| The Elk is the second largest member of the deer family with slender legs, a thick neck and is colored brown or tan with darker underparts. The antlers, only grown by males, are large with many tines, the main beam up to 150 cm long. The Elk occurs in high, open mountain pastures in summer and lower, wooded slopes or dense woods in the winter. They are most abundant along the western side of the Rockies. This nocturnal creature is primarily a grazer feeding on woody vegetation and lichen. Once the velvet of his antlers has been discarded, the bull begins assembling his harem of up to 60 cows. The gestation period is 255-275 days. The elk's main predator is the mountain lion and some times bears get the young. |
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