KidZone Animals
Musk Ox: Wool (Qiviut)

Photographed by Penn State;
used with permission under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Musk ox are dark brown or black. They have long, coarse outer hair which makes them look a bit like a buffalo but they are actually more similar to sheep. The fur of the musk ox is very long! The thick outer coat can reach nearly 100cm in length, which is one of the longest of any animal.

Under these guard hairs is a short, fine wool called qiviut. It is used by people to knit or weave the softest and warmest natural woolen material available. Having multiple layers of hair and wool allows the musk ox to stay insulated in the cold Arctic weather.

A musk ox that is being raised on a farm produces enough qiviut to spin 100 to 150 meters of wool each year.