Wapiti
The elk (Cervus canadensis) is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range. The common name elk, used in North America, creates confusion because the larger Alces alces, which is called moose in North America, is also called elk in British English, and related names in other European languages (German Elch, Swedish älg, and French élan ). The name "wapiti" is sometimes used in North America for Cervus canadensis. It originates from the Shawnee and Cree word waapiti, meaning 'white rump'.
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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GraminivoreIn zoology, a graminivore (not to be confused with a granivore) is an herbivorous animal that feeds primarily on grass. Graminivory is a form of g...
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LignivoreTe
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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BrowsingBrowsing is a type of herbivory in which an herbivore (or, more narrowly defined, a folivore) feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high-growi...
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GrazingGrazing is a method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses, or other multicellular organisms such as algae. In agriculture...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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SocialHe
HerdingA herd is a social grouping of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic. The form of collective animal behavior associated with...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Altitudinal MigrantAltitudinal migration is a short-distance animal migration from lower altitudes to higher altitudes and back. Altitudinal migrants change their ele...
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Best HornsThe elk is a large deer with a short tail and a prominent buff-colored patch on its rump. Males have extremely large antlers, which usually start growing in the spring, being shed in the winter, while females have no antlers. Also, some individuals may grow thin mane on their necks. By the winter, the coat of elks becomes thicker, in order to protect them from the cold. Their winter coat consists of long, waterproof hairs, which cover the thick, wooly underfur of this animal. Newborn elk calves are spotted, losing their spots at the end of summer. The color of their fur depends on their habitat and the season of the year. Thus, during the summer, their fur is a reddish hue while by the winter their coat becomes light grey in color.
The area of their distribution includes North America (the United States and Canada) and eastern Asia (Bhutan, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Russian Federation). The major habitat of the elk is forest, forest edge, and alpine meadows. Elk found in mountainous areas, usually live at high elevations in summer and migrate down the slope by winter. However, these animals are very adaptable, due to which they can also be found in semi-deserts of North America.
Elk are social animals, gathering in summer herds that contain up to 400 individuals. The herds are matriarchal social unit, led by a single cow. Female herds are larger while males form small groups and may even travel alone. Young males may associate with older males or female groups. Male and female herds come together during the mating season. Elk graze and browse in the mornings and evenings. By day and in the middle of the night, they are inactive, spending most of their time chewing their cud. Elk are also excellent swimmers. Males have a loud, high-pitched, whistle-like vocalization known as bugling, which advertises the male's fitness over great distances. Females produce an alarm bark to alert other members of the herd to danger, while calves will produce a high-pitched scream when attacked. When agitated, elk will flare their nostrils, lift their head, lay their ears back, and will even punch with their front hooves.
Elk are herbivores (folivores, graminivores, lignivores) and their diets vary with the season. In winter, they consume mainly tree bark, forbs, and tree sprouts during the summer, and native grasses are eaten year-round. Elk consume an average of 9.1 kilograms (20 lb) of vegetation daily.
Elk have a polygynous mating system. From late September to early October, males lose the velvet on their antlers and start competing with each other for mating rights. However, dominant males, having large harems, usually limit access to the females of their harems. The period of gestation lasts about 240-262 days, yielding a single (rarely two) calf. Before giving birth, the female isolates herself from the herd. And even after giving birth, she keeps living in isolation, protecting her young, until the calf is able to escape predators independently. About 20 minutes after birth, the newborn calf is able to stand. By the age of 2 weeks, the young join the herd, being fully weaned after 2 months. Elk become reproductively mature at 16 months of age.
One of the serious threats to this species is excessive hunting. Elk attract hunters for their meat as well as their fur, antlers, teeth, and hides. For this reason, hunting of these animals is currently restricted, and they are farmed in some Western states.
According to IUCN Red List, elk are abundant and widespread throughout their range. The total number of their population, including both those in the wild and on farms, is around 2 million individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are increasing.
Feeding upon plant species, elk greatly contribute to structuring plant communities. In addition, during particular periods of the year, elk become the main prey species for Brown bears and other large predators.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...