![]() The genus Cervus is where the elk or wapiti is classified. This subfamily also features fallow deer, hog deer, and spotted deer. You can find elk under the Cervini, also called a true deer, subfamily. The Muntiacini genus of Old World deer includes two genera– Elaphodus or tufted deer, and Muntiacus, the muntjac deer called barking deer. This subfamily of deer includes the tribes called: What is the difference between an Old World and New World deer subfamily? Old World deer are distinct because they feature a plesiometacarpal ankle structure. The Cervinae subfamily includes the Old World deer, while the Capreolinae is the New World deer. ![]() The elk is a member of the Cervinae subfamily, while the moose is a member of the Capreolinae subfamily. However, they are of a different subfamily. The moose and the elk have the same family in scientific classification, which is Cervidae. The American Museum of Natural History defines “wapiti” as an Algonquian word referring to the white patch on the backside of the elk. The word elk in the US is used synonymously with “wapiti.” This includes Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Elk vs MooseĪccording to the Cambridge Dictionary, the elk that is pluralized as elks is a large deer with large “horns like branches” living in North America. You do see moose in European countries, by the way, so there is not a lack of species to identify. So you hear a moose called an elk in the UK and much of Europe, where there are the Eurasian elk of the north and eastern countries. The moose goes by the Latin name of Alces alces, and that is the same name used for the elk in the United Kingdom and Great Britain. The word wapiti means “North American stag or elk, Cervus Canadensis, which is the North American representative of the stag or red deer of Europe, and resembles the latter, though it is much larger and of a stronger being the largest living representative of the family Cervidæ,” states The American Heritage Dictionary of English Language. What is an ElkĪn elk goes by the Latin name Cervus canadensis, and also means wapiti. So, like that famous question of crocodile or alligator, how can you tell the difference between a moose and an elk? Let’s begin with a detailed look at what exactly an elk is when it comes to classifying these animals on paper. If you see a big animal that is larger than a deer with an expansive set of horns, it is either a moose or an elk. These horn racks are much more pronounced compared to even the largest bucks of the whitetail deer species. The horns of the male elk and moose are both very big, spreading as wide as an adult is tall. The elk is sometimes confused with the moose, as these are both large horned species of deer. What is the difference between an elk and a moose? Elk vs Moose Before we focus on individual species of elk, here is an interesting question. The Irish elk is actually not from Ireland at all but from Siberia. There is also the Irish elk, aka the giant deer, which was one of the biggest and oldest species of elk. The Merriam elk is truly extinct, while the Eastern elk was replaced by the Rocky Mountain elk. These include the Merriam elk and Eastern elk. Let’s start with a brief look at the types of elk that are unfortunately no longer present in our ecosystem. ![]() Find out more about the different types of elk that are both extinct as well as present on our landscapes today. This animal is regarded as one of the kings of the forest, even in the rainforests of North America. Talk about a close encounter, the elk then sat down under a tree next to the entryway and was there for at least an hour. One of these bulls came waltzing right by our vehicle as we were unloading at the campground. The Roosevelt Elk is one of the largest elk among the types that roam in the United States. Camping in the Hoh Rain Forest of the Olympic National Park in Washington brought me far too close to a wild encounter with an elk. ![]()
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