So, can you say with certainty whois that sohate? Here is a small clue - this is one of the largest and proudest creatures living in the Russian forest. Still do not know? Then let's quickly reveal this little secret and find out what a miracle animal is behind this strange name.
We will not be weary of waiting and we will pass immediately tocase: elk - this is the moose. Yes, it is this cloven-hoofed animal that has such a strange nickname. It was only in the old days that things were quite different, and everyone knew about who was so elk.
The thing is that then the word "elk" is notseemed strange and incomprehensible. Moreover, almost every person knew what this expression means. Do you want to know what is the secret here? Then let's look a bit in history and find there memories of the first tools.
In order to understand who is so elk,it is necessary to understand the lexical meaning of this word. It originates from the name of the ancient tool of labor - a plow. So let's figure out how this device looked.
In the past, the soho was called the tool of farmers, withwith which they plowed the land. Often it was a long stick that had many branches at its end. Thanks to this branched structure, people were able to loosen the surface of the soil, and then plant seeds there.
As for moose, people once noticed thattheir horns resemble the tip of a plow. Therefore, over the years, this expression stuck to them, which meant "having many branches or processes." At the same time, initially the word sukhaty was used exclusively for males, since females did not have such large horns. But over the years this epithet has become associated with all representatives of the species.
So, now that we know who the elk is,let's talk about why he needs these horns. After all, it was thanks to them that he received his colorful name, capable of exciting the minds of those who are unfamiliar with its true meaning.
To begin with, the horns grow to theirmaximum size, when the male reaches his seventh-eighth year of life. For an animal, they are primarily a means of defense, capable of frightening even the most courageous enemy. They also serve as an attribute of brutality, capable of attracting the attention of the female. And the more horns a male has, the higher the chances of sympathy from his elect.
It should also be noted that in the winter mooseresets his horns. But soon in their place grow new. Not a year passes, as on the head of the animal there are big "elk" branches.