Elk (Cervus canadensis)
Elk overview
The elk, or wapiti, is one of the largest deer in the world, second in size only to the moose. It lives in the mountains, open forests and grasslands of western North America and in parts of Central and East Asia. Elk are tan with a dark shaggy neck and a pale rump patch, which gave rise to the Shawnee and Cree name wapiti, 'white rump'. Bulls grow huge, sweeping antlers each year and are famous for the high, whistling bugle they give during the fall rut. Elk are social, living in herds that can number in the hundreds. In Europe the word 'elk' refers to the moose instead.
| Scientific name | Cervus canadensis |
| Also called | Wapiti, American elk, Rocky Mountain elk, Roosevelt elk |
| Class | Mammalia (mammals) |
| Order · Family | Artiodactyla · Cervidae |
| Habitat | Mountain meadow, Open forest, Grassland, Forest edge |
| Range | Western North America from Canada to New Mexico, with reintroduced herds in several eastern US states, and Central and East Asia from the Altai and Tian Shan to Manchuria. |
| Lifespan in human care | 20–25 years |
How Long Do Elk Live?
Elk live 10–13 years in the wild on average, and cows occasionally reach 20. In captivity they can live 20–25 years. Bulls usually die younger than cows because the rut leaves them exhausted and thin just before winter. Wolves, bears, cougars and hunters are the main causes of death.
How Much Does an Elk Weigh?
Adult elk typically weigh 225–330 kg (500–730 lb): cows average about 225 kg and bulls about 320 kg. Size varies by subspecies. Roosevelt elk of the Pacific Northwest are the largest, with big bulls exceeding 450 kg, while California's tule elk are the smallest, at roughly 170–250 kg.
How Tall Is an Elk?
An elk stands 1.3–1.5 m (4.3–4.9 ft) tall at the shoulder and measures 2–2.5 m (6.5–8 ft) from nose to tail. A mature bull's antlers can rise another 1.2 m (4 ft) above his head, bringing his total height to around 2.7 m (9 ft), and can weigh up to 18 kg.
How Fast Can an Elk Run?
Elk can run at 64–72 km/h (40–45 mph) in short bursts, fast enough to outpace a horse over a short distance. They can also sustain a fast trot for long periods and jump fences around 2 meters high, and they are capable swimmers.
How Long Is an Elk Pregnant?
Elk cows are pregnant for 240–262 days, about eight and a half months. The rut takes place in September and October, and calves are born in late May and June. A cow nearly always has a single spotted calf weighing about 15–16 kg, which joins the herd after around two weeks.
What Do Elk Eat?
Elk are herbivores that feed mainly on grasses and sedges, adding wildflowers and other forbs in summer. In winter they browse twigs, bark and leaves of aspen, willow and other woody plants. An adult eats around 9 kg (20 lb) of vegetation a day, grazing mostly at dawn and dusk.
Diet type: herbivore. Primarily grasses and sedges, with forbs in summer and the twigs, bark and leaves of aspen, willow and other shrubs and trees in winter when snow covers the ground.
Where Do Elk Live?
Elk live in mountain meadows, open forests, forest edges and grasslands. In North America they are most numerous in the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest, with reintroduced herds in states such as Kentucky and Pennsylvania. Many herds migrate to high country in summer and descend to valleys in winter.
Are Elk Endangered?
The elk is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, and its population is increasing. Overhunting and habitat loss cut North American elk from millions to under 100,000 by the early 1900s, and the eastern subspecies went extinct. Protection and reintroduction have since rebuilt numbers to roughly one million.
Least Concern
Elk fun facts
- A bull elk's bugle starts as a low bellow, rises to a piercing whistle and ends in grunts, and it can carry for kilometers on a still fall morning.
- Elk antlers can grow about 2.5 cm (1 in) a day in summer, and a mature set may weigh up to 18 kg (40 lb).
- Elk have two rounded upper canine teeth known as 'ivories', thought to be remnants of tusks carried by their ancestors.
- During the rut a dominant bull may gather and guard a harem of 20 or more cows, hardly eating for weeks.
- Tule elk, found only in California, were reduced to a handful of animals in the 1870s and now number in the thousands.
Rankings and comparisons
Elk FAQ
What is the difference between an elk and a moose?
Moose are much bigger and darker, with a long drooping nose, a throat flap and broad, flat antlers, and they live alone. Elk are tan with a dark neck and pale rump, have tall branching antlers with pointed tines, and live in herds. In Europe, 'elk' actually means moose.
Why do elk bugle?
Bull elk bugle during the fall rut to advertise themselves to cows and to challenge other bulls. The call signals a bull's size and condition, and rivals often settle disputes by bugling and posturing rather than fighting. Bugling peaks at dawn and dusk from mid-September to mid-October.
Are elk dangerous?
Elk can be dangerous at close range. Bulls are aggressive during the fall rut and cows fiercely defend newborn calves in spring, and both have injured people who approached too closely in parks such as Yellowstone. The US National Park Service advises staying at least 25 yards (23 m) away.
Are elk and red deer the same species?
No, not any longer. Elk were long considered a subspecies of the European red deer, and the two can interbreed. Genetic studies in the early 2000s showed they are distinct species: the elk or wapiti (Cervus canadensis) and the red deer (Cervus elaphus).
How big do elk antlers get?
A mature bull elk's antlers are typically about 1.2 m (4 ft) long with six points, or tines, on each side, and the pair can weigh up to 18 kg (40 lb). Bulls shed them in late winter or early spring and regrow a new set by late summer.
Related animals
Sources: IUCN Red List · Wikidata · Wikipedia. Reviewed 2026-09-21. Figures are typical adult ranges; individuals and populations vary. How we compile this data.