Muskox

Muskox
ジャコウウシ
Character Data
AKA		Musk Ox
Romaji		Jakouushi
Debut		Kemono Friends (2015 Game)
Animal Data
Scientific Name		Ovibos moschatus
Distribution		Arctic
Diet		Herbivore
Avg. Lifespan		12–20 years
Read More		Muskox
Conservation

Muskox​

Nexon Game

Muskox is a type of mammal Friend that appeared in the original Kemono Friends mobile game.

Appearance

Muskox’s brown hair is long, large and mostly straight with some protruding sections. The tips of her hair as well as the tips of her side bangs are a light brown collar, which can also be seen on the inside of her animal ears and on the upwards curving hair resembling the animal’s horns. She has greyish-brown eyes and her bangs are cut completely straight, in contrast to the rest of her hair. She has a short brown tail.

Muskox wears a dark brown fur collar with a matching sleeveless jumper, worn over a long-sleeved brown shirt with white cuffs. She wears a short yellow plaid skirt and a matching bow on her shirt. Her socks are dark brown and reach above her knee, and are mostly covered on the bottom by fluffy brown legwarmers with lighter ends. Her shoes are light brown, with darker toes.

Series Appearances

Appearances In Kemono Friends Media

Media		Role

In Real Life

Muskox in the Lüneburg Heath wildlife park, Germany. Photo by Quartl, 2019.

The Muskox (Ovibos moschatus) is an ungulate (hooved mammal) in the family Bovidae. It is native to the Arctic regions, and is known for the strong odor (musk) emitted by males during the seasonal rut. This musk has the effect of attracting females during mating season.

It is a very large bovid, with females measuring around 135 to 200 cm (4 ft 5 in. to 6 ft 7 in.) in length, and the males measuring 200 to 250 cm (6 ft 7 in. to 8 ft 2 in.). They stand at an impressive 1.1 to 1.5 meters (3 ft 7 in. to 4 ft 11 in.) high at the withers (or shoulder blades). Both sexes have the long, curved horns. The average adult can weigh anywhere from 180 to 410 kg (400 to 900 lb.), averaging at around 285 kg (628 lb.). Its signature thick coat and large head make it appear much larger than it actually is- the Bison, which the Muskox is often compared to, can weigh up to twice as much, with significantly less wool. The coat itself is a mix of black, gray and brown colors.

A male Muskox with its prominent thick coat, with some shedding at the top. Photo by Charles Sharp.

Muskoxen belong to the subtribe Ovibovina (Ovibovini) in the tribe Caprini (or subfamily Caprinae) of the subfamily Antilopinae in the family Bovidae. Therefore, it is more closely related to sheep and goats than actual oxen- they've been given their own genus family, Ovibos. The closest living relative is the Goral, which are common in countries of central and east Asia.

Modern Muskoxen live in herds of 12–24 in the winter and 8–20 in the summer. While they do not establish formal territories, they do mark trails with preorbital glands. Both genders have separate age-based hierarchies, with mature oxen being dominant over juveniles. Dominant oxen get first pick of the best resources, and will actively displace lower-ranking oxen from eating spots in winter. Bulls have several different ways to assert dominance- one is "rush and butt", in which a dominant bull rushes a subordinate from the side with its horns. This is usually accompanied by a warning to give the subordinate a chance to get away. Dominant bulls will also roar, swing their heads, and "paw" the ground. However, a subordinate bull can change his status by charging a dominant bull.

Mating (or "rutting") season begins in late June to early July. During this time, dominant bulls will fight others out of the herds to establish harems of six or seven cows and their offspring. Competing bulls will charge at each other with their horns, butting heads until one gives up and leaves. Subordinate and elderly bulls will leave the herds to form bachelor groups or simply become solitary. However if and when danger is present, the outside bulls can return to the herd for protection.

Once rutting season is over and the herds reassemble, the females will take charge of the herd. Pregnant females are extremely aggressive and will decide where to travel, eat, and sleep. Cows have an eight to nine month gestation period, with the calves being born between April and June. Females do not calve every year: when winters are severe, they will not go into estrus and thus not calve the next year. Calves are born ready to run, and are able to keep up with the herd after just a few hours after birth. The young can start eating vegetation after a two month nursing period.

Alaskan muskoxen in the 1930s, shown in defensive formation, on Nunivak Island. Photo via a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employee.

Muskoxen have a very unique defensive behavior: when a herd is threatened, the adults will huddle together and face outward in a ring or semicircle, with the calves in the middle of the circle. The bulls are usually the front line for defense against predators, with the cows and older juveniles gathering close by. Bulls determine the defensive formation during rutting season, while the cows decide the rest of the year.

During the summer, Muskoxen live in wet areas, such as river valleys, whereas in winter they will move to higher elevations to avoid deep snow. They are known to eat grasses, arctic willows, woody plants, various lichens, and mosses. When food is abundant, they prefer succulent and nutritious grasses, the specific type depends on which plants are local to that area. Willows are the most commonly eaten plants in the winter. The primary predators of muskoxen are arctic wolves, which may account for more than half of all Muskoxen mortalities. Other more uncommon predators are grizzly bears, polar bears, and wolverines.

In previous years, Muskoxen numbers declined due to overhunting, however populations returned to a stable number due to hunting regulations. The current worldwide population is estimated between 80,000 and 125,000 individuals, with an estimated 47,000 living on Banks Island alone. Greenland populations are small and scattered, which leaves them numerous but vulnerable to local climate fluctuations. There are several nature reserves and parks in which they receive full protection.

Trivia

• The Latin name mean "musky sheep-ox".
• Its Inuktitut name "umingmak" translates to "the bearded one".
• The muskox is one of the two largest living members of the Caprinae family, the other being the Takin.
• The wool made from Muskox hair is called qiviut, and is is highly prized for its softness, length, and insulation. Prices for yarn range between $1.5USD and $3USD per gram ($40USD and $80USD per ounce).
• Muskox have a unique characteristic of having hemoglobin that is three times less temperature sensitive than human hemoglobin. This adaptation allows them to have a heightened oxygen affinity in extremely cold environments.
• Bulls take charge of the herds during rutting season, whereas the Cows will take over during the gestation periods.
• While not dangerous to humans, Muskox can get aggressive if threatened or aggravated and have occasionally attacked humans who got too close.

References

• Wikipedia Page
• Flood, P. F.; Abrams, S. R.; Muir, G. D.; Rowell, J. E. (August 1989). "Odor of the muskox". Journal of Chemical Ecology. 15 (8): 2207–2217.
• Burnie D and Wilson DE (Eds.), Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife. DK Adult (2005), ISBN 0-7894-7764-5
• "The Qiviut Fiber and Yarn". Qiviut.com. Retrieved 3 March 2011
• Tener, J. S. (1965). Muskoxen in Canada a biological and taxonomic review. Ottawa: Queen's Printer.
• Gray, D. R. (1986). "Standing his ground: How the muskox survives the rigours of an Arctic winter". Nature Canada. 15: 19–26.

• Brix, O.; Bårdgard, A.; Mathisen, S.; el Sherbini, S.; Condò, S. G.; Giardina, B. (1989). "Arctic life adaptation--II. The function of musk ox (Ovibos muschatos) hemoglobin". Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology B. 94 (1): 135–138. doi:10.1016/0305-0491(89)90023-0. ISSN 0305-0491. PMID 2598629.