Moose vs Elk: What’s the Difference?
The main difference between moose and elk is size and antler shape. The moose is the largest deer in the world, dark and long-legged with broad, flat, palm-shaped antlers, while the elk is smaller, tan with a dark neck and pale rump, and has long, branching antlers with pointed tines. Moose are mostly solitary browsers; elk live in herds.
| Moose | Elk | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Alces alces | Cervus canadensis |
| Lifespan | 8–12 years typical in the wild; occasionally 15–20 | 10–13 years in the wild; cows can reach 20 |
| Weight | 200–700 kg (440–1,540 lb) | 225–330 kg (500–730 lb) |
| Size | 1.4–2.1 m (4.6–6.9 ft) (shoulder height) | 1.3–1.5 m (4.3–4.9 ft) (shoulder height) |
| Top speed | 56 km/h (35 mph) | 64–72 km/h (40–45 mph) |
| Gestation / incubation | about 230 days (8 months) | 240–262 days (about 8.5 months) |
| Diet | Herbivore | Herbivore |
| Family | Cervidae | Cervidae |
| Habitat | Boreal forest, Mixed forest, Wetland, Lake shore, Subarctic tundra edge | Mountain meadow, Open forest, Grassland, Forest edge |
| IUCN status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Figures shown are for the moose (Alces alces) and the elk (Cervus canadensis).
Key differences
Size and build
Moose are taller and far heavier than elk, with very long legs, a humped shoulder and a short body that makes them look front-heavy. Those legs let them wade through deep snow and water. Elk are large by deer standards but more evenly proportioned, resembling an oversized, heavy-necked deer.
Antlers
A bull moose's antlers are palmate: wide, flattened plates like open hands, with short points around the edge, spreading out to the sides of the head. A bull elk's antlers are long, rounded beams that sweep up and back, with typically six pointed tines on each side in a mature animal. Both shed and regrow them each year.
Face and throat
A moose has a long face ending in a bulbous, overhanging nose and upper lip, and a flap of skin and hair called a bell, or dewlap, hanging beneath the throat. An elk's head is slimmer and more typically deer-like. Bulls have a shaggy, dark brown mane on the neck, but no dewlap.
Color
Moose are uniformly dark brown to almost black, with paler gray-white lower legs. Elk are two-toned: a light tan or copper body that contrasts with a dark brown head, neck and legs. Elk also have a large, pale cream rump patch, and the Shawnee name 'wapiti' refers to it, meaning 'white rump.'
Social behavior
Moose are the least social deer. Apart from cows with calves and the fall rut, adults live alone. Elk are strongly gregarious. Cows and calves form herds that can number in the hundreds, and during the rut a dominant bull gathers and defends a harem of females.
Feeding and habitat
Moose are browsers of northern forests and wetlands. They strip leaves and twigs from willow, aspen and birch, and in summer wade or even dive to eat aquatic plants rich in sodium. Elk are mixed feeders that graze heavily on grasses in mountain meadows, open woodland and valleys, shifting to shrubs and bark in winter.
How to tell them apart
- Flat, shovel-like antlers mean moose; tall, branching antlers with long points mean elk.
- A drooping, bulbous nose and a flap of skin under the chin identify a moose.
- A tan body with a darker neck and a big pale rump patch identifies an elk.
- A herd of large deer in an open meadow is elk. A lone giant standing in a pond is probably a moose.
- A high, whistling bugle in fall comes from a bull elk; moose give low grunts and moans.
What they have in common
Moose and elk are the two largest members of the deer family, Cervidae. Both are cud-chewing ruminants with a four-chambered stomach. Only the males grow antlers, which are shed every winter and regrown in velvet by late summer. Both breed in fall, usually bear a single calf in late spring, and share parts of the Rocky Mountains, Canada and northern Asia.
Frequently asked questions
Is a moose the same as an elk?
In North America, no: they are different species. The confusion comes from Europe, where the animal Americans call a moose, Alces alces, is known as an elk. The North American elk, Cervus canadensis, is also called wapiti. Early English settlers gave the name 'elk' to the wrong deer.
Which is bigger, a moose or an elk?
The moose is considerably bigger. It is the largest living species of deer, standing taller at the shoulder than an elk and weighing substantially more. The largest moose are the Alaska–Yukon subspecies. The comparison table above shows typical height and weight for both.
Are moose or elk more dangerous?
Moose are generally considered more dangerous. They are less afraid of people, will charge when they feel crowded, and injure more people in Alaska than bears do. Cow moose with calves and rutting bulls of both species are especially unpredictable. Vehicle collisions with moose are also very dangerous because of their height.
Can moose and elk interbreed?
No. Moose and elk belong to different genera, Alces and Cervus, and different branches of the deer family, and no hybrids are known. Elk can, however, hybridize with closely related red deer, which is a conservation concern where the two have been brought together.