Elk in the East Fork of the Bitterroot
River, Montana, during August 2000.
Photo courtesy of John McColgan, Alaska Fire Service, Bureau of Land Management.
Photo courtesy of John McColgan, Alaska Fire Service, Bureau of Land Management.
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Elk in the East Fork of the Bitterroot
River, Montana, during August 2000. Photo courtesy of John McColgan, Alaska Fire Service, Bureau of Land Management. |
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION:
Innes, Robin J. 2011. Cervus elaphus.
In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online].
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,
Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer).
Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
[].
FEIS ABBREVIATION:
CEEL
COMMON NAMES:
elk
wapiti
TAXONOMY:
The scientific name of elk is Cervus elaphus Linnaeus (Cervidae)
[210,342]. Twenty-two subspecies of elk are recognized globally, 4 of which
are found in North America:
Cervus elaphus manitobensis Millais, Manitoban elk
Cervus elaphus nannodes Merriam, tule elk
Cervus elaphus nelsoni Bailey, Rocky Mountain elk
Cervus elaphus roosevelti Merriam, Roosevelt elk [210]
Subspecies are distinguished by body size, pelage color, skull form and dentition, size and shape of antlers, behavior, and geographical distribution [95,210,221]. However, the distinction of North American subspecies has been brought into question by genetic analyses. Meredith and others [198] found that Roosevelt, tule, and Rocky Mountain elk were genetically differentiated enough to warrant subspecies status, whereas Polziehn and others [227] found variation in mitochondrial DNA that supported the recognition of Roosevelt elk and tule elk as distinct subspecies, but concluded that Rocky Mountain elk and Manitoban elk should be combined. Cronin [69] found no variation in mitochondrial DNA among Manitoban, Rocky Mountain, and tule elk populations. Translocations have led to intermixing of subspecies in some areas [95,210,211], and subspecies likely interbreed where they coexist [198]. See O'Gara [210] and Geist [95] for more information about subspecies distinctions.
This review synthesizes information about elk at the species level.
SYNONYMS:
Cervus canadensis Erxleben [20,95]
ORDER:
Artiodactyla
CLASS:
Mammal