The North American Moose, by Dominic G., Mr. Maciolek's Fourth Grade Classroom

THE NORTH AMERICAN MOOSE

“Look out! Here they come. A herd of North American Moose are charging you. Get up! Hurry, we can’t waste any time learning about this animal’s tremendous habitat, remarkable body and astounding diet.”

The Moose is a shocking animal. For example, it weighs over 1,000 lbs, but with its long legs, the moose will beat the average human in a relay race by a mile…literally! How about if we learn some more great facts about a moose and its amazing body features? The fur on the North American Moose is not exactly what it seems, other than it’s off-black (just in case you haven’t seen one). You’d think the fur is soft, right? Wrong. It’s actually rough and brittle (that is why it’s called guard hair). This particular Moose eats truckloads of leaves each and every day. To help grasp them, it has a prehensile under its lips that pulls leaves right off of bushes or trees. You probably have noticed this about a moose (if you have seen one). But just in case you haven’t, the adult bull’s antlers are huge. Unfortunately the cow (girl) moose has none at all. It’s hard to tell the difference between a bull and cow moose during winter because they lose their antlers in the fall. They do grow back in the spring.

Everyone knows where a human’s habitat is, but what about a moose? Here’s your chance to learn all about it. Like most in the deer family, the moose lives in damp, swampy, watery places. These places also have lots of vegetation. Even though most moose live farther north than Connecticut, their climate is just like ours except not as hot in summer and much colder in winter. And when I say much colder, I mean way colder. That is why you won’t find many people up in moose country! These moose can be found in Canada, Alaska, and even parts of New England.

Warning! Finish any food you have started to eat before reading about the North American Moose and its super delicious diet. Don’t get too worked up, if, when swimming in a pond, a North American Moose passes by your feet. They love eating aquatic plants. Water is not the only place you’ll find this moose looking for food. They like to eat parts of trees too…the leaves, lichen [moss on the bottom), and even bark. Moose are usually found in open areas like plains or fields because grass is one of their favorite foods. Have you ever been strolling in the woods when you spot a berry that your Mom says is poisonous? Well, they are not poisonous to the North American Moose. In fact, this particular moose eats these berries all of the time. These moose also gnaw at the bushes after the berries are gone.

“Well, you’ve just learned many extraordinary facts about the North American Moose. But, if you are curious for more information, visit websites like Google and Wikipedia to search your topic.