Crossword Dictionary

MOOSE 

Moose, (Alces alces), largest member of the deer family Cervidae (order Artiodactyla). Moose are striking in appearance because of their towering size, black colour, long legs, pendulous muzzle, and dangling hairy dewlap (called a bell) and the immense, wide, flat antlers of old bulls. The name moose is common in North America; it is derived from the word moosh (“stripper and eater of bark”) in the Algonquian language of the Innu people of Quebec, Canada. In Europe moose are called elk.

Moose inhabit the northern parts of North America and Eurasia. In North America four subspecies are recognized, including the eastern moose (Alces alces americana), which inhabits eastern Canada and the northeastern United States; the northwestern moose (A. alces andersoni), which inhabits central Canada and North Dakota, Minnesota, and northern Michigan; the Shiras moose (A. alces shirasi), which inhabits the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada; and the Alaskan moose (A. alces gigas), which inhabits Alaska and northwestern Canada. 

Although not widely accepted, some classifications also recognize several Eurasian subspecies, including the European moose (A. alces alces); the Siberian, or Yakut, moose (A. alces pfizenmayeri); the west Siberian, or Ussuri, moose (A. alces cameloides); and the east Siberian, or Kolyma, moose (A. alces buturlini). In addition to differences in geographical distribution, the different subspecies of moose are further distinguished by features such as size, pelage, and antler characteristics. The differences in regional body sizes appears to reflect adaptation to local conditions. The largest moose specimens are found in Alaska and eastern Siberia; there bulls weigh 600 kg (1,300 pounds) and stand 2 metres (7 feet) tall at the shoulder. The smallest moose are found in its southernmost populations in Wyoming and Manchuria, where large bulls weigh 300–350 kg (660–770 pounds).