years ago.<ref name="HWW">[http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=95 Hinterland Who's Who] ISBN 0-660-13637-6</ref> It is agreed however that the muskox was alive in the [[Pleistocene]] period<ref name="SD">[http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051006085912.htm Science Daily]</ref> making it a contemporary of the [[Mammoth]]. It is thought that the muskox was able to survive the last [[ice age]] ([[Last glacial period|Wisconsin glaciation]]) by finding ice free areas away from prehistoric peoples.<ref name="HWW" /> The muskox gradually moved across North America and arrived in [[Greenland]] during the late [[Holocene]].<ref>[http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract;jsessionid=1482559EF2ACD34D38CD4C8C7D8C31DB.tomcat1?fromPage=online&aid=301220 Cambridge Journals Abstract]</ref>
+The muskox, or its ancestor, is believed to have migrated to [[North America]] between 200,000<ref>[http://www.taiga.net/wmac/species/muskox/factsheet1_history.html Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) fact sheet]</ref> and 90,000 years ago.<ref name="HWW">[http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=95 Hinterland Who's Who] ISBN 0-660-13637-6</ref> It is agreed however that the muskox was alive in the [[Pleistocene]] period<ref name="SD">[http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051006085912.htm Science Daily]</ref> making it a contemporary of the [[Mammoth]]. It is thought that the muskox was able to survive the last [[ice age]] ([[Wisconsin glaciation]]) by finding ice free areas away from prehistoric peoples<ref name="HWW" />. The muskox gradually moved across North America and arrived in [[Greenland]] during the late [[Holocene]]<ref>[http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract;jsessionid=1482559EF2ACD34D38CD4C8C7D8C31DB.tomcat1?fromPage=online&aid=301220 Cambridge Journals Abstract]</ref>.
 ==Habitat and range==
 [[Image:Greenland-musk-ox hg.jpg|thumb|left|Musk ox family in east [[Greenland]]]]
-Muskoxen are native to the Arctic areas of [[Canada]], Greenland, and [[Alaska]]. The Alaska population was wiped out in the late 19th or early 20th century, but muskoxen have since been [[Reintroduction|reintroduced]] to Alaska. The [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service]] introduced muskox onto the [[Nunivak Island]] in 1935 as a means for [[Hunter-gatherer|sustenance]] living. The species has also been reintroduced from [[Banks Island]] to [[northern Europe]], including [[Sweden]], [[Estonia]], the [[Dovre region]] of [[Norway]], and [[Russia]] and from [[Ellesmere Island]] to [[Eastern Canada]]. In the province of [[Quebec]], muskoxen were close to extinction at one point, but have recovered after being protected from hunting. The world population is estimated at between 80,000<ref>[http://www.alaska.edu/opa/eInfo/index.xml?StoryID=161 Robert G. White Large Animal Research Station, University of Alaska]</ref> and 125,000,<ref>[http://www.fws.gov/species/species_accounts/bio_musk.html Muskox, (Ovibos moschatus) US Fish & Wildlife Service]</ref> with an estimated 68,788 living on [[Banks Island]].<ref>[http://www.pc.gc.ca/docs/v-g/rs-rm2003/sec4/page10_e.asp Annual Report of Research and Monitoring in National Parks of the Western Arctic 2003, Parks Canada]</ref>
+Muskoxen are native to the [[Arctic]] areas of [[Canada]], [[Greenland]], and [[Alaska]]. The Alaska population was wiped out in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, but muskoxen have since been [[Reintroduction|reintroduced]] to Alaska. The United States Fish & Wildlife introduced muskox  onto the [[Nunivak Island]] in 1935 as a means for [[sustenance]] living.The species has also been reintroduced from [[Banks Island]] to [[northern Europe]], including [[Sweden]], [[Estonia]], the [[Dovre region]] of [[Norway]], and [[Russia]] and from Ellesmere island to Eastern Canada, in the province of Quebec. Muskoxen were close to extinction at one point, but have recovered after being protected from hunting. The world population is estimated at between 80,000<ref>[http://www.alaska.edu/opa/eInfo/index.xml?StoryID=161 Robert G. White Large Animal Research Station, University of Alaska]</ref> and 125,000<ref>[http://www.fws.gov/species/species_accounts/bio_musk.html Muskox, (Ovibos moschatus) US Fish & Wildlife Service]</ref>, with an estimated 68,788 living on [[Banks Island]].<ref>[http://www.pc.gc.ca/docs/v-g/rs-rm2003/sec4/page10_e.asp Annual Report of Research and Monitoring in National Parks of the Western Arctic 2003, Parks Canada]</ref>
-During the summer, muskoxen live in wet areas, such as river valleys, moving to higher elevations in the winter to avoid deep snow. They [[Grazing|graze]] on [[grass]]es, [[Reed (plant)|reeds]], [[Cyperaceae|sedge]]s, and other ground plants, digging through snow in the winter to reach their food.
+During the summer, muskoxen live in wet areas, such as river valleys, moving to higher elevations in the winter to avoid deep snow. They [[graze]] on [[grass]]es, reeds, [[Cyperaceae|sedge]]s, and other ground plants, digging through snow in the winter to reach their food.
+The last known muskox population outside North America lived on the [[Taymyr Peninsula]] of [[Siberia]], and died out about 2,000 years ago<ref name="SD" />.
+==Gallery==
+<center><gallery>
+Image:Ovibos moschatus.jpg
+Image:Musk-Ox2.JPG
+Image:Muskus.jpg
+Image:Ovibos moschatus Holzstamm attackierend.jpg
+</gallery></center>
-The last known muskox population outside North America lived on the [[Taymyr Peninsula]] of [[Siberia]], and died out about 2,000 years ago.<ref name="SD"/>
 ==References==
@@ Line 51: / Line 61: @@
 {{wikispecies}}
 {{commons}}
+*[http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Ovibos_moschatus.html Ellis, E. ''Ovibos moschatus''.]
 *[http://www.uaf.edu/lars/index.html Robert G. White Large Animal Research Station] at the [[University of Alaska Fairbanks]]
+*[http://www.alaskazoo.org/willowcrest/muskoxhome.htm Alaska Zoo]
 *[http://www.uwcc.wisc.edu/info/farmer/pre2001/030400k1.html Alex Trebek and John Teal's Reintroduction of Muskox to Alaska]
 * [http://www.staff.uni-marburg.de/~meyerj/Ms%20Ovibos%20moschatus.pdf Jork Meyer, "Sex ratio in muskox skulls (Ovibos moschatus) found at East Greenland" (Geschlechterverhältnis bei Schädeln des Moschusochsen (Ovibos moschatus) in Ostgrönland)] ''Beiträge zur Jagd- und Wildtierforschung'' 29 (2004): 187-192.