Facts About the Musk Ox
INTRODUCTION
The Musk Ox derives its name from the musky odor that is produced by the males to attract the females for mating.
It is an arctic mammal with a thick coat that makes it adapt to such an environment. From their name Musk Ox, one would think that they are actually from the oxen family. This not true since they are a member of Bovidae family and are more closely related to goats and sheep.
There are two subspecies of musk ox, the Greenland Musk Ox found in the Greenland and the Canadian High Arctic, and the Barren Ground Musk Ox found in the Canadian mainland. The Musk Ox has a large body, short legs, a short neck, a short tail, and a small hump near the shoulders. They are covered with a coat in a variety of colors from gray, brown, white, or black, and pale coloring on the legs. They move in a herd of up 20–30 and in some cases, there are as many as 100.