8/31/2023 0 Comments Male elk picturesThe name wapiti is from the Shawnee and Cree word waapiti (in Cree syllabics: ᐙᐱᑎ or ᐚᐱᑎ), meaning "white rump". elaphus are the former's wider rump patch and paler-hued antlers.īy the 17th century, Alces alces (called "elk" in Europe) had long been extirpated from the British Isles, and the meaning of the word "elk" to English-speakers became rather vague, acquiring a meaning similar to "large deer". Key morphological differences that distinguish C. Elk were long believed to belong to a subspecies of the European red deer ( Cervus elaphus), but evidence from many mitochondrial DNA genetic studies beginning in 1998 shows that the two are distinct species. Their meat is leaner and higher in protein than beef or chicken. In parts of Asia, antlers and their velvet are used in traditional medicines. Some cultures revere the elk as having spiritual significance. Efforts to eliminate infectious diseases from elk populations, largely by vaccination, have had mixed success. Its adaptability may in fact threaten endemic species and the ecosystems into which it has been introduced.Įlk are susceptible to a number of infectious diseases, some of which can be transmitted to livestock. The elk has adapted well to countries where it has been introduced, including Argentina and New Zealand. Populations were present across Eurasia into Western Europe during the Late Pleistocene and survived into the early Holocene in southern Sweden and the Alps the extinct Merriam's elk subspecies ranged into Mexico. Although it is currently native to North America and central/eastern Asia, it had a much wider distribution in the past. Males also engage in ritualized mating behaviors during the rut, including posturing, antler wrestling (sparring), and bugling, a loud series of vocalizations that establishes dominance over other males and attracts females. Male elk have large antlers which they shed each year. canadensis.Įlk range in forest and forest-edge habitat, feeding on grasses, plants, leaves, and bark. The name "wapiti", derived from a Shawnee and Cree word meaning "white rump", is also used for C. The word "elk" originally referred to the European variety of the moose, Alces alces, but was transferred to Cervus canadensis by North American colonists. The elk ( PL: elk or elks Cervus canadensis), or wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. Since 1997, the World Health Organization has recommended that it is important to keep the agents of all known prion diseases from entering the human food chain.Former (light green) and current (dark green) native ranges of Cervus canadensis These studies raise concerns that there may also be a risk to people. However, some animal studies suggest CWD poses a risk to certain types of non-human primates, like monkeys, that eat meat from CWD-infected animals or come in contact with brain or body fluids from infected deer or elk. To date, there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in people. CWD is fatal to animals and there are no treatments or vaccines. CWD can affect animals of all ages and some infected animals may die without ever developing the disease. It may take over a year before an infected animal develops symptoms, which can include drastic weight loss (wasting), stumbling, listlessness and other neurologic symptoms. It has been found in some areas of North America, including Canada and the United States, Norway and South Korea. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease that affects deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer and moose.
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