The elk, or wapiti, is the second largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The word "elk" originally referred to the European variety of the moose, Alces alces, but was transferred to Cervus canadensis by North American colonists. The name "wapiti" derives from a Shawnee and Cree word meaning "white rump" for the distinctive light fur in the rear region, just like the Bighorn Sheep.
Image: Jasper.Wapiti Hirsch.P1033401
Image: Cow and calf elk (7437504452)
Elk in snow at Yellowstone National Park
Elk crossing Opal Terrace at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
A deer or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae. It is divided into subfamilies Cervinae and Capreolinae. Male deer of almost all species, as well as female reindeer, grow and shed new antlers each year. These antlers are bony extensions of the skull and are often used for combat between males.
Deer
"The Stag Hunt of Frederick III, Elector of Saxony" by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1529
Chital deer in Nagarahole, India
Reindeer herds standing on snow to avoid flies