Tule Elk

Tule elk are the smallest of North America's elk subspecies, endemic to California, where they occupy open grassland and semi-arid habitat drier than most other elk subspecies ever use. Bulls weigh 450 to 700 pounds, some topping 800, and cows run 375 to 425; both carry a light, buffy-beige coat with a darker mane circling the neck and a prominent white rump patch, and calves are born spotted, much like deer fawns. They graze on grasses, forbs, and sedges, and unlike most elk, they don't migrate long distances, shifting locally instead as forage and water availability change. The subspecies was reduced to as few as a handful of animals by the 1870s — and has since been reintroduced across much of its historic range.