Musk ox

The musk ox (Ovibos moschatus, muskox) is a large Arctic mammal of the Bovidae family.

It has a thick coat, and was common in the northern hemisphere during the Pleistocene ice age. The males give off a strong odour, hence its name. This musky odour is used to attract females during mating season. Musk oxen travel in herds of females and their young led by one or two strong males. Male oxen fight over who will be leader by butting their thick heads and horns against each other. The musk oxen's long, curved horns keep away predators. When a herd smells nearby wolves, all the musk oxen form a circle and face out. They lower their heads to show off their horns. 

Musk oxen live in the Arctic, North America and Greenland,Greenland guide. Animal Life in Greenland - an introduction by the tourist board  with small introduced populations in Sweden, Siberia and Norway.

Musk oxen are herbivores which graze on grasses, leaves, and some Arctic flowers. They are ruminants; they swallow their food without chewing it. Later, they regurgitate the food (called a cud) and chew it. Musk oxen, like other ruminants, have a stomach with four sections.

Fossil DNA evidence suggests musk oxen were not only more geographically widespread during the Pleistocene, but also more genetically diverse. During that time, other populations of musk oxen lived across the Arctic, from the Ural Mountains to Greenland. Together with the bison and the pronghorn,Smithsonian Institution. North American Mammals: Pronghorn Antilocapra americana  the muskox was one of a few species of Pleistocene megafauna in North America to survive the Pleistocene/Holocene extinction event and live to the present day.Switek, Brian. "Prehistoric DNA reveals the story of a Pleistocene survivor, the Muskox." Laelaps blog on Science Blogs, posted 10 Mar. 2010. Accessed 18 Jan. 2013.

 References 

Category:Caprids
Category:Mammals of North America