Elk

Description:

The lifespan of an elk in the wild is 8-12 years. The height of an elk ( at the shoulder) can range from 1.2m to 1.5m. The weight of the elk can range from 147kg to 499kg. The coloration of an elk doesn't widely vary but the coat of an elk will change colour depending on the season. The elk shares a habitat with many animals including coyotes, mule deer and moose. An elk and a blood fluke are an example of parasitism. The fluke uses the elk as a sort of nursery for their young. Adult blood flukes lay their young inside the elk and then are excreted in urine or feces. Before winter elk grow thick waterproof fur to protect it from the harsh winters of it's habitat. Due to the physical design of the elk and its strong legs, elk can run up to 35km/h and are excellent swimmers to escape from predators.Elk reproduce sexually once a year from august to early winter. A bull( male elk) may have up to 20 cows(female elk) in his harem at once during mating season which he defends fiercely. The gestation for a cow is 240-262 days.Calves will remain with their mother until the next mating season.

Habitat:

Elk live primarily in western Canada and America along with areas in northern asia. Elk are herbivores that eat primarily grasses and shrubs. The main predators of elk are bears and wolves. The main roles of elk in their environment is to stop plant overgrowth (through them eating them) and supply food to bigger predators (ie. brown bears).