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by Answers101 on March 4th, 2006

Answers101

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How many species of deer are there?

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  • by notmrjohn on March 6th, 2006

    notmrjohn

    Just to clear up any confusion from ala's link. ( Or perhaps create some, which is lots more fun.)
    Rangifer tarandus is the reindeer in Europe and the caribou in America. Alces alces in the Americas is commonly known as the Moose, in Europe it is the elk. Elk in America is Cervus elaphus, which is known as the red deer in Europe, but as the wapiti to the original Americans.

    There are no truly wild R. tarandus in Europe, having been domesticated by the Lapps to, among other things, pull sleds, wence the name 'reindeer.' Caribou is from the Algonquin kaliboo, meaniing "pawer or scratcher" from its kicking snow aside to feed on moss, especially reindeer moss, and grass. This is fitting as most Europeans consider themselves to be domesticated, whereas they consider Americans to be uncouth pawers who scratch themselves in public. Oddly enough even American R. tatrabdu eat reindeer moss and not caribou moss. Wapiti is a Shawnee word meaning "white rump," not to be confused with the white tail deer, or the Virginia deer, the wapiti is not found in Virginia. The word 'elk' goes back thru a bunch of languages to a Greek and Baltic word meaning 'deer,' and may come from an ancient Indo-European root meaning 'red,' so it should be confused with the red deer in America but not in Europe since it is a moose in America where the red deer is an elk. Moose is an Algonquin word meaning "he who strips off," probably in reference to the stripping of bark for food. Oh sure, that's what the Women members of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, known as Lady Elks, want us to think when they go off to their meetings. They're all down there at the lodge watching the moose, perhaps even pawing at he who strips off.

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    • Good answer--but providing links & reference materials is always excellent

      Answers101

      by Answers101 on March 19th, 2006

    • Actually there is a reproducing wild population of Wapiti in the mountains of South West Virginia. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries website states "Between 1998 and 2001, Kentucky released 1,557 elk as part of an ambitious restoration program, and the population in Kentucky is now close to 11,000. The restoration area borders Virginia along Buchanan, Dickenson, Wise, and Lee County. Dispersing and reproducing elk in Southwest Virginia present management challenges and opportunities. 30 elk have been reported to check stations since 2000."
      http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/deer/deermanagementprogram.asp

      norinko

      by norinko on November 17th, 2010

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