| Roosevelt Elk aka Olympic Elk | |
|---|---|
| Roosevelt elk in Oregon, USA | |
| Male (Bull) Roosevelt Elk at Northwest Trek, Washington, USA | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Suborder: | Ruminantia |
| Family: | Cervidae |
| Subfamily: | Cervinae |
| Genus: | Cervus |
| Species: | C. canadensis |
| Subspecies: | C. c. roosevelti |
| Binomial name | |
| Cervus canadensis (Erxleben, 1777)[1] |
|
| Trinomial name | |
| Cervus canadensis roosevelti |
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The Roosevelt elk (Cervus canadensis roosevelti), also known as Olympic elk, is the largest of the four surviving subspecies of elk in North America.[2] They live in the rain forests of the Pacific Northwest and were introduced to Alaska's Afognak and Raspberry islands in 1928.[3][4] The desire to protect the elk was one of the primary driving forces behind the establishment of the Mount Olympus National Monument (later Olympic National Park) in 1909.[5]
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Adults grow to around 6–10 ft (1.8–3 m) in length and stand 2.5–5 ft (0.75–1.5 m) tall at the shoulder.[4] Elk bulls generally weigh between 700 and 1100 lb (300–500 kg) while cows weigh 575–625 lb (260–285 kg).[2] Some mature bulls from Raspberry Island in Alaska have weighed nearly 1300 lb (600 kg).[2]
From late spring to early fall, Roosevelt Elk feed on herbaceous plants such as grasses and sedges.[4] During winter months, they feed on woody plants including highbush cranberry, elderberry, and Devil's Club.[4] Roosevelt Elk are also known to eat blueberry, mushrooms, and salmonberry.[4]
In the wild, Roosevelt Elk rarely live beyond 12 to 15 years, however in captivity they have been known to live over 25 years.[4]