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The Roosevelt Elk My Favorite Animal In the Wild

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Roosevelt Elk  Painted by Eve Roper  

I love to sit and watch the Roosevelt Elk for hours. The Roosevelt Elk named for Theodore Roosevelt, it's my favorite animal in the wild. They are the largest of the four remaining North American elk subspecies. They are beautiful, majestic creatures that walk with their head up high with pride. They stand as tall as a horse. The male elk carries a beautiful set of dark brown, tipped in cream antlers. Their antlers reach lengths of up to four feet with a distinctive three-point tip, or crown at the end depending on the age of the elk. They use the eye guards on the horns when running through brush by lowering their heads. The antlers have several purposes, most related to mating, as a weapon against their foe, and the antlers are shed each year. Even though they have a heavy scent of musk they can pick up a scent carried hundreds of yards away if the wind is blowing their direction. Their coat is thick and soft, with longer hair on the chest and shoulders of sable color, with a light brown body, and a cream-colored rump and no tail. Their coats make it a habitat for fleas because their coat is thick and soft, it enables them to sneak through a thicket when they hear your nylon or denim clothes rake against a bush. They feed on a variety of grass as, plants, leaves, bark, and including highbush cranberry, elderberry, devil's club blueberries, mushrooms, lichens, and salmonberries. They engage in ritualized mating behaviors during the rutting season to have their own harem. The mating involves in posturing, urinating, tossing turf and fighting with their antlers, and bugling, a loud series of vocalizations which establishes dominance over other males and attracts females. The Roosevelt Elk, a beautiful, majestic creature, which lives in the wide-open land with tall grass, under the canopy of Douglas -fir, cedar, and old growth stands. 5/9/2018

Copyright © | Year Posted 2018




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Date: 5/9/2018 12:19:00 PM
I love to watch wildlife programmes and must admit have never seen this one , what a magnificent beast it is. Must be great to see them in the wild Tom.
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Date: 5/9/2018 11:43:00 AM
Those mating rituals sound a bit like the ones our Irishmen use Eve, after a night on the booze. I really enjoyed reading this.
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Allison Avatar
Jan Allison
Date: 5/9/2018 5:31:00 PM
ha ha ha Jean!
Date: 5/9/2018 9:17:00 AM
I'd not heard of these Elk, Eve but after your vivid portrait, I feel that I know them. Well done, I really enjoyed, xxoo
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Date: 5/9/2018 8:45:00 AM
A wonderful descriptive portrayal of this favorite animal. I wonder if she will mind us writing of an animal in the first person. That is what I have in my mind!
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Date: 5/9/2018 6:15:00 AM
Excellent. Very informative write. Thanks for sharing it.
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Date: 5/9/2018 3:56:00 AM
what a majestic creature Eve - your description is so vivid and your painting is simply stunning, you are multi-talented my friend!:-) hugs Jan xx
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