Musk Ox
	Musk ox live in the frozen tundra of northern, Alaska, Canada, Ellesmere Island, Greenland, Norway, Sweden and Siberia. Related to sheep and goats, no other hoofed animal lives this far north. It is a stocky, long-haired animal, with a slight shoulder hump, a very short tail, and horns. The musk ox has changed little since the Ice Age and is called "the bearded one" or Oomingmak by Alaska Natives. it is an herbivore that can weigh from 396-880 pounds, be up to 7 feet long and measure 5 feet tall at the shoulder. The musk ox gets its name from the odor produced by glands beneath the bull's eyes.
Although nomadic, musk oxen do not travel very far. The herd travels only about 50 miles between its summer and winter feeding areas. They form small herds, usually a bull with several cows and their calves. These family units may come together for short periods, forming herds of up to 100 animals. But to insure that they have enough food, they will soon split up. Each musk ox needs 2-3 square kilometers of land for their food. They feed on grasses, sedges, lichens and woody plants that they can find in shallow snow or wind blown areas. In the summer the musk ox uses the almost constant daylight to stuff themselves on plants. They need to put on enough fat to get them through the long winter.
	The musk ox is well adapted to life in the harsh Arctic climate. They have a double coat of hair for protection against the Arctic weather. The outer coat is made of dark brown, coarse, long hair (called guard hair) that reaches almost to the ground and protects the musk ox from frost, snow and rain. The undercoat is light brown or grey and very soft and dense. Cold temperatures, wind, water, mosquitoes and blackflies can not penetrate it. The underhair, or “qiviut” (kiv-ee-oot), is thought to be the warmest naturally occurring fiber in the world. It is almost 10 times warmer than sheep wool and is prized by knitters everywhere. Each spring the musk ox sheds this undercoat and grows a new one. The dense, soft wool works out through the long hair and hangs in loose patches or long messy strands until they are scraped off on rocks and shrubs.
Other adaptations include short ears, short tails, stocky bodies, and short legs. The smaller these are, the warmer the animal stays. The musk ox has eye pupils that are horizontal slits instead of round.  This allows less reflected light from ice and snow to enter the eye, making it easier to see in the bright conditions.  They have broad hoofs that prevent them from sinking in soft snow and help scratch through snow in search of food. They are also surprisingly agile for their size and have impressive vision and hearing.
	Both sexes have horns. The male has thick horns that almost meet on top of its head in what is called a "boss". The horns curve down besides its face and out at the ends. The female has smaller horns, without a boss. Instead the top of her head is covered with whitish hair. Bulls will compete for mates by violently ramming their heads together. They ram their bosses at speeds equivalent to a car hitting a wall at close to 20 miles per hour! They will repeat this sequence until one bull gives up and leaves the area. The sound of the tremendous impact can be heard from a mile away on a calm day. Bull muskoxen have heavily armored skulls to protect them from the shock of impact. Four inches of horn and three inches of bone protect the musk ox’s brain. The female will give birth to one calf. The calf can graze in about a week but keeps suckling for another year. The lifespan of a musk ox is about 24 years.
The most well known behavior of musk oxen is their defensive ring.  If attacked by wolves for example, they will first run to a higher location, then turn and stand shoulder-to-shoulder in a circle. The adults in the herd will face outward, lower their heads, and form an impenetrable wall. The calves are safely protected in the middle of the ring.  If neccessary, an adult or two will charge from the circle to face the threat and the circle will close behind them. This works well with wolves, but not against men with guns, and in fact led to the extinction of the Alaskan musk ox in the late 1800's. In 1930, 34 musk oxen captured in East Greenland were brought to Fairbanks and later transported to Nunivak Island and released to re-establish a musk ox population in Alaska. Musk oxen thrived on Nunivak Island and increased to an estimated 750 by 1968. In 1990, approximately 2,220 free-ranging musk oxen resided in Alaska. Current populations in Alaska are stable and herds are managed closely to prevent over-hunting.

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