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Elk Only the males have antlers, which start growing in the spring and are shed each winter. I took this picture in an outdoor nature enclosure that had lots of elk and deer. Cervus,Cervus canadensis,Elk,Geotagged,Spring,United States,elk Click/tap to enlarge

Elk

Only the males have antlers, which start growing in the spring and are shed each winter. I took this picture in an outdoor nature enclosure that had lots of elk and deer.

    comments (3)

  1. What is the soft cover around the antler called in english? It's a funny site when they burst, the elk with these long strings attached to their antlers. Posted 7 years ago
    1. Velvet. I've never witnessed them in the process of shedding, but imagine it would be amusing! I do know that some people actually eat the shed velvet for its purported health benefits - which are scientifically unproven. Posted 7 years ago
      1. I only saw it last week in a local nature documentary. They look like a rack of laundry at that moment. They also managed to film the exact moment where one shed their antler, which is gruesome to watch: big crack and quite a large open wound. Posted 7 years ago

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The elk or wapiti is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, in the world, and one of the largest land mammals in North America and Eastern Asia. This animal should not be confused with the still larger moose to which the name "elk" applies in British English and in reference to populations in Eurasia.

Elk range in forest and forest-edge habitat, feeding on grasses, plants, leaves, and bark. Male elk have large antlers which are shed each year. Males also engage in.. more

Similar species: Even-toed Ungulates
Species identified by Christine Young
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By Christine Young

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Uploaded Feb 17, 2018. Captured Jun 7, 2014 12:02 in 3 Maple St, Mendon, MA 01756, USA.
  • Canon EOS 60D
  • f/4.0
  • 1/166s
  • ISO320
  • 100mm