What the sources say
MooseAlces alces
Every figure, record and mechanism on the Moose profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 39 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.
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Source
01
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan
Alces alces (Eurasian elk). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.
- The page saysHalf-tonne boreal giant
- The source says
Live weights of males range from 360 to 600 kg
Note: half a tonne (500 kg) sits inside the adult male range - The page saysBoreal forests all around the Northern Hemisphere, in North America, Europe and Asia
- The source says
Alces alces, commonly called moose in North America and Eurasian elk in Europe, have a circumpolar distribution in the boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere.
- The page saysCall it a moose in North America and an elk in Europe: same animal, Alces alces
- The source says
Alces alces, commonly called moose in North America and Eurasian elk in Europe
- The page saysthe largest species in the deer family alive today
- The source says
Moose are the largest species in the deer family
- The page saysDon't mix it up with the North American elk, Cervus canadensis, a different species that just happens to share a name across the Atlantic
- The source says
Eurasian elk should not be confused with North American elk, Cervus canadensis, which are a different species.
- The page saysAdult bulls weigh 360 to 600 kilograms and cows 270 to 400 kilograms
- The source says
Live weights of males range from 360 to 600 kg with lengths from 2.4 to 3.1 m. Females range from 270 to 400 kg
- The page saysBulls shed their antlers each winter and grow new ones in spring
- The source says
Antlers are grown in the spring and shed in the winter each year.
- The page saysthen shed the whole rack in winter
- The source says
Antlers are grown in the spring and shed in the winter each year.
- The page sayswolf predation on moose climbs in winters when the snow gets deep enough to slow a moose down too
- The source says
Predation by wolves is higher in the winter when snow depths are high enough to impede the movement of moose.
- The page saysThe whole structure is grown from scratch each year and shed again come winter
- The source says
Antlers are grown in the spring and shed in the winter each year.
- The page saysLeast Concern
- The source says
IUCN lists moose as a species of “Least Concern” because a majority of populations are expanding and extremely abundant despite heavy hunting pressure in parts of their range.
Source
02
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Moose Species Profile. Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
- The page saysantlers that are the fastest-growing tissue of any mammal
- The source says
Antlers are the fastest growing tissue in any mammal
- The page saysthe Alaska-Yukon race is the biggest of all
- The source says
The Alaska-Yukon race (Alces alces gigas) is the largest of all of these creatures.
- The page saysAntler is the fastest-growing tissue of any mammal
- The source says
Antlers are the fastest growing tissue in any mammal
- The page saysa big bull can grow an 80-pound rack in one summer, adding about a pound of bone and an inch a day
- The source says
a big bull moose can grow an 80-pound rack in a summer, adding a pound of bone and an inch a day.
- The page saysA pound of bone a day
- The source says
adding a pound of bone and an inch a day
- The page saysA big bull moose can add a pound of bone and an inch of antler a day through the summer
- The source says
a big bull moose can grow an 80-pound rack in a summer, adding a pound of bone and an inch a day.
- The page saysAntler is the fastest-growing tissue of any mammal. A big bull moose can grow an 80-pound rack in one summer, adding about a pound of bone and an inch a day
- The source says
Antlers are the fastest growing tissue in any mammal, and a big bull moose can grow an 80-pound rack in a summer, adding a pound of bone and an inch a day.
Source
03
National Park Service, Grand Portage National Monument
Mooz (Moose). National Park Service, Grand Portage National Monument.
- The page saysa top speed of up to 35 mph
- The source says
They run as fast as 35 miles per hour
- The page saysA moose can run as fast as 35 miles an hour
- The source says
They run as fast as 35 miles per hour
Source
04
National Park Service
Species Spotlight - Moose. National Park Service.
- The page saysbulls there can weigh near 1,500 pounds, about 680 kilograms
- The source says
Especially bulls, which can weigh near 1500 lbs in their Alaska range.
Note: 1,500 lb is about 680 kg - The page saysHealthy adults don't have many predators
- The source says
Full size, healthy adult moose don't have many predators.
- The page saysa face full of antlers or hooves is usually enough to deter bears and wolves
- The source says
A face-full of antlers or hooves is usually enough to deter predators like bears and wolves.
Source
05
National Park Service, Alaska Park Science
How Wildlife are Responding to a Warming Climate. National Park Service, Alaska Park Science.
- The page saysstilt legs that sometimes give it an edge over wolves in deep snow
- The source says
Sometimes, long-legged prey like moose and caribou can move through deep snow easier than wolves.
- The page saysLegs that can sometimes move through deep snow more easily than a wolf's
- The source says
Sometimes, long-legged prey like moose and caribou can move through deep snow easier than wolves.
- The page saysLong legs sometimes let a moose move through deep snow more easily than a wolf can
- The source says
Sometimes, long-legged prey like moose and caribou can move through deep snow easier than wolves.
- The page saysMoose and caribou can sometimes move through deep snow more easily than wolves can
- The source says
Sometimes, long-legged prey like moose and caribou can move through deep snow easier than wolves.
- The page saysat some point, especially with ice on top of the snow, even a moose starts to struggle, and a struggling moose can be a boon for a hungry wolf pack
- The source says
But at some point, and especially with icing events, even they have a hard time moving in deep snow and have limited access to food resources ... A weakened and vulnerable prey can be a boon for wolves and other predators and scavengers.
Source
06
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Moose. Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
- The page saysWillow, aspen and birch browse, plus aquatic plants such as pondweed and water lilies
- The source says
Willow, aspen, birch, maple, pin cherry, and mountain ash are important, high quality browse ... Aquatic plants, such as pondweed and water lily, have higher sodium content than woody vegetation
- The page saysA bull's antler spread rarely tops 65 inches, and 55 inches already counts as a big rack
- The source says
A bull's antler spread rarely exceeds 65 inches and a spread of 55 inches is considered large.
- The page saysMoose feed on aquatic plants such as pondweed and water lilies, which have a higher sodium content than woody plants
- The source says
Aquatic plants, such as pondweed and water lily, have higher sodium content than woody vegetation and are an important part of a moose's diet.
Source
07
Teton Science Schools
Can Moose Really Dive? Teton Science Schools.
- The page saysThe Only Deer Known to Dive
- The source says
No other member of the deer family has been observed showing this behavior.
Note: 'only ... known to' restates 'no other member has been observed' - The page saysNo other member of the deer family is known to submerge its whole body to feed
- The source says
we do know moose readily and frequently submerge their bodies entirely underwater in search of food. No other member of the deer family has been observed showing this behavior.
- The page saysThe famous claim that moose dive five to six meters traces back to one eyewitness account in a moose reference book, and its author doesn't say how he confirmed the depth
- The source says
In North American Moose (Randolph L. Peterson, University of Toronto, 1995), the author reports seeing moose dive over 18 feet to feed on aquatic vegetation – though he does not mention which method he used to confirm that the moose hit that depth.
Note: 18 feet is about 5.5 m; the article itself frames the factoid as five to six meters from one eyewitness account - The page saysA separate moose reference book states that they can stay underwater for up to 50 seconds
- The source says
the authors state “Moose readily submerge underwater to feed on aquatics and can remain underwater for up to 50 seconds.
- The page saysMoose readily submerge their whole bodies underwater to feed, the only member of the deer family known to do that
- The source says
we do know moose readily and frequently submerge their bodies entirely underwater in search of food. No other member of the deer family has been observed showing this behavior.
- The page saysthe famous "five to six meters" figure traces back to one eyewitness account in a moose reference book, and its author doesn't say how he confirmed the depth
- The source says
In North American Moose (Randolph L. Peterson, University of Toronto, 1995), the author reports seeing moose dive over 18 feet to feed on aquatic vegetation – though he does not mention which method he used to confirm that the moose hit that depth.
- The page saysA separate reference work states that a moose can stay underwater for up to 50 seconds
- The source says
the authors state “Moose readily submerge underwater to feed on aquatics and can remain underwater for up to 50 seconds.
Source
08
Fraser et al. 1980
Fraser et al. (1980). Aquatic feeding by moose Alces alces in a Canadian lake. Ecography.
- The page saysOne study found them high in sodium and iron compared with the leafy browse moose eat
- The source says
Compared to deciduous browse, the aquatic plants had high levels of sodium and iron
How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.