![]() Tule elk also have a different weight, with males weighing 204-318kg (450-701lbs) and females weighing 170-191kg (375-421lbs). The exception is the largest subspecies, Roosevelt’s elk, where the largest males can weigh up to 600kg (1,300lbs) but on average 318-499kg (701-1,100lbs) with females weighing 261-283kg (575-624lbs). They have a shoulder height of 0.75-1.5m (2ft 6in-4ft 11in) with a nose-to-tail length of 1.6-2.7m (5ft 3in-8ft 10in). ![]() All have thick bodies with short tails, small and defined rump patches, and slender legs. The 14 subspecies are all thought to be variations of the same species with slight differences in appearance and behavior known as climate-related lifestyle factors. Elk males have large antlers coverd by a velvet that is shed in the summer. The Chinese subspecies are all treated as one distinct species. canadensis sibiricus) all seeming to belong to one subspecies ( C. Recent DNA studies indicate there are really no more than three or four subspecies, with the American forms and even the Siberian elk ( C. canadensis merriami (Merriam’s Easter elk extinct for over a century) canadensis canadensis (Eastern elk extinct for over a century) Between 5,000 to 10,000 years ago, they advanced as far as Colorado, and there may have been as many as 10 million elk in North America when European settlement began. They came to North America across the Bering Strait about 120,000 years ago, as did the caribou and other animals. The Asian subspecies of elk are sometimes called maral, though the word mainly applies to the Caspian red deer, a red deer subspecies ( Cervus elaphus maral).Įlk are related to an ancient breed of red deer in Asia, and are still called red deer there. It then became elk, elcke or elke in Middle English or the Latinized alke. The word “elk” historically had a meaning like “large deer.” English-speaking people in North America in the 17th century were familiar with the elk’s relative, the red deer (Cervus elaphus) but not the moose, so they gave the name “elk” to Cervus canadensis, also referred to as “red deer.” Linguistically, the romanized ancient Greek word for the Latin Alces (moose) was álkē, which during the Early Middle Ages in the 8th century was called elch, elh and eolh in Old English. Although they are both animals in the deer family Cervidae, the elk are in the subfamily Cervinae or Old World Deer, while the moose is in the subfamily Capriolinae (Odocoileinae) or New World deer. The scientific name of the elk is Cervus canadensis, with C. These animals are often confused with the moose, not only because they look similar but because the moose ( scientific name Alces alces or Cervus alces) is called “elk” in Eurasia. See all of our entertaining and insightful animal articles. Watch a Rampaging Grizzly Attack a Group of Elk in Yellowstone.Moose Size Comparison: Just How Big Are They?.Discover the 10 Largest Bears in the World.The 10 Strongest Birds on Earth and How Much They Can Lift.American Elk, male (with antlers) and female in front of the Rocky Mountains You can check out more incredible facts about elk. Wapiti (waapiti) is a word meaning “white rump” in Shawnee and Cree.The elk is the unofficial mascot of Estes Park, Colorado, since it is one of the most often spotted wildlife there.Adult males (bulls) can run up to 40mph.Elk consume an average of 9.1kg (20lbs) of vegetation every day.The male bugling sound is made from simultaneously roaring and whistling, as evidenced by their moving both their lips and their nostrils.Although some herds suffer from infectious disease, the general population is increasing and listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The Roosevelt’s elk, Tule elk, Rocky Mountain elk, and the Manitoban elk are four of the six North American subspecies that still exist in the wild, while the Eastern and the Merriam’s Easter elk subspecies are extinct.Įlk are popular as hunting game, while its meat is a specialty in some restaurants and stores, and its antlers are used in novelty items and traditional East Asian medicine. The elk is the second-largest wild herbivore, or cervid, after the moose. The elk, or wapiti, is one of the largest land-dwelling animals in North America, Central Asia, and East Asia, where it lives in mountain meadows, forests, and forest edges.
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