![]() Closer to the summer, elk can be seen rubbing against trees in order to get rid of excess hair on their bodies.Elks live 20 years or more in captivity, however, only 8 to 13 years in the wild. Calves remain with their mothers until the next breeding period begins. After around 2 weeks, calves are able to join the herd and after 2 months, they are fully weaned. A calf can stand by the time it is 20 minutes old. When close to giving birth, the female elk will isolate herself from the rest of the herd and will remain isolated until the calf is large enough to escape predators.Ĭalves weigh around 15 – 16 kilograms (33 – 35 pounds) at birth. Unlike other types of baby deer, an Elk baby is called a calf. The gestation period lasts between 240 to 262 days after which one or rarely, 2 babies are born. A bull with a harem rarely feeds and he may lose up to 20 percent of his body weight.įemale elks have a short estrous cycle of only 1 or 2 days. ![]() During this time a bull may have up to 20 cows in his harem which he defends fiercely. The rut lasts from August until early winter. Bugling is often associated with an adaptation to open environments such as parklands, meadows, and savannas, where sound can travel great distances. The bugle call is one of the most distinctive calls in nature. Male elks engage in ritualised mating behaviours during the rut (the mating period), including posturing, antler wrestling and bugling, a loud series of screams which establishes dominance over other males and attracts females. Bears and coyotes kill some calves and sick adults. Natural predators of elks include wolves and cougars. Their walking stride is 30 to 60 inches, however, when running this length can increase to 14 feet.Īgitated elks hold their heads high, lay their ears back and flare their nostrils and sometimes even punch with their front hooves. Some species of elk such as the Roosevelt elk do not migrate due to less seasonal variability of food sources.īull elks can move silently through forests at speeds up to 35 miles per hour. ![]() Elks that live in mountainous regions migrate to areas of higher altitude in springtime, following retreating snows and then to lower altitudes in the autumn.ĭuring the winter, they prefer wooded areas and sheltered valleys for protection from the wind and availability of tree bark to eat. During winter, males and females forage together.Īs with many deer species, elks migrate. As young bulls get older, they spend less time with the cow herds. An older cow usually leads the summer herd. During spring and summer, herds of cows and their calves usually graze separately from the bulls. Mature elks remain in male or female herds for most of the year. Female elks stand 4 – 4.5 feet (1.3 metres) at the shoulder, measure 6.5 feet (2 metres) from nose to tail and weigh an average of 225 kilograms (500 pounds). Male elks stand around 5 feet (1.5 metres) tall at the shoulder, measure 8 feet (2.5 metres) in length and weigh 320 kilograms (700 pounds). Mature male elks are around 25% larger than female elks. The velvet is shed in the summer when the antlers have fully developed. While actively growing, the antlers are covered with and protected by a soft layer of highly vascularised skin known as ‘velvet’.īlood pumping through the veins in the velvet on a bulls antlers cools before it returns to the heart to help keep the animal cool. Antlers can reach a length of 4 feet (1.2 metres) and weigh as much as 18 kilograms (40 pounds).Īntlers are made of bone and can grow at a rate of 1 inch per day. Males elks have very large antlers which begin to grow in the spring and are shed every winter.
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