The moose is the largest member of the deer family. Moose are easily recognize because of their large size, huge antlers and their long drooping snouts. 

Moose live alone and are not usually a danger to people. If they are afraid, they will likely run away. However, they can attack, especially a mother moose protecting her young. About 400 people each year are killed by moose, usually in car accidents. 

Moose are not endangered. There are about 275,000-315,000 in Canada and between 500,000 and 1,000,000 in the USA alone. Moose are killed for sport and also for meat.

antlers: horns with branches like a tree

snout: mouth and nose area

A moose has a heavy body, a large head that looks a bit like a horse's head, a snout that hangs down and a 'bell' of skin that hangs under the neck. Of course, everyone knows a moose because of its antlers.

Moose are usually solitary animals, but they may form small groups during the mating season. Males (bulls) are much larger than females (cows) and can weigh up to 1500 lbs (680 kg).  They are tall animals, sometimes taller than a man! (4.6-6.8 feet / 1.4-2.1 metres)

They are also known for their great antlers, which can be up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) across. The antlers fall off every autumn and new, larger ones grow in the spring.

Females are smaller, weighing up to 800 lbs (360 kg), and do not have antlers.

Moose may be very large, but they are good swimmers. They can also dive to the bottom of the water. This is important because they eat a lot of plants that grow in water. Moose are mostly active at dawn and dusk when they are looking for food.

Moose have very poor eyesight and are colourblind.

Moose usually live to 8 years of age.

solitary: lives alone

mating season: the time when they want to have babies

dawn and dusk: when the sun is coming up and when it is going down

colourblind: can't see colours

Moose are herbivores so they spend a lot of time eating. They like to eat leaves, twigs, and the bark of deciduous trees. 

They also eat aquatic plants such as water lilies and pondweed.

herbivores: plant eaters

twigs: small sticks

bark: the outside wood of trees

deciduous: trees that lose their leaves in winter

aquatic: water

Moose give birth to a single baby (calf) in the spring. A calf is about 3 times the size of a human baby and weighs 28-32 lbs (13-16 kg). 

The calf can stand and walk within hours of being born. They are able to swim, too and can even run faster than a person at only 3 days old! Calves need to be able to run or swim away from predators such as wolves, bears or coyotes. However, mother moose fight very hard to protect their babies, even if they need to fight dangerous animals.

Calves drink their mother's milk for about 5 months but will start to eat plants when they are only 2 weeks old.

Babies don't have antlers. Male calves will grow antlers when they are about 1 year old. At about 1.5 years old they will be able to live on their own, too.