Baby Moose: 8 Facts and 8 Pictures

Moose are the largest members of the deer family. Moose babies are not only adorable, they are miraculous mammals that can run faster than humans at just three days old. Did you know that all moose babies and their adult counterparts are born colorblind?

Keep reading to find out eight incredible facts about the moose babies and check out some heartwarming tiny moose pictures.

#8: Moose Babies Can Outrun Humans by Three Days Old

If you tried to race a moose baby, you wouldn’t have a chance of winning after the first day or two of their lives. A newborn moose baby can run faster than an adult human at just three days old! The average speed a newly born moose can run is 30 miles per hour, and they can jump anywhere from eight to ten feet.

Did you know that moose calves are also excellent swimmers? It’s true – moose babies can swim up to ten miles per hour! Their front legs are longer than their back ones, which allows them to pick up speed quickly. Mother moose, called cows, are known to take their babies into the water to evade predators.

#7: A Baby Moose is Born Weighing Thirty Pounds

Moose are born weighing around 30 pounds, but that’s not the most miraculous thing about their size. Moose twins usually weigh approximately 14 pounds each.

When they are fully grown, adult male moose can weigh up to 1,500 pounds, and females typically weigh a maximum of 1,300 pounds. The largest moose ever weighed 1,808 pounds! When they’re babies, moose pack on an estimated pound a day in the spring and sometimes up to 4 pounds daily later in the year.

In order to gain this much weight each day, moose calves eat a lot of food. In the summer, moose must consume more food to prepare themselves for the long winter. Since they are herbivores, food sources can be scarce during the cold months, so baby calves eat more in the summer than in winter.

#6: Young Moose are Called Calves and Have Bad Eyesight

When moose are born, they have terrible eyesight. Luckily, they are born with an excellent sense of smell and sound, so they can navigate the world around them using those avenues. As they grow up, their eyesight improves slightly, but they continue to primarily use their sense of sound and smell to protect them from predators.

Moose eyes also have a shortage of cones, which are responsible for transmitting and translating colors to the brain. This means that all young moose (and their parents) are color blind.

#5: Moose Babies Cry Like Humans

Baby moose are quick to vocalize when they need help or support from their mothers. When they are newly born, moose make a grunting sound to get their caretaker’s attention. As they grow older to be a few weeks old, they learn to make a wailing sound similar to a baby’s cry. Moose babies cry when they are hungry, distressed, or otherwise upset. Moose babies have been known to call when they lose sight of their mothers, as well.

#4: Moose Aren’t Born with Antlers

Perhaps one of the most distinct features that a moose has is its antlers. But did you know that moose calves are not born with antlers or horns? That’s right – moose don’t start to grow their antlers until their first birthday. Until then, young moose have “buttons” on their head where their antlers will later grow in.

Antlers are made of bone and usually only have two or three points until the moose is about five years old. The number of points on a moose’s antlers determines whether they are young or old but cannot definitively determine a moose’s age.

#3: Baby Moose Are Born in the Spring

All moose calves are born in the spring. Their mothers mate to conceive them sometime during the fall months of September or October and birth their young in the months of May or June. It takes eight months for a moose to become fully developed in their mother’s womb.

Most moose are singletons, but there have also been instances of twins or even triplet moose in the wild.

#2: Moose are Solitary Animals Except with Babies

The only group of moose you’ll see in the wild is a mother with their moose babies. Since moose are solitary animals, they only travel together with their babies to protect them from predators and teach them how to survive. When a mother moose (also called a cow) is ready to have another baby, she will start the process of ridding herself of her male yearlings.

The mother moose will usually start by ignoring her male yearlings. The young moose may charge at her and make audible noises to get her attention, but she doesn’t give in. Finally, the yearling moose venture off on their own, and the mother moose prepares to take care of a new baby. Female moose calves are known to stay with their mother for several years since cow moose don’t usually chase female calves away.

#1: Newborn Moose are Over Two Feet Tall!

Moose are born standing over two feet tall – that’s over three times the size of a human baby! Most of their height is in their legs, and their fur is so dark brown when they are born that they appear almost black.