Claudia Meets the Mighty Moose!

Claudia Haas is one busy biologist and she’s got a lot to tell us about the mighty moose!

We know what you’re thinking: “Claudia, a moose isn’t the same as a caribou!”. And you are not wrong! But that’s one of the best things about being a biologist and studying wildlife: getting to learn about ALL the animals that call your research area home! Moose have started to move more north with climate change (more on that to come), and this was something that surprised us all – so naturally, in the spirit of being good scientists, we just had to learn more!

How Mighty?
Moose are the biggest members of the deer family. Males can weigh up to 750 kilograms (that’s more than 25 ten year old kids!) and stand over two meters tall. Talk about BIG! But moose aren’t just huge – they’re also unique. One of the most interesting things about a moose is its dewlap – a bell-shaped flap that hangs from its throat. Why does a moose have a dewlap? Is it a sign that it’s an adult? Is it a way for moose to recognize each other? Does it help them stay cool in the summer or warm in the winter? The answer is: we don’t know! What do you think?

Moose on the Loose!
Usually, we expect to see moose living in forests, but lately they’ve been spotted moving north onto the tree-less tundra. Scientists think that this is partly due to climate change. Because the tundra is cold and doesn’t have much water, historically, trees and plants didn’t grow very well there. Because of climate change, the temperature is increasing and taller plants and shrubs have started to grow. Scientists call this “shrubification,” or greening of the tundra. And guess who LOVES to eat shrubs? You guessed it! Moose!

New Neighbor?
What happens to the animals that live on the tundra when a big new neighbor moves in? Moose presence can impact plants and animals, and that’s something we wanted to learn more about. We were curious about how moose are using the land at the borders of the forest and tundra, so we set up game cameras in the Thaidene Nëné Indigenous Protected Area. Most of the moose that the cameras captured were in the forest, but we spotted THREE on the tundra – one of the moose was more than 80km away from the forest!

What does this mean?
It seems moose like to stay in different places, depending on the season. In the summer, the moose liked areas where a wildfire burned between 20-50 years ago. In the winter, they liked to stay in mixed forests (those are forests with coniferous and deciduous trees). We didn’t see any moose on the tundra in the winter, so perhaps they need the trees for protection in really cold weather.

What’s Next?
I  LOVE learning about moose! Next, I’m hoping to research when different animals in the north are active. We’re SO far north here that in the summer, there’s NO darkness – not even at night! How do you think an animal’s behavior would change if there’s always sun? Or what about in the winter, when it’s mostly dark all the time? Those are questions I can’t wait to answer!