The question of whether the majestic moose possesses ivory teeth is common, but the simple answer is no; they do not have true ivory like an elephant or walrus. Moose are members of the deer family (Cervidae), and their dental anatomy reflects their herbivorous diet. This misconception persists because moose do have small, peg-like upper canine teeth, often informally referred to by hunters as “ivories” or “whistlers.” These tiny teeth are biological remnants that hint at the animal’s ancient past, but they are not composed of true ivory.
The Unique Dental Structure of Moose
The dental arrangement of a moose is typical of a ruminant, built primarily for grinding and stripping vegetation. Unlike carnivores or omnivores, the moose lacks upper incisors altogether, instead featuring a tough, fibrous structure called a dental pad on the upper jaw. This hard pad works in opposition to the eight lower front teeth, which consist of three pairs of incisors and a pair of canines that have evolved to look like incisors.
This combination allows the moose to effectively strip leaves and small branches from woody plants and aquatic vegetation, which form the majority of its diet. Behind this structure is a toothless gap, or diastema, followed by six large cheek teeth—three premolars and three molars—on each side of both the upper and lower jaws. These high-crowned cheek teeth feature crescent-shaped ridges designed to pulverize the tough, fibrous material that a moose consumes. This specialized grinding battery defines the feeding apparatus of the largest deer species.
The Truth About Moose “Ivories”
The teeth that generate the confusion are a pair of small, vestigial upper canine teeth located on the upper jaw, ahead of the cheek teeth. These minute structures are present in both male and female moose, though they are more conspicuous in bulls. They are small, simple, and peg-like, sometimes barely protruding past the gum line. The common term “ivories” is not a scientific classification but a colloquial name used by some in the hunting community when these teeth are kept as mementos.
These tiny teeth are considered evolutionary remnants, echoing a time when the ancestors of modern deer possessed large, prominent upper tusks. Many other cervid species, such as musk deer and water deer, still use large canines for fighting. For the moose, however, the canines have regressed, and their function is largely nonexistent since the massive antlers of the bull moose handle display and combat. The alternative term “whistlers” is folklore, stemming from an old belief that the moose’s distinctive bugling sound was produced by air passing through a hole in these teeth.
Distinguishing True Ivory from Tushes
The most precise way to clarify the issue is by examining the biological composition of the material. True ivory is a specialized form of dentine, the material beneath the enamel in a standard tooth. This dentine is the primary component of the continuously growing tusks found in animals like elephants, walruses, and hippos. The specialized nature of true ivory is confirmed by a unique cross-hatch pattern known as Schreger lines, which are visible when the tusk is cut in cross-section.
The small canine teeth of a moose, often called tushes, are simply miniature, underdeveloped teeth with a standard composition of dentine and an outer layer of enamel. They lack the specialized, continuously growing structure of a tusk and do not exhibit the diagnostic Schreger lines that define true ivory. Therefore, while moose teeth are occasionally traded as “ivories,” they are fundamentally different from the material derived from the elongated incisors and canines of tusked species.