Moose live in forest regions in northern North America, Europe, and Russia. God created the deer kind on day six of creation week with the traits they would need to adapt for survival in their habitats.

Moose prefer temperatures below 23º Fahrenheit (F) in the winter and only up to 57ºF in the summer. In fact, they can experience heat stress if it gets much warmer than that.

In the winter, moose stay warm with a thick, dense undercoat. Their heavy fur has long, hollow hairs that trap air close to the body, preventing heat loss. To help it conserve energy and keep warm, a moose sheds its broad, bulky antlers every winter. Each spring, its antlers grow back, reaching up to six feet across and weighing about 60 pounds fully grown.

What’s got antlers and plays the guitar? A moose-ician!

Moose are herbivores (UR-buh-vores), or plant eaters. They like to munch the leaves and twigs of trees and shrubs. During the summer, moose eat about 60–70 pounds of food each day to build up fat for winter when there isn’t much to snack on. That’s a lot of salad!

Despite their size, moose are sometimes still hunted by other creatures. Before Adam and Eve disobeyed God, all animals were herbivores. But in our fallen world, some animals now hunt each other for food. However, moose can detect threats from far away because of some special features. They can rotate their large ears to focus their hearing. They also have widely separated nostrils that help them determine the direction and distance of smells that indicate danger.

And when there's danger, they run! An adult moose can run up to 35 miles per hour, while a baby (called a calf) can outrun a human by the time it is just five days old. Moose also pack a powerful punt. They can kick in every direction if they need to fight off an attacker.

From antlers to hooves, the magnificent moose is wonderfully designed by God to survive its forest home.

Moose Facts

• Moose are the largest members of the deer kind.
• A male moose is called a bull.
• Only bulls grow antlers.
• The flap of skin under a moose’s chin is called a dewlap.
• Moose can live up to 25 years.
• A moose’s bellow can be heard miles away.
• A moose’s eyes are positioned on the sides of its head, like a horse, creating large blind spots in front of them.
• The largest bull on record was over 7 feet tall and weighed 1,800 pounds. It’s antlers spanned 7 feet and weighed 79 pounds!