![]() The antlers of a bull elk can also have a spread of up to 5 feet, making them wider than the animal’s body. Male elk grow antlers that can weigh up to 40 pounds and can be up to five feet in length. Only male elk grow antlers, which are shed each year. Elk antlers can be massive and add to their overall size. That bull was replaced as number one in 1961 by a Colorado bull that was killed in 1899 by John Plute and measured 442 3/8. Elk are primarily crepuscular, browsing mainly at dawn and dusk. In fact, when I was a young guy, the world record typical elk was a bull killed in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming by an unknown hunter in 1890 and I believe was found in a barn. Males attract females by bugling – a very loud call that can be heard over a distance. Male elk are notable for their impressively large antlers. Habitat: Prefer woodlands, but can be found in open mountains, coniferous swamps, aspen-hardwood forests and coniferous-hardwood forests. Elk have long, blackish hair on the neck that is referred to as a mane.Body Length: Height at the shoulder: 4 to 5 feet.(A notable exception to this rule is female reindeer / caribou, which do have antlers. As is the case with most deer species, female elk do not grow antlers. When the antlers are fully developed, they may weigh as much as 40 lb. After just 20 minutes, a calf can stand on its own. Male elk develop large, branched antlers during the spring. Elk babies are called calves and weigh around 30-35 pounds. A cow usually gives birth to one baby at a time. Reproduction Males are called bulls and females are called cows. Male cervids (as well as female caribou) evolved to have antlers, and unlike horns, antlers are made of bone and are shed and grown back every year in a continuous cycle. Their diet changes depending on the year, eating grasses in the summer and woody growth in the winter months. Whitetails, mule deer, elk, moose, caribou, and many other antlered animals across the globe are part of the same deer family, known as Cervidae. ![]() Elk generally have a long head with large ears.ĭiet Elk are herbivores, which means they only eat vegetation. The head, neck, belly, and legs are darker than the back and sides. Fact 8: During the annual rut (breeding season), males use antlers to display dominance.Females tend to mate with males that have. They have a characteristic buff colored rump and long thin legs. Creature Featuresĭescription Elk or red deer, range in color from dark brown in winter to tan in summer. The Spring River Zoo has an official Elk family! Garrett, age eight, and Patty, age seven, are the parents of Alexis who was born at the zoo in the summer of 2020.
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