The Manitoban elk (Cervus canadensis manitobensis) is a subspecies of elk found in the United States and Canada. The subspecies was driven into near extinction by 1900 but has recovered since then.
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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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LignivoreVi
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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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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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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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withCompared to the Rocky Mountain elk, this subspecies is larger in body size but has smaller antlers. Antlers of elk are made of bone. While actively growing, a soft layer of highly vascularized skin known as velvet covers and protects them. This is shed in the summer when the antlers have fully developed. During the fall, elk grow a thicker coat of hair, which helps to insulate them during the winter. By early summer, the heavy winter coat sheds. Elk often rub against trees and other objects to help remove hair from their bodies. All elk have small and clearly defined rump patches with short tails.
Manitoban elk occur in the Midwestern United States (specifically North Dakota) and southern regions of the Canadian Prairies (specifically Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and north-central Alberta). In 2001-2002, a breeding population of 52 Manitoban elk was also introduced into the Cataloochee Valley of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina to replace a population of Eastern elk that had gone extinct over 100 years prior. In 2016, one of the elk from the North Carolina herd was spotted in South Carolina, the first time an elk had been seen in that state since the late 1700s. In general, elk prefer to live in open deciduous woodlands, boreal forests, mountainous areas, and grasslands.
Little is known about the habits of the Manitoban elk. Because they are non-migratory, they can't rely on long-distance migration to reduce the risk of predation (their primary predator is the Grey wolf), and therefore use aggregation, movement, and vigilance, to avoid predation. Elk are social animals, gathering in summer herds that may contain up to 400 individuals. The herds are a 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 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.
The information about the reproductive habits of Manitoban elk is scarce. Generally, 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. 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 the elk is excessive hunting. These beautiful animals attract hunters for their meat as well as their fur, antlers, teeth, and hides. For this reason, the hunting of elk is currently restricted in many areas.
Presently, the Manitoban elk is not included in the IUCN Red List and its conservation status has not been evaluated. In general, elk species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are increasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...