Comparing Moose Size: How Do They Measure Up to Other Animals?

Let’s be crystal clear – moose reign supreme as the largest and tallest species in the deer family, with no competition. Only the elk comes close in size as the second largest. Unless you’re a hunter or inhabit moose territory, you may be unaware of the sheer scale of these creatures, perhaps having only glimpsed them in photographs.

To put it, a fully grown moose towers over even the largest horse, making it an impressive sight. Moose comes in various subspecies, each with its unique size and weight. In this article, you’ll learn about the average size of each subspecies and see how they compare to other animals, including deer, horses, and even elephants.

Comparing Moose Size: An Overview of Moose Subspecies

The Cervidae family, commonly known as deer, includes the moose, the largest and tallest family member. Moose have a distinctive appearance, with long legs and a horse-like body shape, but with antlers, a droopy face, and dewlap covered in hair. They are usually brownish-black, almost black, and their wide antlers make them appear taller.

Canada has a significant moose population, and the word “moose” evolved from the Innu word “moosh,” meaning bark eater. Interestingly, in some European countries, moose are called elk.

In Canada, there are four prominent subspecies of moose, including the Eastern Moose (Alces alces America) from eastern Canada and the United States, the Northwestern Moose (Alces Anderson) found in northern areas of Dakota, Michigan, central Canada, and Minnesota, and the Shiras Moose, which inhabits the Rocky Mountains of the United States.

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Comparing Moose Size – Different Subspecies Compared

Other subspecies of moose exist based on their unique characteristics and geographical locations, such as the Siberian Moose, Yakut Moose, and European Moose, collectively known as the Eurasian Moose. These different subspecies have evolved due to the variation in characteristics caused by the geographical areas where they inhabit.

Moose subspecies differ in weight, height, antler size, and skin color. 

The largest subspecies is the Alaskan Yukon moose found near rivers in Alaska, weighing over 1800 pounds for males and 1000-1100 pounds for females, with a height of over 7 feet. 

The Western moose from Canada and the US is the second-largest, weighing 1000-1500 pounds for males and 600-800 pounds for females, with a height of 6-7 feet and antlers up to 1.7 meters long. 

The Eastern moose is the third-largest, weighing 1400 pounds for males and 600-700 pounds for females, with a height of 5.5-6.5 feet. 

The East Siberian moose is the largest subspecies of the Eurasian species, and the smallest subspecies, the Yellowstone moose, weighs up to 1000 pounds and is at least 5-6 feet tall, found in North America, Russia, and China.

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Moose vs. Other Deer – Size Comparison

Moose are the largest species of the deer family, and their size and weight dwarf that of other species, such as whitetail deer, blacktail deer, or elk. Adult male moose, also known as bulls, and adult female moose, called cows, are significantly larger and heavier than any other type of deer.

For instance, a whitetail deer only weighs around 100 to 300 pounds and has a shoulder length of 3 feet, which is much smaller than a moose, almost half or even less. Similarly, an elk is also a foot shorter than a moose.

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Comparison of Moose and Horse Size

The height of a horse is measured from its hoofs to the withers, which is the part between the upper back shoulders. The average height of a horse is about five and a half feet. However, like moose, horses vary in size. There is the smallest and tallest size for a horse. When comparing the tallest horse and moose, they can be almost the same height, around 7 feet. But due to their bulkiness, a moose will still appear bigger than a horse.

Moose Elephant Size Comparison

When compared to smaller animals, such as deer, elk, or horses, moose are larger, but when compared to the largest land animals, such as elephants, they seem much smaller. Elephants are among the heaviest animals on earth and come in different species, with males standing at an average of 11 to 13 feet tall and females at 8 feet tall. In comparison, male moose stands at about 7 feet tall, while female elephants and male moose may stand at a similar height.

Moose Compared to Human

Compared to humans, moose are massive. Standing at 7 feet tall, or even taller with their antlers, these animals can make a person appear tiny in comparison. Moose are measured by their shoulder height, and even the tallest recorded human cannot exceed the size of a fully-grown Alaskan moose.

Final Thoughts 

Moose are the largest species of deer, bigger than animals such as horses and elk. In comparison, humans appear tiny in front of a moose. However, a moose is smaller than a big and heavy elephant.