Cervus canadensis

They are large ungulates of the order Even-toed ungulates, with an even number of toes on each foot, similar to the toes of camels, goats and cattle. Females are smaller than males. They have a longer head and face, a longer neck that is about one-third of their body length, and longer hair under their necks. They have infraorbital glands and large, conical ears. The nose is bare, and its sides and lips are pure brown. The forehead and top of the head are dark brown, and the cheeks are light brown. The neck is long and the limbs are long. The hooves are large and the tail is short.
Red deer have large horns, which are only found in males, and the heavier the individual, the larger the horns. When the horns first grow, they are covered with a layer of velvet, which is supplied to the nerves by their own blood. Once they grow, the horns become hard and the velvet falls off. When the breeding season ends, males shed their antlers and grow new ones the following year. Females only have

Origin: Bhutan, Canada, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia and the United States.
Extinct: Mexico.
Introduced: Italy and New Zealand.
Red deer prefer open woodlands and avoid dense unbroken forests. Can be found in coniferous forests, swamps, open spaces, aspen broadleaf forests and coniferous broadleaf forests. Found at a wide range of altitudes, usually from sea level to 3,000 meters, but may also occur at higher altitudes, found in China up to 5,000 meters.

Red deer, also known as Wapiti in English, is a large deer species. Due to different origins, the morphology of red deer also varies. There are 8 subspecies in the world. There are about 3 subspecies of red deer in China, most of which are endemic to China.

Seasonal migration of red deer occurs at altitudes, with herds appearing at high altitudes in summer and migrating to lower altitudes in winter. Like many deer species, especially mountain red deer, they often change their living environment with different seasons and geographical conditions. Among the various factors in selecting habitats, shelter conditions, water sources and food abundance are the most important indicators. Migrate to higher elevations in the spring as the snow recedes, and vice versa in the fall. Hunting pressure can also affect migration and relocation. In the winter, they prefer wooded areas and secluded valleys for protection from wind and bark to eat. Roosevelt elk do not typically migrate due to less seasonal variation in their food sources. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem's elk herd, which numbers more than 200,000 individuals, participates in the longest elk migration in the continental United States in the spring and fall. In the southern region of Yellowstone National Park and surrounding national forests, elk migrate south to Jackson, Wyoming, where they winter for up to six months on the National Elk Refuge. Conservationists there ensure the herd is well fed during the harsh winters. Many elk that live in the northern part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem migrate to lower elevations in Montana, primarily to the north and west.

Elk is a ruminant with a four-chambered stomach that feeds on grasses, plants, leaves, and bark. During the summer, elk feed almost constantly, consuming 4-7 kg of vegetation per day. They are herbivores that feed on grasses, sedges, and weeds in the summer and woody plants (cedar, holly, eastern hemlock, sumac, jack pine, red maple, staghorn sumac, and basswood) in the winter. Favorite foods of the species include dandelions, asters, hawkweed, violets, clover, and occasionally mushrooms. Elk are ruminants, so they regurgitate their food and re-chew it to aid digestion. They also often drink mineral water, lick salty lowlands, and even eat the mud in them, and sometimes take baths in swamps and shallow water in the summer.

The estrus period of red deer is concentrated in September and October every year. At this time, male animals rarely eat, often use their hooves to dig the soil, urinate frequently, and use their horns to hit tree trunks, breaking the bark or breaking small trees, and roaring. The roar is not loud in the early stage, mostly at night, and roars loudly day and night during the climax. During the estrus period, the fight between male animals for mates is also very fierce, almost fighting day and night, but in the fight, usually the weak will not persist to the end when they can't hold on, but retreat, and the strong will not chase. Only when both sides are evenly matched will the horns of one or both sides be broken, or even cause serious and fatal injuries. The winning male animal can possess multiple female animals. The estrus period generally lasts 2-3 days, and the sexual cycle is 7-12 days. The gestation period of females is 225-262 days. They give birth in hidden places such as bushes and tall grass, and usually give birth to one cub per litter.

The newborn cubs have yellow-brown fur with white spots and weigh 10-12 kg. They are weak and can only lie down in the first 2-3 days and rarely move. After 5-7 days, they begin to follow the females. The lactation period is 3 months, and rumination occurs at 1 month old. Unbranched horns begin to grow at 12-14 months old, and they split into 2-3 branches in the third year. They reach sexual maturity at 3-4 years old.

Red deer have natural enemies such as bears, leopards, jackals, wolves, and lynxes, but due to their alert temperament, fast running, keen hearing and smell, strong body, and huge horns as weapons, they can also fight with predators. Wolves and coyotes and solitary mountain lions are the most likely predators, although brown bears and black bears also prey on red deer. Coyotes mainly prey on red deer fawns, although they sometimes prey on adult deer that are weak in winter. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, including Yellowstone National Park, bears are the most important predators of fawns. The main predators in Asia include wolves, wild dogs, brown bears, Siberian tigers, Siberian leopards, and snow leopards. Eurasian lynx and wild boars sometimes prey on Asian red deer fawns. Historically, tigers in the Lake Baikal region have preyed on Siberian red deer and continue to do so in the Amur region.

Elk once ranged across much of the Northern Hemisphere, from Asia to North America. Extensive hunting and habitat destruction have restricted elk to a portion of their former range. Elk populations in eastern North America became extinct primarily due to overhunting. Significant populations in North America exist only in the western United States, from Canada through the eastern Rockies to New Mexico, and a small area in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Elk have reestablished in the eastern United States, including Michigan, with three transplantations throughout the 1900s. Various elk populations in the western United States, including Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, have contributed to the reestablishment. In Eurasia, elk populations are limited to protected areas and less populated areas. Their traditional range extends from 65 degrees north in Norway to 33 degrees north in Africa. Elk have been introduced to Ireland, Argentina, Chile, Australia, and New Zealand.

Listed in the "Red List of Threatened Species of the World Conservation Union" (IUCN) 2015 ver3.1-Least Concern (LC).

Listed in the second level of the "List of National Key Protected Wildlife in China", limited to wild populations.

Protect wild animals and eliminate game.

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