The Moose is primarily a browser. During the winter they eat shrubs, twigs, and bark of saplings. The summer months are more plentiful with leaves, grasses, foliage, and large quantities of aquatic plants. The aquatic plants help to restore the sodium levels that the Moose needs over winter. They prefer to live in mixed forests adjacent to swamps and lakeshores, where there is an abundance of edible plant material both on land and in the water. |
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The Moose will breed late in September through early October and give birth 8 months later, usually May-June. Young weigh 11-16 kilograms and gain about 1 kilogram per day while nursing. Calves remain dependent on the mother for at least one year. Calf mortality is very high; almost 50% of the mortality rate is due to predation by bears and wolves. The Cow will evict her surviving calf just before bearing a new calf. The calves take 4-5 years to reach sexual and full physical maturity. |
