![]() ![]() Some moose can lose a substantial amount of weight when in the rut rendering them weaker and susceptible to greater injuries. The compact outer shell of the antler is of greater density and is very strong and solid and will become the weapons used when fighting other bulls during the rut which is coming up fast.īull moose stop eating when they go into the rut, partly because of the change in their hormones and also because they don’t have time as they are quite busy chasing other bulls away or fighting with them. The inner portion is less dense, spongy bone that has been highly vascularized during growth. As they dry, the antlers grow hard due to the process of mineralization and result in a two-type cartilage and bone structure 3. The itchy antler velvet gets rubbed off on trees and the bulls do not look their best as ribbons of bloody velvet hang from their antlers. At the same time bulls that are reproductively mature experience other hormonal changes in anticipation of the rut. The first frost and dwindling day light is a turning point and triggers a hormonal change in the animal whereby blood flows back into the animal’s body and stops flowing to the antlers causing the velvet to dry after a few days and become itchy. Over the summer season moose continue to gorge on vegetation as their antlers grow within the velvet encasing them, then a number of changes take place as the autumn season approaches. They can also scratch delicate parts of their anatomy with an antler tip with little fuss. One of the most remarkable examples of how well moose can control themselves with a large rack is their ability to walk through a forest and not make a sound as they weave their way through the trees with the equivalent of a kitchen table upside down on their head. They know where each antler tip is and how to control their movements with great precision. Moose adapt to the additional weight and mass of their antlers and can be very exacting in their use for scratching. The high levels of sodium found in aquatic plants help moose antlers to grow quickly. Moose happily browse the aquatic and terrestrial plants they prefer as their new antlers continue their rapid growth. These full sets of antlers are often referred to as a rack. Coastal moose in Alaska tend to grow the largest antlers due to the quality and diversity of plants that grow in the temperate coastal areas of their rain forests compared to the colder and less vegetated areas inland like the Yukon. If the animal has a rich and voluminous diet, moose antler growth can mean packing on a pound each day 2, in the form of bone of course. In fact, they are the fastest growing tissue of any mammal.
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