Moose is an extant member of the deer family called the New World Deer together with reindeer’s and roe deers.
The other broad group is called Cervinae and it includes the muntjac, elk or wapiti, fallow deer and chital. Together, these two groups constitute the deer formally known as Cervidae. The ‘New World Deer’ sub-family can also be called Capreolinae, in scientific terms.
Moose is the largest and heaviest extant species of the deer family and also one of the largest and tallest land mammal in North America. They have a distinctive broad antler which can either be “open hand shaped (palmat)” or “tree-like (cervine)” in configuration depending on geographic location or on subspecies.
Speaking of species, mooses exist in many different subspecies spread across the different countries comprising Eurasia and North America.
In this article, we turn our focus to the range mass of the different subspecies that moose’ are spread into. We also discuss the range mass of the moose antler and also the weight of their newly born calves.
How much do moose weigh?
The average weight of a moose (considering all subspecies) is 400 kg. Males typically weigh between 360 to 700 kg while females weigh between 200 to 490 kg.
According to the Animal Diversity Web, male moose typically weigh more than 40 percent than their female counterparts. For the individual subspecies within the broader moose group, mass can vary greatly with sex and range.
Here are some of the subspecies of the moose group and their typical, average and total range mass.
North American Moose
There are four sub-species of moose recognised in North America. They include:
- Eastern Moose (A.alces americana)
- Northwestern Moose (A.alces andersoni)
- Shiras moose (A.alces shirasi)
- Alaskan moose A.alces qiqas)
These subspecies each differ in shoulder height and overall weight as we shall see in the sections below.
How much does an eastern moose weigh in kg and pounds?
The Eastern Moose habitat ranges throughout eastern Canada, New England, and North New york. It inhabits boreal forest and mixed decidous forest within this range.
The eastern moose is the third largest moose subspecies in NorthAmerica.
Bulls:
- Male eastern moose weigh between 340 kg to 420 kg.
- In pounds, male eastern moose weigh between 750 to 926 pounds.
Cows:
- Female eastern moose weigh between 270 kg to 360 kg.
- In pounds, female eastern moose weigh between 595 to 793.8 pounds.
Average:
- The average weight of a male eastern moose is 365 kg; 1398 pounds.
- The average weight of a female eastern moose is 270 kg; 595 pounds.
- The average weight of an eastern moose is 300 kg; 662 pounds.
Overall:
- The total range mass of an eastern moose is between 270 to 420 kg
- In pounds, the total range mass of an eastern moose is between 595 to 926 pounds.
How much does a northwestern moose weigh in kg and pounds?
Northwestern moose, also known as Western moose is spread across areas to the east and south of the alaskan moose. This includes the Canadian arctic, western Canadian provinces and a few areas of western North America. They inhabit boreal forests and mixed deciduous forest of these regions.
The western moose is regarded as the second largest subspecies of moose in North America.
Bulls:
- Male northwestern moose weigh between 380 kg to 720 kg.
- In pounds, male northwestern moose weigh between 838 to 1588 pounds.
Cows:
- Female northwestern moose weigh between 270 kg to 360 kg.
- In pounds, female northwestern moose weigh between 595 to 794 pounds.
Average:
- The average weight of a male northwestern moose is 530 kg; 1169 pounds.
- The average weight of a female northwestern moose is 295 kg; 650 pounds.
- The average weight of a northwestern moose is 475 kg; 1047 pounds.
Overall:
- The total range mass of a northwestern moose is between 270 to 720 kg:
- In pounds, the total range mass of a northwestern moose is 595 to 1588 pounds.
How much does an alaskan moose weigh?
Alaskan moose or giant moose: also known as Yukon moose in Canada, have ranges that spreads across alaska in the United States and some part of western Yukon in Canada. They inhabit boreal forest and mixed deciduous forests throughout these range.
The Alaskan moose is the largest of the four subspecies of moose currently identified in North America.
Bulls:
- Male alaskan moose weigh between 400 kg to 780 kg.
- In pounds, male alaskan moose weigh between 882 to 1720 pounds.
Cows:
- Female alaskan moose weigh between 270 kg to 500 kg:
- In pounds, female alaskan moose weigh between 595 to 1103 pounds.
Average:
- The average weight of a male alaskan moose is 634 kg; 1398 lb.
- The average weight of a female alaskan moose is 340 kg; 750 pounds.
- The average weight of an alaskan moose is 485 kg; 1069 pounds.
Overall:
- The total range mass of an alaskan moose is between 270 to 780 kg
- In pounds, the total range mass of an alaskan moose is between 595 to 1720 pounds.
How much does an shiras moose weigh in kg and pounds?
Shiras moose have a range that spans across the rocky mountains of the United States and Canada. They inhabit boreal forests and mixed deciduous forests of these regions.
The shiras moose is the smallest of the four subspecies of moose in North America.
Bulls:
- Male shiras moose weigh between 250 kg to 350 kg.
- In pounds, male shiras moose weigh between 551 to 772 pounds.
Cows:
- Female shiras moose weigh between 200 kg to 360 kg:
- In pounds, female shiras moose weigh between 441 to 794 pounds.
Average:
- The average weight of a male shiras moose is 290 kg; 639 pounds.
- The average weight of a female shiras moose is 260 kg; 573 pounds.
- The average weight of a shiras moose is 240 kg; 529 pounds.
Overall:
- The total range mass of a shiras moose is between 200 to 360 kg.
- In pounds, the total range mass of a shiras moose is between 441 to 794 pounds.
Eurasian Moose
Eusarian moose are moose spread across some part of europe and asia. Four subspecies of Eusarian moose can be identified although this distinction is still unclear: They include:
- European Moose
- Siberian or Yakut Moose
- West Siberian or Ussuri Moose
- East Siberian or chukotka or kolyma Moose
How much do european moose weigh?
The european moose have populations in Finland, Norway, Sweden, Russia and Poland.
Overall
- The total range mass of an european moose is between 200 to 400 kg
- In pounds, the total range mass of an european moose is between 441 to 882 pounds.
How much do siberian moose weigh?
Overall:
- The total range mass of siberian moose is between 200 to 420 kg.
- In pounds, the total range mass of siberian moose is between 441 to 926 pounds.
How much do ussuri moose weigh?
Overall:
- The total range mass of ussuri moose is between 270 to 460 kg:
- In pounds, the total range mass of ussuri is between 595 to 1014 pounds.
How much do kolyma moose weigh?
Overall:
- The total range mass of kolyma moose is between 200 to 460 kg.
- In pounds, the total range mass of kolyma moose is between 441 to 1014 pounds.
How much does a baby moose weigh in kg and pounds?
Baby moose or rather calfs, are born big but super vulnerable to wolf predation.
Newborn of a moose
- The new born of a moose weighs between 11 to 16 kg.
- Baby moose can gain up to 1kg per day from suckling. They are usually weaned after five months of suckling.
Average weight of baby moose
- The average weight of a newborn moose is 13 kg, more heavier than the average human baby at (2.5 kg).
How much do moose antlers weigh?
The size and weight of antlers: the not very horn-like structure on the heads of the male moose varies by subspecies, or rather by geographical range.
Moose in the North American range have the heaviest and largest antlers: particularly those of the Alaskan subspecies. The normal width span is usually below 200 cm.
The largest antler ever recorded was that of an Alaskan moose which measured up to 2.04 m in length: 83 in total width from tip to tip and weighed in at around 36 kg; 79 pounds.
Moose of the North American range usually have antlers that are palmate, having a main palm and brow palm in a butterfly configuration.
In european moose, those of the more northern range have larger antlers of the palmate pattern while those of the southernmost population have comparatively smaller antlers of the cervina dendritic pattern. Moose that inhabit the north-south range usually have antlers sandwiched between the palmate and cervina dendritic pattern.
Other Eurasian moose: i.e moose living in asia also have cervine shaped antlers without palmers similar to european moose, than the palmate patterned type.
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Cite this Article ” (APA Format)
Bunu. M. (2020, July 17). Moose Weight: How much do moose weigh?. Retrieved from http://emborawild.com/how-much-do-moose-weigh/