Moose Size Explained & Compared With Others

Last Updated on April 11, 2023 by Amin Tawar

Moose Height & Length

Have you ever seen a Moose? If not, let me tell you that these giant deer-like creatures are pretty large and heavy that may seem to be aggressive at first glance, but are not really that scary unless approached closely and troubled. 

The Moose is the only species in the genus Alces, which is also known as the elk and belongs to the New World deer subfamily. 

It is the deer family’s largest and heaviest extant species, which makes this animal the largest type of deer in the world. 

Moose can only be found in cold climates due to their size and thick fur that provides insulation. As a result, moose thrive best in forests with streams and ponds. 

As a result, these species can be found in Alaska, Canada, and the northernmost parts of the United States, from Maine to Washington.

Talking about the size of the species in terms of their height or length, you would be astonished to know that the Moose are pretty large and span about 2.1 m (6.9 ft) at the shoulder (standing height) at most. 

However, on average, the species has a standing height of about 5 to 6.5 feet tall at the shoulder and is 7.5 to 10 feet in length. 

To be more specific, adult male bull moose are the largest members of the deer family, standing an average of 6 feet tall at the shoulder, while the females are much smaller.

You should now have a good idea of how absurdly large these species are in terms of both their height and length based on the numbers above.

Moose Weight

Moving on to the weight of the moose, it is pretty obvious to know that the weight of the species is heavily dependent on its lifestyle and diet. 

It’s pretty interesting to see that, because they have trouble bending over to eat grass due to their large height, moose prefer to eat leaves and bark of trees, and twigs and shrubs instead. 

The Moose species, therefore, is quite massive and majestic, that is we know that they are long and large but they are pretty heavy and strong too. 

Adult male (bull) moose, the largest member of the deer family, can weigh up to 1,400 pounds, while female (cow) moose are slightly smaller. 

The adult moose can weigh anywhere between 800 pounds (small adult female) and 1,600 pounds (large adult male)

Moose Antler Size

One of the most astonishing and eye-catching characteristics of moose is their antlers. The animal’s antlers, which are branched bones that extend from its skull, are known to shed every year. 

Unsurprisingly, moose, the largest deer species, have the biggest antlers. One of the most important uses of the antlers is to defend and fight other predators. 

That is, the adult Moose uses its antlers to protect itself from wolves and bears. However, such a characteristic is only there in male Mooses!

Furthermore, Bull moose start developing antlers in the spring to get ready for the autumn mating season. 

This is because the large, mature bulls with well-developed antlers typically have an advantage when mating with cows, the female moose. 

Bulls may also use their antlers to repel rivals when they are vying for the same cow. Bulls lose their antlers following the mating season. However, during the spring season, the antlers grow back. 

In terms of the size of the antlers, it is for sure that it is large and very strong and can be very lethal for other species. The antlers of most Moose would measure up to four to five feet wide and weigh 25-30 lbs.  1

Moose Average & Full Size

It should not be of any surprise that such a large and massive animal species like an adult male (bull) moose are the largest members of the deer family, standing an average of 6 feet tall at the shoulder and weighing up to 1,400 pounds; females (cows) are smaller. 

However, the species’ full size is typically between 7.5 and 10 feet long, 5 to 6.5 feet tall at the shoulder, and weighs about 1,200 pounds.

Moose Baby Size

The offspring of the Moose are referred to as calves. Since the parents or adult Moose species are large and heavy in terms of their weight, the newborns are also quite large and heavier compared to newborns of other species of animals. 

The average weight of a newborn moose calf is 28 to 35 pounds (13-16 kg), with weights of up to 45 pounds being extremely rare (22 kg). 

However, by the fall, they weigh between 300 and 400 pounds overall. It is pretty insane that these animals’ offspring gain about 2.2 lbs. (1 kg) per day and are fully grown into mature Moose by the time they are 4 to 6 years old.

Moose Size Compared To Human 

Looking at an animal’s size in itself gives a fair idea of how large or small or species is, but if you have never seen the animal yourself you can just estimate how large it could be based on numbers. 

However, in such cases, you can compare the species with the known sizes of another species you have seen. 

For example, we know what the average size of an average human is, so with respect to this size how large or heavy is the moose?

So, on average, an adult human has a height of about 5.2 to 5.9 feet and a weight of 60 to 80 kg (132-176 lbs). 

On the other hand, the moose is about 5 to 6.5 feet in height and 7.5 to 10 feet in length and is astonishingly 800 to 1,600 pounds heavy. That is almost 3 to 7 times heavier. 

The average human will look tiny beside this giant animal.

Moose Size Compared To Car

Moose are enormous animals that can grow to heights of over 7 feet and weigh over a thousand pounds. 

They always manage to cross a road at the wrong time and get hit by a car, which happens every year. 

Have you ever considered what might occur if a moose were to accidentally collide with a Ford F-150, Honda Civic, or Honda Cr-V?

So, by chance, if a moose collides with a car as heavy as 3,150 lbs-3,430 lbs and as large as 4.75ft (height) and 16.3ft (length), it could result in a very harsh and dramatic accident that could cause vital injuries to the passenger as well as destroy the car itself. 

Additionally, even a sharp punch from the antler of the male moose could result in a very serious dent and destruction on the body or glass of the car (which is quite strong). 

Moose Size Vs Elephant Size Comparison

Elephants are by far one of the largest and heaviest animal species. So, it is pretty interesting to wonder what an adult full-size moose would look like in front of another giant. 

Although a moose is large and heavy, it is pretty small in front of some average-sized elephants. 

That is, an adult moose weighs about one-fourth of an elephant’s weight and is slightly taller than half of an African elephant; Indian elephants are slightly smaller but still larger and weigh more than a moose. 

To be more precise, a large adult moose weighs between half and two-thirds as much as an Indian elephant of the same height at the shoulder.

The male Asian elephants have an overall height of about 18-21 feet (5.5-6.4 m), in front of which the adult moose would look like a tiny dog. 

Moose Size Vs Elk Size Comparison

Now that we have looked at animal species that are quite larger than the giant moose, let’s look at the ones that are smaller, like the Elk. 

The size difference between moose and elk is one of their most significant differences. Elk are typically much smaller and much lighter than moose. Additionally, moose are much bigger than elk and are the biggest animal in Colorado. 

A bull moose can weigh more than 1,000 pounds and stand 6 to 7 feet tall at the shoulders. A bull elk stands 4 to 5 feet tall and weighs about 600 pounds on average.

The largest male Elks are about the same weight as the smallest Moose.  

Moose Size Vs Horse Size Comparison

Lastly, compared to a horse, the Moose is larger than the average horse and of about the same size as the largest horse. 

The average horse weighs between 600 and 1,200 pounds, and a moose weighs between 600 and 1,500 pounds. 

The tallest horse ever measured was just over 7 feet tall, and the average moose can reach heights of up to 5-6.5 feet. 

As a result, it can be challenging to find horses that are comparable in size to the enormous and massive moose species.

You can see from the comparison chart that on average the horse is quite smaller and lightweight compared to an average-sized Moose. 

Conclusion

And that was everything you need to know about the size of Moose. I hope this article was helpful and your queries were answered. 

Thank You For Reading!

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