The Moose is the largest species of deer. It has a distinctive and easily recognizable appearance, which is unlike that of any other species of deer. Its stature is instantly recognizable, it having a rather humped back, long thin legs, and a large bulky head. Its body is short in length but large and bulky. The Moose has a rather front heavy appearance, the shoulders being well-developed and large in size. Males and females are similar in appearance, but males are larger and stockier than the females.

The coat is thick and coarse in texture. Most animals are a dark brown color. The coat is fairly uniform in color over the body. The coat is short over most of the body, except for around the shoulders where it is longer and forms a distinctive mane, which further emphasizes the size of the front part of the body.

Moose have a large overhanging lip, this is used when the Moose is feeding to grab at tufts of vegetation. The tail is extremely short and often not even visible. Moose are extremely sensitive to sounds and smells. The ears are large and oval shaped, and are quickly pricked up when something is heard. Sight is not so important to the Moose and the eyes are correspondingly small in size.

Moose have the largest and heaviest antlers of any deer. Only the males carry antlers. The antlers can be up to 2 metres in length, and weigh as much as 35 kilograms. The antlers grow horizontally from head, and point slightly backwards. They have a broad palmate shape, often being described as being "shovel like". However some Moose grow antlers, which are not broad, but more like the antlers seen in other deer species. The size of the antlers depends on the area in which the Elk lives, and the physical condition of the animal. Older more mature males have the largest sized antlers. The antlers are lost each year between December and March, and a new set begins to grow in April. The antlers are fully-grown and ready for use by August.

Moose occur in Alaska, Canada and northern-western parts of the United States.

Moose are mostly a forest living animal. They are most often seen around woodland glades and clearings, or along forest streams and rivers. They also occur in more open habitats such as moorland, and marshland. In the summer months they will move away from the forest and onto the tundra plains.

Because of their large size, Moose must eat a considerable amount of food each day in order to fulfill their energy needs. It is estimated that they must eat about 40 kg each day. Therefore they must spend a considerable amount of time searching for and grazing on food. They eat a variety of green material, including leaves, mosses, ferns, grasses, herbaceous plants, and twigs. In the wild Moose have an average lifespan of between 8 and 12 years.