10 Fun Facts About Moose

(Image Source)

1. Can swim up to 6 mph.
2. Largest member of deer family.
3. Tallest mammal in North America.
4. Alaska moose are largest subspecies, with bulls 7 feet tall at shoulder, weighing up to 1,800 pounds.
5. Antlers are palmated, as distinguished from the long tines of other deer family species.
6. Flap of skin hanging from throat, called dewlap or bell, varies in length regardless of the animal’s size.
7. Legs are proportionately long for wading in marshes; front legs are longer than rear legs.
8. Easily stressed in hot weather because bodies don’t release heat efficiently.
9. Oversize upper lip is very sensitive and able to distinguish the nourishing shoots on a branch or in underwater vegetation.
10. Moose name comes from the Algonquian word “mus” or “moos,” which means “twig-eater” or eater of twigs.

(Source)