Musk oxen

In the frigid Arctic, musk oxen explore the tundra in search of the mosses, lichens, and roots that keep them alive. They dig through the snow with their hooves in the winter to graze on these plants. They add Arctic flowers and grasses to their diet during the summer, frequently foraging close to bodies of water.

These animals have lived in the Arctic for many thousands of years, and the cold temperature is a good match for their long, shaggy hair. The guard hairs, which are the outside hairs, conceal a second, shorter undercoat that adds to the winter's insulation. When the weather warms up at the end of winter, this undercoat comes off.

Musk oxen are herd animals, and often a single female would be in charge of groups of two or three dozen animals. To combat canine or wolf predation, herds work together. The "circle the wagons" and line up with their young in the center and their razor-sharp horns pointing outward in the direction of their enemies when they feel threatened. A musk ox that has been cornered can be a terrifying foe, rushing with its enormous size and attempting to utilize its horns in a lethal fashion.