Elk (Wapiti) [Cervus elaphus]

North American elk are divided into six subspecies of the red deer (Cervus elaphus). It would probably be better to call these ecotypes, rather than subspecies, because their differences are due largely to what and how much they eat.

There are four subspecies of Elk in North America today: Manitoban (found mostly in Canada), Tule (found only in California), Roosevelt's (found in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California), and Rocky Mountain (found mostly in the Rockies, but many have been placed in other states). Two of the original subspecies are extinct: Eastern elk and Merriam's elk (once found in the Southwest).