KidZone Animals
Musk Ox: General
The musk ox is named after the strong, musky smell that they release during mating season even though the smell isn't actually musk! The Inuit name for the musk ox is umingmak, meaning “the bearded one”.
A male musk oxen is called a bull, a female musk oxen is called a cow and a young musk oxen is called a calf.
There are two known subspecies of musk oxen; the White faced Musk ox or Greenland Musk ox (Ovibos moschatus wardi) and the Barren Ground Musk ox (Ovibos moschatus moschatus).
Musk oxen spend all year above the northern tree line of the Arctic tundra, which is incredible as it is one of the most brutal environments. Due to the harsh climate and the isolation that musk oxen face in the arctic tundra, they are at risk of diseases. The herds must always adapt and find new ways to survive.