Musk ox Facts for Kids

Musk oxen live in the freezing Arctic. They have long, shaggy hair and curved horns. Under the long hair is a layer of very soft, warm wool.

A musk ox wears two coats: long, shaggy hairs on the outside and super soft wool underneath, called qiviut. The wool is so warm that the animal can stay cozy in the Arctic winter. When danger is near, the herd bunches together, with the calves in the middle and the grown-ups facing outward.

Musk oxen are more closely related to goats and sheep than to cattle. Their long hair almost reaches the ground, and with the wool underneath it keeps out the bitter wind. In summer they graze on grasses and flowering plants, and in winter they dig through shallow snow to find food, moving slowly to save energy. Musk oxen disappeared from Alaska long ago; people brought some back from Greenland, and herds live there again.