Difference between a Moose and an Elk

One of the common problems that people seem to run into while trying to differentiate between animals, is when they have to try and tell the difference between a moose and an elk. Not many people are able to do this, simply because of the fact that they don’t know what the difference between the two is. However, even though this is the case, there is still a fine difference between the two.

The first main issue is the fact that the names of these animals are fairly similar. In Europe, the animal that the Americans call the moose is known as an elk. While on the other hand, the animal that is referred to as an elk in America, is known as a wapiti in Europe. However, despite the difference in the names, they all belong to the deer family. The deer family consists of a number of different animals and the elk and the moose both belong to it.

The moose holds the honours of being the largest deer, and it can be easily distinguished from the rest, simply because of its large size, the massive antlers that it has and its nose. The elk is a little smaller and doesn’t have the same nose as a moose. In fact, they have a shaggy sack around their neck. However, even though elk are smaller compared to moose, they are still bigger, when compared to other deer.

So basically, the main difference between the moose and the elk is the fact that the moose are the biggest deer out there, they have massive antlers and a very distinguishable nose. On the other hand, the elk are slightly smaller in size, but they don’t have the same nose as a moose, instead they have a little shaggy area around their necks.

Instructions

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    Moose

    Moose are the largest deer out there. They are found in the wild and can’t be tamed and kept as pets easily. They have very big antlers, and a very distinguishable nose.

    Image Courtesy: bioweb.uwlax.edu

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    Elk

    Elk are slightly smaller in size when compared to a moose. However, they still manage to be much bigger when compared to the other deer. They have average sized antlers and their other main distinguishing feature is the shaggy neck that they have.

    Image Courtesy: wdfw.wa.gov

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