Jeannette Murray, age 13, of Bowling Green, Ohio, for her question:
HOW TALL DOES A MOOSE GROW?
Largest member of the deer family is the moose. Sometimes these animals grow to be 7 1/2 feet high at the shoulders. Often they weigh as much as 1,800 pounds.
You'll find moose living in the northern regions throughout the world. In Europe they live from northern Scandinavia and northern Europe to Siberia. In North America, they live from Maine to Alaska and south through the Rocky Mountains to Wyoming.
Outside of America these animals are called elk, not moose. But the American elk is different. Its correct name is wapiti.
A moose has long legs and high shoulders that look like a hump. The upper part of the moose's muzzle hangs 3 or 4 inches over its chin. The bell is an unusual growth of skin covered with hair that hangs underneath the animal's throat.
The upper part of the moose's coat is brownish black. This dark color fades to a gray or grayish brown on the belly and lower parts of the legs.
Heavy, flattened antlers grow on the bull moose. The antlers can spread to 6 feet wide or more. Each antler has six to 12 short points that stick out like fingers from the palm of a hand.
Every year the moose sheds his antlers and grows a new pair. The antlers are full grown by late August. The bull then strips off the dead skin, called velvet, and polishes his great weapons against the trees.
Each fall the mating season lasts four to eight weeks. The bull wanders about searching and calling for cows. The cows also call to bulls. A bull usually follows every sound to see if it is a cow or a rival bull.
After mating season, the mother carries the babies inside her body for about seven and a half months. A cow will have one calf, twins or sometimes triplets.
Babies are born in June. When the calf is about 10 days old, it can travel with its mother. At this time the bull moose stays by himself or with other males.
The moose likes to live in forest land that has willow swamps and lakes in it. There the animals spend the summer and the cows care for their young.
The moose is a fine swimmer. He can easily cross rivers and has no problems with lakes. Often a moose will roll in mud holes and eat the salty earth or salt licks.
In summer the moose will eat leaves and tender twigs. He also likes grass and herbs. To eat low plants, the moose must straddle the plant or get down on its knees.
During the summer the moose stays alone. But both males and females sometimes gather in small bands in swamps and woods during the winter. They find protection from the cold winds there. With their long legs, they can easily walk in deep snow. Twigs and shoots of trees provide winter food.
Moose are protected by law in Canada and the United States.