Elk Deer - Behavior, Size, Taxonomy, Pictures and Other Information | Pets Planet...

The Elk is an ungulate mammal which is also known as the ‘wapiti’ a native American word that means ‘light-colored deer’. It is one of the largest deer species in the world, along with the Moose and the Sambar Deer. Elks are native to North America and East Asia although they have adapted well to countries where they have been introduced.

In parts of Asia, antlers and their velvet are used in traditional medicines. Elks are hunted as a game species as their meat is leaner and higher in protein than beef or chicken. In North America, male elks are referred to as ‘bulls’ and females as ‘cows’, however, in Asia, males are called ‘stags’ and females are called ‘hinds’. Worldwide population of elk, counting those on farms and in the wild, is approximately 2 million.

Size and Weight

Newborn calf: 35 pounds (16 kg)

Cow: 500 pounds (225 kg) (Tule elk: 300 lbs., Roosevelt’s elk: 600 lbs.)

4 1/2 feet (1.3 m) at the shoulder

6 1/2 feet (2 m) from nose to tail

Bull: 700 pounds (315 kg) (Tule elk: 400 lbs., Roosevelt’s elk: 900 lbs.)

5 feet (1.5 m) at the shoulder

8 feet (2.4 m) from nose to tail

Behavior

Elk move up onto south-facing slopes in the spring following the retreating snows to feed on emerging green vegetation. As the snow accumulates in the fall they move into the forested areas where they are protected from the wind and snow. Outside the rut period, females and subadults remain in herds while males disperse into small groups.

Taxonomy

Here is the taxonomy of elk:

Kingdom: Animalia

Subkingdom: Bilateria

Infrakingdom: Deuterostomia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Infraphylum: Gnathostomata

Superclass: Tetrapoda

Class: Mammalia

Subclass: Theria

Infraclass: Eutheria

Order: Artiodactyla

Family: Cervidae

Subfamily: Cervinae

Genus: Cervus

Species: Cervus elaphus

Subspecies:

• Cervus elaphus alashanicus
• Cervus elaphus atlanticus
• Cervus elaphus barbarous (Barbary deer)
• Cervus elaphus brauneri
• Cervus elaphus Canadensis
• Cervus elaphus corsicanus (Corsican red deer)
• Cervus elaphus elaphus (Wapiti)
• Cervus elaphus hanglu (Kashmir stag)
• Cervus elaphus hispanicus
• Cervus elaphus kansuensis
• Cervus elaphus macneilli (McNeill's deer)
• Cervus elaphus maral
• Cervus elaphus nannodes
• Cervus elaphus pannoniensis
• Cervus elaphus songaricus
• Cervus elaphus wallichii (Shou)
• Cervus elaphus xanthopygus
• Cervus elaphus yarkandensis (Yarkland deer)

Facts

Elk spend most of their lives in family groups - herds will flourish anywhere there is sufficient water, food & shelter. Grasses are their primary source of food, but berries, mushrooms, wildflowers and cattails help the elk build fat for winter. Shrubs and twigs and needles of fir and juniper trees are also eaten in harsh winters.

Bull elk begin gathering harems in late summer in preparation for the breeding season in the fall. Dramatic vocalizations are heard from the bulls during the rutting season. A piercing bugle call, barking, mewing, and squealing are some of the sounds elk use to communicate. A bull elk may grow to 5 feet at the shoulder and weigh from 600 - 1200 pounds. Antlers can spread 6 feet and weigh 50 pounds. The female (cow) is smaller and does not have antlers.

Diet

Elk are ruminants and therefore have four-chambered stomachs. Unlike white-tailed deer and moose which are primarily browsers, elk have a similarity to cattle as they are primarily grazers, but like other deer, they also browse. Elk have a tendency to do most of their feeding in the mornings and evenings, seeking sheltered areas in between feedings to digest. Their diets vary somewhat depending on the season, with native grasses being a year-round supplement, tree bark being consumed in winter and forbs and tree sprouts during the summer. Elk consume an average of 9.1 kilograms (20 lb) of various vegetation daily. Particularly fond of aspen sprouts which rise in the spring, elk have had some impact on aspen groves which have been declining in some regions where elk exist.

Conservation Status

Elks are susceptible to a number of infectious diseases, some of which can be transmitted to livestock. Efforts to eliminate infectious diseases from elk populations, largely through vaccination, have had mixed success.

Elks were once found across much of North America, however, they were killed off and driven to take refuge in more remote locations. Today they live primarily in western North America, especially in mountainous landscapes such as Wyoming’s National Elk Refuge and Yellowstone National Park. Some eastern U.S. states have reintroduced small elk herds into heavily wooded wilderness areas.

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