Musk oxen are primarily found in the Arctic regions of North America, Greenland, Europe, and Asia. They inhabit cold and remote places like the Arctic tundra, which is a treeless area covered in grasses, mosses, and lichens. These areas have extremely cold temperatures. Musk oxen are large, heavy animals. They can weigh between 500 to 900 pounds and stand about 4 to 5 feet tall at the shoulder. They are covered in a shaggy coat of long, coarse hair that can be brown, black, or gray. Musk oxen are perfectly adapted to survive in the harsh Arctic conditions. Their thick fur and undercoat provide insulation against freezing temperatures, and they have a strong musky scent that can help keep away predators. They also have a hump of muscle on their shoulders that they use to dig through snow for food.

Musk oxen are herbivores with a diet that mainly consists of tough tundra plants like grasses, sedges, and low-growing vegetation. In winter, they use their hooves to dig through the snow to find buried mosses and lichens.

Female musk oxen give birth to one calf after a gestation period of about 8 to 9 months. Calves are born in the spring and are well-protected by their mothers and the herd. Musk oxen are social animals that live in groups called herds. When threatened, they will form a defensive circle, with the adults facing outward and the young in the center, to protect themselves from predators like wolves or Arctic foxes.