![]() Males are larger than females and have a dark brown mane on the throat. In winter, their coat takes on a grayish brown shade and is longer to provide ample insulation. They sport a golden-brown coat, with the head, neck, and legs being dark brown. Rocky Mountain Elk grow to a length of between 6.5 to 8.5 feet long, and they have an average height of 4 to 5-feet at the withers, almost the same height as their Roosevelt’s relatives.īulls weigh between 7-pounds, while cows weigh 500 to750 pounds. Zoologists rank the Rocky Mountain elk and Roosevelt elk as the largest subspecies, as they have a similar body mass. The Rocky Mountain elk is another large elk subspecies. A bull Rocky Mountain Elk feeding in the sagebrush of Grand Teton National Park in Western Wyoming. They live longer under captivity, reaching 25 years. In the wild, bulls can live up to 16 years, while females can reach 20 years. They are migratory animals, spending summer in the mountains and move to the lowlands in winter. They also live on the Raspberry and Afognak Islands in Alaska. Washington State’s Olympic National Park is home to a herd, which numbers almost 5000 animals. This large elk subspecies range extends from Northern California to Southern British Columbia, with a sizeable population on the Cascade and Coastal ranges’ western slopes. Palmated antlers are also more common with Roosevelts than other Elk species.Īlthough they are slightly smaller by body mass, Rocky Mountain elk have larger head projections when looking at antler size. Some Roosevelt Elk antlers have a three-point tip at the crown. Bull’s sport antlers, which can reach maximum lengths of up to 4-feet. Roosevelt Elk has a greyish to light brown body, a yellowish rump patch, dark chocolate brown legs, neck, and head. There are larger but rare bulls from Afognak and Raspberry Islands in Alaska, weighing up to 1300-pounds. In height, they stand up to 5 feet tall at the shoulder. ![]() This elk can grow to a body length of 6 to 10-feet, with bulls being the larger of the two sexes. The Roosevelt elk is the largest of the four surviving elk subspecies and the third largest land animal native to North America. President Franklin Roosevelt topped the former president and his fifth cousin’s efforts by establishing the Olympic National Park in 1937. In 1909, President Theodore Roosevelt established the Mount Olympus National Monument, whose primary goal was to preserve this elk’s habitat and population. The name Roosevelt is eponymous for the two US presidents who made an effort to conserve this elk species. A large Roosevelt Elk bull (Olympic, Cervus Canadensis Roosevelt) stands in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Let’s have a look at each of them, starting with the surviving ones. A Look at the Elk SubspeciesĪs mentioned, the North American group of elk had six subspecies, two of which are now extinct. They seem to be more concentrated in the United States, though there are sizeable populations in neighboring Canada. Some of the areas include Argentina and New Zealand, where it shows its dominance to the risk of endemic species. The elk on Etolin and Zarembo islands descend from both Roosevelt and Rocky Mountain Elk transplanted from Oregon in 1987.ĭespite being native to North America and Eurasia, the elk demonstrates a high degree of adaptability, surviving well in areas that are not its native habitat. Their ancestors were transplanted from Washington State in 1929. The elk on Afognak and Raspberry islands are Roosevelt elk. There are also elk on Afognak, Raspberry, Etolin, and Zarembo islands off Alaska’s coast. The elk’s North American population is somewhat stable, with its range extending through the continental United States and Canada. A large adult bull elk can stand 5ft tall at the shoulder and weigh up to 1100 pounds.Īnother defining characteristic of the elk besides their imposing stature is their equally “impressively large antlers.” To bull elk, their antlers come in handy when they spar or even all-out battle during the rut as they try to prove their dominance and establish the right to do the breeding for that year. It is one of the largest land animals in its range, which stretches from North America to Central and East Asia. In the Cervidae family, the elk is smaller in size only to the Moose. We will have a closer look at all the elk subspecies, both surviving and extinct, to learn more about them.Įlk are among the largest members of the Cervidae or deer family. Two subspecies, the Eastern and the Merriam’s elk, are extinct. They are Roosevelt elk, Tule elk, Rocky Mountain elk, and the Manitoban elk. There are four subspecies of the North American elk that still exist in the wild. They’re grand animals and counterparts of true wild country. Elk are one of nature’s finest works from the standpoint of aesthetic quality.
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