Moose

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/moose

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Alces alces
2. What is the lifespan?Average 15-20 years in the wild; can exceed 25 years in captivity
3. What do moose eat?Moose eat twigs, buds, forbs, and lots of water plants that give them sodium and minerals. They use their long tongue and upper lip to strip bark and leaves, and can even dive underwater for up to a minute to find food.
4. How do moose help forests?When moose browse on trees and shrubs, they change which plants grow, making the forest more varied and giving other animals good places to live.

Obligate Herbivore: An animal that relies exclusively on plants for its diet.
Palmate Antlers: Broad, flattened antlers with finger-like projections, characteristic of moose.
Boreal Forest: A vast biome of coniferous forests found in high northern latitudes, also known as taiga.
Precocial: Referring to young animals that are capable of moving and feeding themselves shortly after birth.