Big Antler News!

Tahoma, our five-year-old moose that lives in Rocky Mountain Wild, has lost his antlers. No, he didn't misplace them!  He shed them for the winter – on Christmas Day. His new look has prompted a number of questions about moose antlers from our guests, which we will be answering today!

Tahoma shows off his 2012 antlers.

Mature male moose shed their antlers in the winter and grow a new set in the spring. The new set only takes three to five months to fully develop, with a surprising growth rate of up to one inch per day! Each set of antlers grown will be larger than the previous year, so you can pick out older moose by their larger racks. Moose shed their antlers because it makes foraging for winter food easier, and the lack of weight helps conserve needed energy.

Tahoma, just after dropping his rack.

Now that Tahoma has shed his antlers, some guests have mistaken him for a female. You can tell the difference between a cow moose and a bull moose in a number of different ways, even after males shed their antlers. The bell, or the skin that hangs down from their necks, it is significantly larger in bulls. You can also distinguish a cow from a bull by looking at the color of their noses – males have black noses, while females usually have reddish-brown noses.  And at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, we don’t have a female moose. The moose you see here will always be good ‘ol Tahoma!

Tahoma's first antlers (front) compared to this year's antlers (back).

All of Tahoma’s antlers are kept for demonstrations and education. It’s amazing to see how much bigger each set is than the last.  How much do Tahoma’s 2012 antlers weigh?  Take your best guess on our Facebook page contest, beginning 12/28, for a chance to win a moose plush animal and four admission tickets to come see Tahoma! Visit www.facebook.com/CMZoo by 01/07 to submit your entry. The winner will be announced on 01/10.