Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Cervidae Genus: Cervus Species: elaphus
Elk are large social animals that herd together in mountain meadows and forests. Their most distinguishing features are their brown color, buff colored rump, and in the case of the males, or bulls, the massive, branching antlers.
These majestic animals are often referred to as both Elk and Wapiti (WAH-pih-tee). Wapati is a Shawnee Indian word meaning "white deer" or "light colored deer", an apparent reference to the animal's buff-colored rump.
