California moose (SciiFii)

The California moose (Alces alces californianus) is a subspecies of moose that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the wetlands, forests, and open woodlands across Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, California, and Oregon to help boost biodiversity. On average, the adult California moose stands around 1.4–2.1 meters (4.6–6.9 feet) high at the shoulder, making it a very large deer. The moose is a browsing herbivore and is capable of consuming many types of plant or fruit. The average adult California moose needs to consume about 40 MJ (9,556 kcal) per day to maintain its body weight. Much of the California moose's energy is derived from terrestrial vegetation, mainly consisting of forbs and other non-grasses, and fresh shoots from trees such as, for example, willow and birch. Some of these plants are rather low in sodium, and California moose sometimes need to consume a good quantity of aquatic plants. While much lower in energy, aquatic plants occasionally provide the California moose with its sodium requirements, and nearly 25% of their diet consists of aquatic plant life. However, the aquatic plants aren't as important to the California moose as in other moose subspecies, so the California moose prefers a more terrestrial lifestyle, making the California moose among the most terrestrial subspecies of moose. In winter, moose are often drawn to roadways, to lick salt that is used as a snow and ice melter. A typical California moose, weighing 360 kg (794 lb), can eat up to 32 kg (71 lb) of food per day. California moose are mostly diurnal. They are generally solitary with the strongest bonds between mother and calf. Although California moose rarely gather in groups, there may be several in close proximity during the mating season. Rutting and mating occurs in September and October. During the rut, mature bulls will cease feeding completely for a period of approximately two weeks; this fasting behavior has been attributed to neurophysiological changes related to redeployment of olfaction for detection of moose urine and moose cows. The males are polygamous and will seek several females to breed with. During this time both sexes will call to each other. Males produce heavy grunting sounds that can be heard from up to 500 meters away, while females produce wail-like sounds. Males will fight for access to females. Initially, the males assess which of them is dominant and one bull may retreat, however, the interaction can escalate to a fight using their antlers. Female California moose have an eight-month gestation period, usually bearing one calf, or twins if food is plentiful, in May or June. Twinning can run as high as 50% to 60% with good nutrition. Newborn California moose have fur with a reddish hue in contrast to the grayish-brown appearance of an adult. The young will stay with the mother until just before the next young are born. The lifespan of an average California moose is about 20–30 years. California moose populations are stable at 25 calves for every 100 cows at 1 year of age. With availability of adequate nutrition, mild weather, and low predation, California moose have a huge potential for population expansion. The conservation status of the California moose is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the California moose's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.