![]() ![]() These animals easily tower above a tall human, with their 5-6 ft of height, not including the antlers. General AppearanceĮlks are usually large, averaging more than 500 lbs, with the bulls (male elk) easily exceeding 1100 lbs. They can’t tolerate the desert and generally don’t favor the tundra, or boreal forests. The elk are rather flexible, and they can be spotted throughout the rocky parts and valleys of America all the way to the south. From there, they moved to the forested mountainous parts of Alaska, North America, and Asia. HabitatĮlk is an ancient animal that lived in Siberia and managed to flee the frost just before the ice age. It’s commonly found in the mountainous areas of North America and Central Asia. It’s believed to be a descendent of the Red deer, based on recent genetic studies. The elk, which is also known in some places as a wapiti, has the scientific name Cervus canadensis. In a similar fashion, the male reindeer is called a bull, whereas a male deer is known as a stag. The female reindeer is quite different, as it’s large, muscular, and often has antlers. In the world of deer, a female is often cute, demure, and has no antlers. This practice developed reindeer breeds that are significantly larger than the wild-roaming caribou. Some Scandinavian and Arctic communities raise reindeer for their meat. There are also some reindeer in Alaska that came with the trade from Siberia around the 19th century. Reindeer is a general term given to their often domesticated counterparts living in Asia and the Northern part of Europe. Reindeer and caribou aren’t perfectly identical though.Ĭaribou are wild deer commonly found in North America. Reindeer and Caribou are often referred to in scientific texts as one and the same type of deer the Rangifer tarandus. Large animals weighing up to 1800 lbs, and exceeding 6.5 ft in height. Massive size, bulky head, and large broad antlers. Medium-sized deer weighing around 275-660 lbs, with an average height of 4 ft. Shaggy visibly hairy necks, and often pale rumps. Males and females have long curved antlers. Greenland, parts of Europe, North America, and Asia. Weight ranges from 500-1000 lbs and height from 4-5 ft. Tall sharp antlers rising up to 4 feet above the head. Mountains, Rocky Plateaus, and Forests in East Asia and America ![]() Here’s a brief summary of these characteristics. There are some basic differences that would make identifying each one of them a breeze. Additionally, it’s the one that’s highly popularized by pop culture and associated with Christmas. That’s because this type of deer approximates the basic features of elk, moose, caribou, and reindeer. Some people refer to all of these ruminant animals as ‘reindeer’. That’s because they all belong to the mammalian order artiodactyl. If you trace this line higher, you’ll find many similarities with antelopes, goats, giraffes, and cattle. MooseĮlk, Reindeer, Moose, and Caribou, along with 40 other deer species are all members of the same dear family the Cervidae. There are more distinctive features exclusive to each one of these animals, in addition to absolutely amazing behaviors, and surprising lifestyles! Read on to know all about it. They have tall curved antlers and live in herds. Caribou and Reindeer refer to the same animal, but they get the former name in Canada and America, and the latter in Europe and Asia.Moose, are the largest, with flat wide antlers, and they lead solitary lives in Canada and Alaska.Elk are massive herd animals with long sharp antlers and mostly live in the mountain forests of North America.So, what are the differences between elk, reindeer, moose, and caribou?Įven though these deer types share the same general appearance, there are basic differences in their habitats, behaviors, anatomical features, and sizes. Most people get them confused, especially, the bigger members of that species. The deer family contains about 43 species of similar ruminants with antlers. ![]()
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