Moose

The largest living deer species — North American and Eurasian, browsing on aquatic plants and tree bark, capable of being unexpectedly aggressive and outweighing most cars they collide with.

Two names for one species

In North America, “moose” refers to Alces alces; in Europe, the same animal is called “elk.” This naming confusion gets worse because “elk” in North America refers to a different species — the wapiti (Cervus canadensis), which is a large red deer.

The North American “moose / elk” naming difference has caused decades of confusion in international literature and field guides.

Largest deer

Moose are the largest living members of the deer family (Cervidae):

Adult bulls weigh up to 700 kg (over 1,500 lb).
Antlers can span 2 meters tip-to-tip on the largest bulls.
Antlers can weigh 30+ kg in mature bulls.
Standing height at the shoulder reaches 2.1 meters in big bulls.

Despite the bulk, moose can run at 60 km/h and swim several kilometers across lakes.

Aquatic specialists

Moose are unusual among deer for their strong aquatic habits. They:

Wade chest-deep into ponds and lakes to feed on submerged plants.
Dive (head completely underwater) for sodium-rich aquatic plants.
Cool themselves in lakes during summer heat.
Cross rivers and lake stretches kilometers wide.

The aquatic feeding provides essential sodium that’s scarce in pure forest browse. Moose habitat is essentially defined by the presence of suitable wetlands within their range.

Vehicle collisions

Moose are disproportionately deadly in road collisions. Their height (head and shoulders well above hood level) means a car striking a moose typically goes under the body, sweeping the moose into the windshield. Collisions are often fatal for human occupants — much more dangerous than collisions with deer.

Northern North American highway departments install moose-warning signs, fencing, and dedicated wildlife crossings in known migration corridors.

Tick crisis

In recent decades, moose populations in northern New England have collapsed due to winter tick infestations. A single moose can host up to 75,000 ticks in a bad year — bleeding it to anemia and death. Climate change has lengthened the tick-active season, making it worse. Maine and New Hampshire have lost significant percentages of moose populations to this single cause.