The name "elk" is a bit confusing because in Europe, moose are called "elk." Also in Europe, the red deer is considered the same species as North America's elk, which doesn't help matters. Many biologists believe the name "wapiti" (WAA-pi-tea) is a Shawnee Indian word meaning "white rump," an appropriate description for the elk's large rump patch. "Cervus" is from the Latin word meaning stag or deer.
The elk is the second largest cervid in North America; the moose is the largest. Elks’ body lengths range from six and three quarters to nine and three quarters feet, while they stand four and one-half to five feet tall. Adult males weigh six hundred to one thousand pounds or more, and females weigh between four hundred and fifty to six hundred pounds. The males have antlers that can span five feet and ordinarily have six sharp points or "tines."
The elk’s antlers grow in spring, when they are covered in "velvet," or short fur, containing blood vessels which nourish the growing bone and nerves. When the antlers have completed the growth, the velvet is shed. After the mating season, the antlers themselves are shed. Mammals with these types of antlers are called "cervids."