Term

Definition

Browsing

The act of taking vegetation off the end of a branch; graze

Bull

A mall moose

Buoyancy

The tendency of an object to float in a media, such as water

Calf

A newborn or immature moose

Cow

A female moose

Diastema

The flat gap between front teeth and back teeth in a moose’s mouth

Dewlap

The flap of skin that hangs under a moose’s neck with unknown function

Estrus

A regularly reoccurring time of the year where the female moose is capable of conceiving

Flehmen response

A behavior used to facilitate exposure of olfactory pheromones (sexual scents in the air)

Gestation

The carrying of an embryo or fetus inside of the female; pregnancy

Microbial flora

Microorganisms that live in the moose’s gastrointestinal tract that help digest vegetation

Polygamous

The sexual strategy of where the male can have more than one other female mate

Rumen

The first stomach in the moose; receives food or cud from the esophagus, partly digests it with the aid of bacteria

Rut

The mating season of the moose; bulls act very violently and are unpredictable during this time

Velvet

The protective covering of the growing antlers during the summer; supplies the antlers with blood and nutrients