Arctic Musk OX...

The Arctic Musk Ox is the most interesting and confusing animal you never heard of. First off, it looks like a prehistoric Woolly Mammoth that stepped right out of the Ice Age!

Arctic musk oxen are bulky, stocky mammals. They live in the Arctic Circle, which includes the northern areas of Canada, Alaska, Russia, Greenland, and Scandinavia. 

Musk Oxen are bulky because of their shaggy coat of long, dark brown hair. It hangs down to their feet. Their feet are at the end of short, stumpy legs! Is there a tiny little oxen in there hiding? Not a chance! 

Where Things  Get Hairy!

Musk oxen males weigh between 600 and 800 pounds. They stand anywhere from 4 feet to 5 feet tall. This measurement is from the ground to their shoulders. Under that outer coat, they have an undercoat of thick wool called qiviut. During the summer, this undercoat is shed. Arctic craftsmen and craftswomen collect it. They use it to make a yarn akin to cashmere.

Qiviut yarn has been called "the rarest fiber in the world."

The musk ox gets its name from the horrible musky smell its fur emits. The smell is used to attract mates during mating season. Good thing she likes it… Musk oxen breed between August and October. After an eight-month pregnancy, Musk Ox moms give birth. Newborns pop out weighing in at about twenty-five pounds each. That’s a big baby!

Arctic musk oxen travel in herds of 20 to 30 members. They don’t migrate because of their short legs. This means they don’t travel very far. 

They stay within a 50-mile area. They use their heavy coats and small size to huddle together and stay cozy! 

During the summer, musk oxen feast on grasses and woody plants. They pack on the pounds to survive the coming winter when nothing grows! They look gentle, but things can get pretty hairy when they're attacked! Musk oxen form a circle around women and babies and can fight like there’s no tomorrow!