Species
Alces alces andersoni
Common Name(s)
Moose, elk
Family
Cervidae
Habitat
Moose occur in areas where there is a sufficient amount of food and shelter, mainly forest with adjacent open grassland.
They are herbivorous browser, mainly feeding on shrubs and trees, forbs and a small amount of grasses.
Description
Moose are the largest species of the deer family. Their coat is blackish-brown in summer and smoky grey in winter. The head is long with long ears and small, deep-set eyes. They have long legs and a very short tail.
Antlers only occur on male and have brow, trez and guard tines and horizontal palms.
Threat To Plants
None
Distribution
Existence unknown
Measurements
Acromial height: 1.91m; weight: 545kg
Year Introduced
1910 (Dusky Sound)
Reason For Introduction
Food and game
Colonisation History
First introduced to New Zealand at Supper Cove, Dusky Sound (10 individuals) in April 1910 (first release attempt in the Hokitika Valley, Westland in 1900 was unsuccessful). After 1952 no moose were sighted, but possible field signs of moos were reported in several surveys.