• The elk is one of the largest mammals found in North America, and the second-largest of the Cervidae (deer) family, after the moose. They can stand up to five feet high at the shoulder with an antler span of the same length and can weight up to half a ton.Hinterland Who's Who: North American Elk

  In much of the world outside of North America, the word "elk" is actually used to refer to moose, and the elk is called "wapiti."US Forest Service: Information Wildlife - Wapiti (Elk)

• Fast Facts

  1. Also called wapitiUS Forest Service: Information Wildlife - Wapiti (Elk)
  2. Kingdom: Animalia
  3. Phylum: Chordata
  4. Class: Mammalia
  5. Order: Artiodactyla
  6. Suborder: Ruminantia
  7. Family: Cervidae
  8. Diet: grass, plants, leaves and barkRocky Mountain Elf Foundation: All About Elk
  9. Habitat: woods and meadowsRocky Mountain Elf Foundation: All About Elk
  10. Males shed antlers yearlyAnimal Diversity Web: Elk Information
  11. Only males have antlersAnimal Diversity Web: Elk Information
  12. Same family as White-Tailed Deer, Mule Deer, Moose, CaribouRocky Mountain Elf Foundation: All About Elk

• Overhunting

  Due to hunting in the 19th century, elk have been exterminated throughout much of their original range, which once included the eastern U.S.. The largest surviving herds are now located in the Pacific Northwest and along the length of the Rocky Mountains.Animal Diversity Web: Elk Information

• Related Mahalo Pages

  White-Tailed Deer | Moose | Albino Deer | Caribou | Bears | Foxes | Bison | Otter | Squirrels | Raccoons | Chipmunks | Bobcat | Wolves | Mammals | American Black Bear | Musk-Ox

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