- The Musk ox is an Arctic hoofed mammal of the family Bovidae, noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor emitted during the seasonal rut by males
- Muskoxen primarily lives in Greenland and the Canadian Arctic with small introduced populations in Alaska, Yukon (Canada), the Scandinavian Peninsula and Siberia.
- Musk oxen are stocky mammals with large heads, short necks, and short, stout legs.
- Musk oxen stands 1.1 to 1.5 m (4 to 5 ft) high at the shoulder
- The Musk ox’s coat is of long, dark brown, grey and black hair that reaches nearly to the feet
- Horns are present in both sexes and are as much as 60 cm (24 inches) long in old males.
- During the summer, musk oxen live in wet areas, such as river valleys, moving to higher elevations in the winter to avoid deep snow
- Musk oxen feed on grasses, sedges, and willows. In summer they store large amounts of fat, which they use to supplement the meagre forage in winter
- Musk oxen live in herds of 12–24 in the winter and 8–20 in the summer. They do not hold territories, but they do mark their trails with preorbital glands
- Musk oxen have a distinctive defensive behaviour: when the herd is threatened, the bulls and cows will face outward to form a stationary ring around the calves
- A musk ox can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h (37 mph)
- Their life expectancy is 12–20 years.
