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Show Musk-Ox Was First Seen Along Hudson Bay Shore The musk-ox was first seen on the American continent by a French officer of-ficer along the west shore of Hudson Hud-son bay, Canadn, in 1720. The S-shaped S-shaped horns are indigenous to the musk-ox in North America and closely resemble the horns of the dangerous African cape buffalo. At one time, according to scientists, scien-tists, the musk-ox roamed as far south as Philadelphia, but now they are non-migratory. One record tells of a bull that roamed less than a half mile from one spot during a whole summer. The oxen eat the Arctic grasses, lichens, and moss and in winter they use sharp hooves to break through the snow crust to reach vegetation beneath. They have developed de-veloped "pushers" on their nostrils, similar to the snout of a pig. When attacked by Arctic wolves, the oxen form a threatening phalanx, pha-lanx, heads outward. Arctic explorers frequently have urged domestication of the animals and their importation into the United Unit-ed States. Its odor is the musk-oxen's only defense against the hard-biting flies that thrive in the Arctic circle. The musk-ox has no tail. |