The winter pelage is grayer. The young are reddish brown, and unlike most immature members of this family, they are not spotted. A favorite habitat is a moist area with abundant willows and poplars. Although vision is poorly developed, the senses of smell and hearing are acute. Activity occurs throughout the day, especially in the winter, but there are definite peaks at dawn and dusk.
Some populations make regular seasonal movements between areas of favorable food supplies.
Several distinct home ranges, separated by a considerable distance, are sometimes used in the course of a year. The moose frequents marshy and timbered regions in search of the shrubs and trees on which it browses. It also feeds on water vegetation by wading into lakes and streams, often submerging entirely to obtain the roots and stems of plants on the bottom. By necessity, it eats twigs and the bark of trees and paws through the snow for small plants in the winter. In the breeding season, males compete for one female at a time, engaging in elaborate displays, shoving matches with the antlers, and occasionally serious fighting.