Roosevelt elk
Encyclopedia
The Roosevelt elk also known as Olympic elk, is the largest of the four surviving subspecies of elk
in North America. They live in the rain forests of the Pacific Northwest
and were introduced
to Alaska
's Afognak
and Raspberry
islands in 1928.
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.
(300–500 kg
) while cows weigh 575–625 lb (260–285 kg). Some mature bulls from Raspberry Island in Alaska have weighed nearly 1300 lb (600 kg).
From late spring to early fall, Roosevelt Elk feed on herbaceous plant
s such as grass
es and sedge
s. During winter months, they feed on woody plants including highbush cranberry
, elderberry
, and Devil's Club
. Roosevelt Elk are also known to eat blueberry
, mushroom
s, and salmonberry
.
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
in North America. They live in the rain forests of the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
and were introduced
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
to Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
's Afognak
Afognak
Afognak is an island north of Kodiak Island in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is 43 miles from east to west and 23 miles from north to south and has a land area of , making it the 18th largest island in the United States. The coast is split by many long, narrow bays...
and Raspberry
Raspberry Island (Alaska)
Raspberry Island is an island of the Kodiak Archipelago located in the Gulf of Alaska in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located two miles northwest of Whale Island, and just across the mile wide Raspberry Strait from the southwestern end of Afognak. The island is separated from Kodiak Island by...
islands in 1928.
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
Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park is located in the U.S. state of Washington, in the Olympic Peninsula. The park can be divided into four basic regions: the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, the west side temperate rainforest and the forests of the drier east side. U.S...
) in 1909.
Description
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. Elk bulls generally weigh between 700 and 1100 lbPound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
(300–500 kg
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
) while cows weigh 575–625 lb (260–285 kg). Some mature bulls from Raspberry Island in Alaska have weighed nearly 1300 lb (600 kg).
From late spring to early fall, Roosevelt Elk feed on herbaceous plant
Herbaceous plant
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
s such as grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
es and sedge
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae are a family of monocotyledonous graminoid flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble grasses or rushes. The family is large, with some 5,500 species described in about 109 genera. These species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group...
s. During winter months, they feed on woody plants including highbush cranberry
Highbush cranberry
Highbush cranberry can refer to:*Viburnum trilobum, American highbush cranberry*Viburnum opulus, European highbush cranberry*Viburnum edule, squashberry...
, elderberry
Elderberry
Sambucus is a genus of between 5 and 30 species of shrubs or small trees in the moschatel family, Adoxaceae. It was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified due to genetic evidence...
, and Devil's Club
Devil's Club
Devil's Club is a large shrub primarily native to the cool moist forests of western North America, but also disjunct on islands in Lake Superior. It is noted for its large palmate leaves and erect, woody stems covered in brittle spines...
. Roosevelt Elk are also known to eat blueberry
Blueberry
Blueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue berries and are perennial...
, mushroom
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
s, and salmonberry
Salmonberry
Rubus spectabilis is a species of Rubus native to the west coast of North America from west central Alaska to California....
.
Life cycle
In the wild, Roosevelt Elk rarely live beyond 12 to 15 years, however in captivity they have been known to live over 25 years.See also
- Olympic National ParkOlympic National ParkOlympic National Park is located in the U.S. state of Washington, in the Olympic Peninsula. The park can be divided into four basic regions: the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, the west side temperate rainforest and the forests of the drier east side. U.S...
- ElkElkThe Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
- Tule ElkTule ElkThe tule elk is a subspecies of elk found only in California, ranging from the grasslands and marshlands of the Central Valley to the grassy hills on the coast. The subspecies name derives from the tule that it feeds off of, which grows in the marshlands...
- Manitoban ElkManitoban ElkThe Manitoban elk is a subspecies of elk found in the Midwestern United States and the Canadian Prairie provinces. Compared to the Rocky Mountain elk, it is larger in body size but has smaller antlers. The subspecies was driven into near extinction by 1900, but has recovered since.- See also...
- Rocky Mountain ElkRocky Mountain ElkThe Rocky Mountain Elk is a subspecies of elk found in the Rocky Mountains and adjacent ranges of Western North America. The winter ranges are most common in open forests and floodplain marshes in the lower elevations. In the summer it migrates to the subalpine forests and alpine basins...