Elk, known as the wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America, as well as Central and East Asia.
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14 Facts About Elk
2.
Elk are susceptible to a number of infectious diseases, some of which can be transmitted to livestock.
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3.
Elk were long believed to belong to a subspecies of the European red deer, but evidence from many mitochondrial DNA genetic studies beginning in 1998 shows that the two are distinct species.
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4.
Elk have thick bodies with slender legs and short tails.
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5.
Elk are known to rub against trees and other objects to help remove hair from their bodies.
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6.
Elk can produce deeper pitched sounds using the larynx.
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7.
Elk calves are as large as an adult white-tailed deer by the time they are six months old.
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8.
Elk will leave their natal ranges before they are three years old.
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9.
Elk have a tendency to do most of their feeding in the mornings and evenings, seeking sheltered areas in between feedings to digest.
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10.
Elk that have contracted the disease begin to show weight loss, changes in behavior, increased watering needs, excessive salivation and urinating and difficulty swallowing, and at an advanced stage, the disease leads to death.
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11.
Elk were reintroduced in Michigan in 1918 after going extinct in 1875.
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12.
Elk have played an important role in the cultural history of a number of peoples.
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13.
Elk meat is a good source of iron, phosphorus and zinc.
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