What's the difference between a moose and an elk.?

Question

I saw what looked like a moose in Sweden and people told me it was actually an elk.

Answer 1

A North American moose is very tall with a long head and bulbous nose. The antlers are primarily a large slab with prongs on them. They are dark brown in color and like to inhabit marshy places or eat grass from the bottom of streams or lakes.
An elk is smaller than a moose and inhabits more open area than a moose although their habitats overlap to some extent. Elk are lighter brown in color and have a white butt. There antlers are more like a branch with several sub branches.
Moose and elk have different vocalizations.

Answer 2

Alces alces is known as a "moose" in North America and an "elk" in parts of Europe. Cervus canadensis is usually known as an "elk" (sometimes a "wapiti") and is only found in North America. There is a close relative of C. candensis, C. elaphus that is found in Europe and known as a red deer.

So your Swedish friends were right. Moose are known as elk there, but they are completely different from the animal the Americans know as elk. It's like the term buzzard. Americans tend to use the term for vultures, but Europeans call the birds Americans know as hawks, buzzards.

Answer 3

moose have rounded antlers where as elk have pointed ones. moose are also much larger than elk. they both have different calls. an elk call is really annoying whereas a moose's isnt

Answer 4

an elk looks more like a reindeer. a moose and an elk are not the same.

Answer 5

The difference is geography. What we call moose in the americas are called elk in europe; what we call elk are called red deer in europe.

Answer 6

Elk are biologically known as Cervus canadensis, while moose are known as Alces alces. That means that while they're both part of the deer family they are of different genuses and species. Actually, moose are the only species in their genus (the first part of the name)

Answer 7

Moose and elk are different species.

Answer 8

Moose have flat antlers and elk have pointy ones.

Answer 9

You can make a moose with chocolate and strawberries, but an elk...oh no, wait...hand me that dictionary a moment, will you?

Answer 10

Moose are about 400 lbs larger for one. They are VERY different animals.