musk ox
Sign in to saveThe muskox (Ovibos moschatus) is a hoofed mammal of the family Bovidae. Native to the Arctic, it is noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor emitted by males during the seasonal rut, from which its name derives. This musky odor has the effect of attracting females during mating season. Its Inuktitut name translates to "the bearded one".
AI overview
The muskox is an Arctic hoofed mammal known for its exceptionally thick coat and the strong musky odor that males release during mating season to attract females. The animal's name comes directly from this distinctive smell, and it has been important enough to Arctic Indigenous peoples to earn its own Inuktitut name meaning "the bearded one."
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Species
Least Concernvia IUCN
Wikidata facts
Show 7 more facts
- P105
- species
- P141
- Least Concern
- P1672
- qiviut
- P9714
Article
18 sectionsContents
- Evolution
- Extant relatives
- Fossil history and extinct relatives
- Physical characteristics
- Range
- Prehistory
- Recent native range in North America
- Reintroductions in Eurasia
- Introductions in eastern Canada
- Ecology
- Physiology
- Social behavior and reproduction
- Components of glandular secretions
- Danger to humans
- Conservation status
- Notes
- References
- External links
The muskox (Ovibos moschatus) is a hoofed mammal of the family Bovidae. Native to the Arctic, it is noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor emitted by males during the seasonal rut, from which its name derives. This musky odor has the effect of attracting females during mating season. Its Inuktitut name translates to "the bearded one".
Its Woods Cree names and translate to "ugly moose" and "ugly bison", respectively. In historic times, muskoxen primarily lived in Greenland and the Canadian Arctic of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. They were formerly present in Eurasia, with their youngest natural records in the region dating to around 2,700 years ago, with reintroduced populations in the U.S. state of Alaska, the Canadian territory of Yukon, and Siberia, and an introduced population in Norway, part of which emigrated to Sweden, where a small population now lives.