Discover the impressive North American elk, ecological sentinels that thrive in a balanced environment.
The elk, a North American representative of the three red deer species in the Northern Hemisphere, is the subject of this week's article from One Earth's "Species of the Week" series, highlighting iconic species in the Earth's bioregions.
Originally evolved for life in Central Asia, particularly Tibet and West China, red deer migrated eastward to North America over the Bering Strait after the ice age around 12,000 years ago. In North America, the elk, known scientifically as Cervus canadensis, is the largest of the red deer.
Names Across Cultures
The European red deer was called "elk" by Germanic peoples, meaning "stag" or "hart." In North America, it is known as the "wapiti" by the Cree of the Northern Prairie and Aspen Forests and the Shawnee of the Southern Prairie Mixed Grasslands. Among the Lakota of the Northern Prairies, the elk is called "heháka."
Population and Movements
The elk population in North America was once estimated to be as high as 10 million, but it became nearly extinct along with its bison and Native American human counterparts due to settler encroachment during the 1800s. Today, approximately one million elk inhabit Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta in Canada, California, Iowa, Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park, the Rocky Mountains, open grasslands in the US, and forested areas and meadows of Northern Mexico.
Elk movements are strategic and greatly influenced by the availability of new green shoots and herbs. In different seasons, these resources can be found in dense forests, aspen parklands, alpine meadows, sagebrush flats, open grasslands, and swampy valleys. Winter-summer herd migrations can extend for several hundred kilometers, with each herd maintaining a particular ranging area.
Migration Insights from Extensive Research
Artthur Middleton, biologist, elk specialist, and National Geographic Explorer, analyzed geolocation data for elk herds in the area covered by Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and the Wind River Indian Reservation. From 2000 to 2015, Middleton monitored the elk population and produced a map called "Elk Migrations of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem," which is available in the National Geographic Magazine.
Physical Traits and Life Cycle
Elk stand at around 1.5 meters (5 ft) tall at the shoulder and can reach up to 2.4 meters (8 ft) from head to tail. The elk in Alberta inhabit the largest of these creatures, reaching a weight of up to 500 kilograms (1,100 lb). California elk weigh about 110 kilograms (223 lb), and the size and weight of females are similar to those of males.
Elk have a reddish-brown coat with a light tan on top and a white patch under the tail. In winter, the coat stays the same, while the neck mane becomes darker. Towards the end of winter, the coat becomes shaggy, and as spring begins, it is replaced by a new one.
The stag carries a massive 10 to 12 kilograms (22-26 lb) set of antlers, each branching into six to 10 tines (points). The antlers are made of living tissue covered with a thick velvet, providing protection and supplying calcium and minerals through small blood vessels.
Antlers grow for the first time at the age of two, increasing in size with each new cycle of regrowth. American elk retain their antlers for about 185 days, compared to 150 days for European deer.
Behavioral Patterns and Reproduction
Elk populations exhibit complex social structures, often led by matriarchal females, with herd sizes varying seasonally and regionally. During the breeding season in autumn, the stag elk becomes particularly protective of its harem of one to 12 females.
Stags communicate with intruders during mating season through stomping their hooves and sticking their tongues in aggressive manners. In calmer times of the rut season, the landscape is filled with high-pitched bugling calls.
Gestation lasts 255 days for the American elk and 235 days for the European deer. Newborn calves weigh 10 kilograms (22 lbs) and are able to stand within twenty minutes, connecting to their mother for milk.
They have spotted skin that provides camouflage from predators during the first two months, fading away soon after. At the age of six months, they have become mature and are as big as a white-tail deer, and in the following spring, they are ready to wander off on their own to find a herd.
The lifespan of a healthy elk is ten to twelve years.
Diet and Ecological Role as Grazers
Elk have a diverse diet, consuming grasses, sedges, and other herbaceous plants in spring and summer, preferring these over browse. In winter, they feed on lichens, conifer needles, softwood bark, and green shoots as they come up after the snowmelt.
Their feeding habits are influenced by factors such as winter severity, habitat type, human disturbance, and predator presence. However, most importantly, their diet is affected by the quality of grasses.
As keystone species, their grazing habits determine the quality of grassland and topsoil, affecting plant diversity, nutrient cycling, and the distribution of other species.
Elk as Bioindicators and Predator Support
Elk populations are crucial in supporting predator populations and regulating prey dynamics, contributing to overall ecosystem health. Healthy elk are critical for the diet of cougars, grizzly bears, wolves, and mountain lions, while their carcasses serve as food for smaller mammals and vultures.
Elk herds appear to select habitats that allow them to avoid wolves during summer but seem to rely on other behavioral anti-predator strategies, such as grouping, during winter. When a cougar or a wolf attacks one member, the herd may not run away immediately, as only one weaker member will typically be targeted.
Overall, elk serve as bioindicators, reflecting the overall health of their habitat through their population number, herd dynamics, their response to stress, and their habitat preferences. In Yellowstone, there are currently seven herds.
The Elk: A Sacred Relative for Native American Nations
For Native American Nations, the elk is a four-legged relative. Among them, the Lakota is known as the Elk Nation. Nicholas Black Elk, a highly revered Oglala Lakota medicine man, has been acknowledged as the elk's most significant member within this nation. Black Elk, at a young age, experienced a vision on the peak of the highest mountains in South Dakota, where he saw all living beings as one in a single hoop. Throughout his life, he taught respect for sacred power, the relatedness of all beings, and the care for the Earth.
Current Conservation Challenges and Efforts
Elk face numerous threats, including habitat loss due to climate change, pollution, wildfires, habitat fragmentation, sport hunting, and human encroachment. Migration pattern tracking and mapping are increasingly used as practical tools to support policymaking and management planning to ensure that natural corridors are least impacted.
Preserving the elk's habitat is vital not just for their survival but for the overall health and resilience of ecosystems and the whole trophic chain. Efforts of Lakota, Cree, Shawnee, Blackfoot, and other Native American Tribes, along with coordinated wildlife conservation initiatives, are crucial for the long-term existence of elk populations.
Sources
- National Geographic Magazine
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game
- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
- Yellowstone National Park
- Grand Teton National Park
- U.S. Forest Service
- National Park Service
- Niantic Research (Pokémon Go)*Wikipedia
- Scientific ReportsBioScienceNatureEnvironmental Review*
- In the home-and-garden of the North American bioregions, efforts are being made by various Native American Tribes, including the Lakota, Cree, Shawnee, and Blackfoot, to conserve the elk, a species of great cultural significance, as part of nature conservation initiatives.
- The elk migrates across diverse landscapes in North America, from the dense forests and meadows of Northern Mexico to the open grasslands and alpine meadows of the Rocky Mountains, showcasing its adaptability and resilience in a variety of lifestyle environments.
