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Elk Facts & Worksheets

Elk are a species of deer indigenous to North America and East Asia, but they have successfully colonized other regions.

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The word “wapiti,” a Native American term that means “light-colored deer,” also refers to the ungulate animal known as the elk (Cervus canadensis). Together with the moose and the Sambar deer, it is one of the world’s biggest deer species. Elk are indigenous to North America and East Asia, but they have successfully colonized other nations.

See the fact file below for more information on Elk, or you can download our 29-page Elk worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ELK DESCRIPTION

  • Elk are ruminant animals with a four-chambered stomach, with the first chamber serving as a storage area and the remaining three as digestive organs. In the summer, their hair is reddish, and in the winter, it is a lighter, greyer tint.
  • Season and environment can affect coloration. On their rumps, elk have distinct buff-colored patches. Several deer species’ calves are born with spots, and by the end of the summer, they shed those spots.
  • Elk develop a thicker coat of hair as winter approaches to protect them from the elements. 
  • This coat is made up of long, waterproof guard hairs covering dense, woolly underfur. 
  • Elk can have slender neck manes.
  • Elk shed extra hair from their bodies by rubbing against trees as summer approaches. Elk seek refuge from the heat and biting insects by lying or wading in streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes.
  • Elk males have enormous antlers that develop in the spring and are lost each winter. Antlers may weigh up to 18 kilos and measure up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) in length (40 pounds).
  • In order to keep the animal cool, blood that is running through the veins in the velvet of a bull’s antlers cools before returning to the heart. 
  • When the antlers are completely matured in the summer, the velvet is lost. Elk females are devoid of antlers. Elk all have little tails.
  • Elk males reach maturity around 25% bigger than females. Elk males average 320 kilograms in weight, are 8 feet (2.5 meters) long, and stand around 5 feet tall at the shoulder (700 pounds). 
  • Elk females average 225 kilograms in weight, stand 4 to 4.5 feet (1.3 meters) tall at the shoulder, and measure 6.5 feet (2 meters) from tip to tail (500 pounds).
  • Elk share many biological traits with red deer. They are, however, better suited to grazing, living in broad plains, and withstanding the harsh, protracted winters. 
  • Even the greatest horses have a hard time catching them since they are quick endurance runners, especially on uneven terrain. 
  • Elk are a remnant of the ancient Siberian Ice Period wildlife that entered Alaska over the Bering land bridge. Around a million years ago, they first came there alongside caribou, but due to the existence of the vast local animals, they were unable to settle in the southern part of the continent.
  • Only after the glaciers had retreated and the majority of America’s former megafauna had gone extinct did elk, the grizzly bear, moose, and people move from Alaska to southern North America. 
  • Elk then populated parts of the vacant ecological niches, but deserts stopped their southerly expansion some 12,000 years ago.
  • Once European illnesses destroyed Native American populations in the 16th century, substantially lowering human predation, the archaeological record implies that elk became relatively numerous. 
  • Native Americans placed a higher value on an elk’s skin and ceremonial importance than on its flesh. 
  • Elk have been widely reintroduced throughout North America and are currently prospering, despite the fact that they were almost completely wiped off by market hunting in the 19th century.
  • Elk were brought to New Zealand in Fiordland in 1909, but European red deer have now displaced them as the dominant species. 
  • The elk, in contrast to the latter, chose to stay put and occupy greater heights. In the futile attempt to produce bigger antlerless red deer, they have also been brought to Europe. 
  • The gigantic liver fluke (Fascioloides magna), a parasite they carried with them has become entrenched in European deer and cattle despite the fact that this endeavor was unsuccessful and the elk died out.
  • Elk have historically been exploited in Asian deer farms for the purpose of making velvet antlers, and this practice has become widespread. 
  • The velvet antlers are removed from bulls’ heads and eventually processed into folk remedies (growing antlers are coated in a blood-engorged skin known as velvet).

HABITAT AND MIGRATION OF ELK

  • Elk inhabit forests, forest edges, and alpine meadows all across their range. In mountainous areas, they frequently spend the summer at higher altitudes before moving downhill for the winter. Elk are very adaptive animals that live in semi-desert areas in North America.
  • Elk move towards higher-altitude locations in the spring, following the retreating snows, as is true for many species of deer, especially those in mountainous environments, and in a reverse way in the autumn. 
  • Migration and mobility are impacted by hunting pressure. In the winter, they prefer woodland regions since there is more food there to consume. 
  • The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem elk herds can number up to 40,000 individuals. 
  • They participate in the longest elk migration in the continental U.S., moving up to 168 miles (270 km) between their summer and winter ranges in the spring and autumn. 
  • The 9,000–13,000 elk that make up the Teton herd move from the southern Yellowstone National Park and the Shoshone and Bridger–Teton National Forests to the south and west, respectively, where they spend the winter on the National Elk Refuge.

ELK DIET

  • Elk have four chambers in their stomachs since they are ruminants. 
  • Elk are comparable to cattle in that they are mostly grazers, unlike white-tailed deer and moose, which are primarily browsers. Nonetheless, they also graze like other deer.
  • The majority of an elk’s eating occurs in the mornings and evenings, and the animal seeks cover to digest in between meals. 
  • Seasonal variations in their diet include the addition of native grasses throughout the year, the consumption of tree bark in the winter, and the consumption of forbs and tree sprouts in the summer.
  • Elk were herbivores, consuming grass and foraging for plants at the borders of forests. They also consume plants, leaves, and bark as food. 
  • Elk eat regularly throughout the summer, averaging between 4 and 7 kilos (10 to 15 pounds) each day. In salt licks, elk can augment their diet by ingesting minerals that may aid in the development of healthy coats and the production of nutrient-rich milk.
  • Elk migrate, much like many deer species do. Elk that dwell in mountainous places move to higher elevations in the spring when the snows melt, then in the fall to lower altitudes.
  • They choose forested locations and protected valleys in the winter because they offer wind protection and easy access to tree bark for food. 
  • Because their food supplies are less seasonal, certain elk species, like the Roosevelt elk, do not migrate.
  • Elk bulls may travel through woodlands at up to 35 mph while remaining quiet.
  • Cows and bulls are both proficient swimmers. Its walking stride ranges from 30 to 60 inches, but when they sprint, it may reach a length of 14 feet.
  • Elk that are agitated hold their heads up, tilt their ears back, flare their nostrils, and may even strike out with their front hooves.
  • Elk are naturally threatened by wolves and cougars. Several sick adults and calves are killed by bears and coyotes.

ELK REPRODUCTION

  • During the rut (the mating season), male elk participate in ritualized mating behaviors such as posturing, antler fighting, and bugling, which is a loud succession of screams used to demonstrate dominance over other males and attract females.
  • One of the most recognizable cries in nature is the bugle call. In wide spaces like parklands, meadows, and savannas where sound may travel considerable distances, bugling is frequently seen as an adaptation.
  • From early January through the end of August, there is a rut.
  • A bull may have up to 20 cows in his harem during this time, which he ferociously guards.
  • A bull with a harem may lose up to 20% of his body weight and rarely eat.
  • At birth, calves weigh between 15 and 16 kilos (33 and 35 pounds). By the time it is 20 minutes old, a calf can stand. 
  • Calves can join the herd after about two weeks, and they are completely weaned after about two months.
  • Calves stay with their moms until the start of the subsequent mating season. Elk only survive 8 to 13 years in the wild, but they can live for 20 years or more in captivity.

STATE OF ELK CONVERSATION

  • Elk are prone to a variety of contagious illnesses, some of which can spread to cattle. 
  • Elk populations have been subjected to vaccination campaigns in an effort to eradicate infectious illnesses, with varying degrees of success.
  • Elk were originally widespread in North America, but they were eradicated and forced to seek safety in more isolated areas. 
  • Elk have longer gestation periods than European red deer (255 days as opposed to 235 days), and the bulls keep their antlers longer (about 185 days versus 150 or less in European red deer).
  • Elk are restricted to frigid grasslands in Asia, which may be found on high plateaus in Outer Mongolia, southern Siberia, the Altai, and the Tien Shan mountains, whereas a less developed subspecies of red deer live in valley bottoms and highland forests. 
  • Elk may be found in a variety of settings across North America, from the Yukon to northern Mexico and from Vancouver Island to Pennsylvania, free from red deer competition. 
  • They flourish in the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific Coast coniferous rainforests, grasslands, aspen parklands, sagebrush plains, eastern deciduous forests, and the once marshy lowlands of California. 
  • Deserts, boreal woodlands, and tundra are avoided by elk. 
  • Elk are widely distributed throughout North America, and as a result, the size and antler growth among them can vary greatly. 
  • On the other hand, even in their Asian populations, elk are highly genetically homogenous across their range.
  • Currently, they are mostly found in western North America, particularly in mountainous regions like Yellowstone National Park and the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming. Small elk herds have been reintroduced into highly forested wilderness regions in certain eastern U.S. states.

Elk Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Elk across 29 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the Elk. Elk are indigenous to North America and East Asia, but they have successfully colonized other nations.

Elk Worksheets
Elk Worksheets
Elk Worksheets

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Elk Facts
  2. An Elk with a…
  3. Express Your Thoughts
  4. A Game to Learn
  5. Truth or Fake
  6. Season to Choose
  7. A Plant to All
  8. Let Your Voice Be Heard
  9. Elk of Your Own
  10. Creation of Life
  11. Life of Elk

Frequently Asked Questions

What are elk?

Elk, also known as wapiti, are large mammals that belong to the deer family, Cervidae. They are found in North America and eastern Asia, and are closely related to other deer species like the red deer and sika deer.

What do elk eat?

Elk are herbivores and primarily feed on grasses, sedges, and other plants. They are also known to eat leaves, twigs, and bark from trees and shrubs. During the winter months, when food is scarce, they may also eat lichen and other fungi.

How big can elk get?

Elk are one of the largest species of deer, with males (bulls) typically weighing between 500-1000 pounds and standing up to 5 feet tall at the shoulder. Females (cows) are slightly smaller, weighing between 400-600 pounds and standing around 4 feet tall.

Where do elk live?

Elk are native to North America and can be found throughout much of the continent, from Alaska and Canada down to the northern parts of Mexico. They typically inhabit forested areas and are adapted to living in a variety of different climates, from cold northern forests to the hot, dry grasslands of the southwest.

What is the mating season for elk?

The mating season, or rut, for elk typically occurs in the fall, usually around September or October. During this time, male elk will compete for dominance and the right to mate with females, using their antlers to spar with each other. Females will then give birth to a single calf the following spring, after a gestation period of around 8 months.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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