What Are Elk?

Elk are ungulates – meaning simply that they are hoofed – and are found in North America, Europe, and Asia.  There are a few different species of animals that are considered elk although they all belong in the genus, Cervus.  Elk belong to the deer family and are the second largest members with moose being the largest.  Elk can grow to an intimidating size and possess great strength as well as being very adaptable creatures.  They manage to thrive in a variety of environments so, despite a portion of their natural habitat routinely disappearing every year, they are not yet considered a threatened species.

Male elk can weight up to 317 kgs (700 lbs) when full grown.  They are sturdy, muscular, elegant creatures.  Males develop large racks of branching horns thus distinguishing them from females.  They also have a unique vocalization that is called a bugle and this is used to communicate with other males about territory and mating.  Their colouring can range from brown to red depending on their species.  American elk are distinguishable by their pale rumps.

Some biologists have adopted the term ‘wapiti’ (from the Shawnee Indian word meaning ‘white rump’) to refer to the American elk in order to avoid confusion with the term elk.  In Europe the term elk is used to refer to the animal Americans would call a moose.  Context usually dispenses with any confusion quite quickly although there is also a difficulty with some elk species also being called deer; such as the European red deer which is closely related to the American elk but genetically distinct.

Female elk usually give birth to one calf a year and it takes two years for the calf to be weaned.  It takes approximately two years for an elk to reach sexual maturity and calves often stay in a herd for a year or more after weaning.  Herds are generally comprised of females and weanlings that, for obvious reasons, are seeking safety in numbers.  In an effort to create biodiversity, a number of countries have bred elk in game parks or nature preserves.  

Elk eat leaves, bark, plants, grasses, and shrubs in high volume when they are abundant during summer months.  This allows them to survive long, barren winters.  Elk enjoy a variety of environments including forests and meadows and often travel between environments depending on the seasons.  Elk hold spiritual importance for a number of Native American tribes and can be found in depicted in their artwork.

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Elk is a kind of animal which is member of deer family. Take a look at Elk details and Elk for all kind of its to the point details related to its Habitat, Adaptions, Its enemies and Facts related to it.

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An animal mentioned often in Fields' films. He admonished others to "go milk the elk," or said he had to "milk the elk.

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It is one of the largest species of deer and also one of the largest mammals in North America. They are herbivores eating mostly grasses and grains.

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