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Elk
Cervus elaphus nelsoni
36.06, -112.12
Field Notes
Description:
Elk possess lighter coloration on their rump than the rest of their bodies.
Males are generally lighter in color than females and will grow antlers beginning in the late spring and keep them until the early spring of the following year.
Reaching up to 700 lbs (320 kg), they outweigh their nearest relative in the park, the mule deer by up to 500 lbs (225 kg)
The elk in Grand Canyon National Park are non-native and come from introduced populations from Yellowstone
Males (bulls) grow a new, larger pair of antlers each year which they shed in the spring
Females (cows) generally give birth to calves in the late spring/early summer
Habitat:
Grand Canyon National Park
Notes:
The Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) you see in the park today came from 303 individuals introduced to the state from 1913-1928 from the Yellowstone National Park population.
Because these animals aren't adapted to Arizona's arid climate, they have expanded their range in search of water sources and eventually entered the park where many man-made water sources exist in and around the village.
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