Hero of many Inuit tales, the nicknamed bearded in Inuktitut is one of the oldest mammal species living on earth. Muskoxen can be 1.5 m (5 ft) tall at the shoulder and weight up to 500 kg. Despite their stoutness, they are agile climbers in the frozen ground thanks to their sharp hooves. In late fall, these imposing herbivores put on a soft undercoat under their long strands of fur. This wool (qiviut), one of the lightest and warmest in the world, protects them from the -40°C of the winter.