KidZone Animals
Musk Ox: Herds

During the summer months musk ox herds tend to be very small with as little as 5 animals that are usually part of a family.

In the winter season, due to the especially harsh conditions of the arctic tundra, musk oxen will create groups much larger. Having up to 70 musk oxen in a herd can help protect the animals against the weather and predators.

Photographed by Martin Ehrensvärd;
used with permission under CC BY-SA 2.0

During the mating season males that do not win against other bulls in the ruts will form herds with other non-dominant males and wander the tundra. These herds usually have somewhere between 5 and 10 bulls.