MUSK OX Head to Head Play, Dalton Highway ALASKA males collide, winter shed June 2024

Three Muskox interacting on Arctic Tundra outside Deadhorse Alaska. Head --butting and running. You can see their winter shed blowing off in the breeze!
Musk ox are “harem breeders,” where one male mates with the entire herd of females and defends his position as the only breeder. The males battle for this dominant position through powerful head-to-head collisions. The defending male faces a line of challengers. One by one these challengers line up opposite the defender, lower their heads, and run full speed at him. The musk ox has a special protective surface on their heads. Right between their long curved horns, males have a plate of reinforced keratin (the same material that covers their horns) called a “boss”.
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