Musk ox

Musk Ox Ovibos moshhatus

Description

Large, stocky goats (Ovibos moschatus) that are native to northern Canada, Alaska and Greenland. Musk oxen have long, thick, shaggy coats over a thick wool undercoat. They shed the undercoat in the spring and it is collected to produce a fine soft yarn, similar to cashmere or guanaco. Much of the native clothing produced by the Eskimos is made from musk fibers.

Synonyms and Related Terms

qiviut; musk oxen; buey almizclero (Esp.); muskusos (Ned);

Additional Images

• 

  Processed fibers from the Musk Ox Ovibos moshhatus

• 

  Raw fibers from the Musk Ox Ovibos moshhatus

Authority

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 588

• Marjory L. Joseph, Introductory Textile Science, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Fort Worth, TX, 1986

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998

• Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "Musk-ox." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2004. 17 Jan. 2004 .