Muskox

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/muskox

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?Ovibos moschatus
2. What is the key adaptation?Exceptional double-layered coat (qiviut undercoat) providing extreme insulation against cold
3. What is a muskox and where does it live?A muskox is a shaggy, ancient animal that lives in the frozen Arctic tundra of North America and Eurasia.
4. How does a muskox keep warm in the cold?It has a double‑layered coat: outer guard hairs that repel water and an inner qiviut that traps air and keeps it very warm.

Pleistocene Epoch: A geological epoch characterized by repeated glaciations, often referred to as the Ice Age.
Qiviut: The fine, soft, and extremely warm undercoat of the muskox, highly valued for its insulating properties.
Keystone Species: A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance.