The Musk Ox (Ovibos moschatus), also spelled muskox and musk-ox, is a species of Arctic hoofed mammal related to sheep and goats native to the tundras of Greenland and northern Canada, with small reintroduced populations living in Norway and Russia. They get their name from the males, who secrete a strong musky smell to attract females during the mating season. Musk oxen have incredibly long hair and has two layers for winter survival. The coat has a top guard layer that shields them from the cold. This top layer also protects from mosquitoes in the summer for some time before its shed to cool off the musk ox's body. They can shed up to 7 pounds of this guard hair in the summer. The second layer of fur in a thick, fluffy layer to insulate body heat. This wool is 8 times warmer and denser than sheep's wool. Both males and females sport a large pair of horns for defense. The horns come over their heads to connect and create a helmet-like feature called a boss. This acts as a helmet, and protects them from brain damage. The force of the males smashing into each other at 30 mph (48 kmh) is more powerful than the force of a head-on car collision. They even have a reinforced skull and 4 inches of shielding bone to connect the horns to the skull. The skull even has honeycomb air pockets for cushioning, so male musk oxen are almost never injured during these fights. During the winter, musk oxen often have to search hard for food. They use their snowshoe-like hooves to dig through the ice and snow to find moss, lichen, and other plants to eat. They also have shorter ears, legs, and tails to minimize heat loss, and often even let the calves keep warm under their furry skirts. They mostly keep the calves in the center of the herd to protect them from the cold. Most of the adults face to the center, but they have to take turns being "wind blockers" and keep cold winds from getting into the center. When predators like polar bears or Arctic wolves approach the herd, they put all the calves in the center, and all the adults face the attackers from all angles. This defensive ring is a very successful tactic. Only lone, sick, or weak adult musk oxen are vulnerable to predators. They are also poor swimmers and can't fight strong currents. They can run up to 30 miles per hour, but often don't due to overheating.
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