Altai wapiti facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Altai wapiti |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Cervidae |
| Subfamily: | Cervinae |
| Genus: | Cervus |
| Species: | |
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C. c. sibiricus
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| Trinomial name | |
| Cervus canadensis sibiricus (Erxleben, 1777)
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The Altai wapiti, also known as the Altai elk or simply the Altai Deer, is a fascinating type of elk. You might also hear it called the Altai maral, central maral deer, Siberian red deer, or just maral. This amazing animal lives in the beautiful forest hills of southern Siberia, northwestern Mongolia, and the northern Xinjiang province of China. It's a subspecies of the Cervus canadensis family. The Altai wapiti is a bit smaller and has a lighter color compared to its cousin, the Tian Shan wapiti. Scientists sometimes classify it as C. elaphus sibirica too.
Exploring the Altai Wapiti's World
The Altai wapiti makes its home in the cool, green forest hills. These areas stretch across vast regions of Asia. You can find them in the southern parts of Siberia, a huge area in Russia. They also live in the northwestern parts of Mongolia and the northern areas of China's Xinjiang province. These animals are well-adapted to their mountain forest environments.
What Does an Altai Wapiti Look Like?
The Altai wapiti shares many features with other types of Cervus canadensis. Adult wapitis usually have a lighter body with a darker neck. Young wapitis, called calves, have thicker fur to keep them warm. This helps them survive in colder climates.
Adult male Altai wapitis are quite large! They can stand up to 155 cm (about 5.1 feet) tall at the shoulder. They can also weigh as much as 300 kg (around 661.5 pounds). Female Altai wapitis are much smaller than the males. When a baby Altai wapiti is born, it's quite big for a wapiti calf. These newborns weigh between 11 to 22 kg (24 to 48.5 pounds). This makes them larger than the calves of other Asiatic wapitis.
