

It is often difficult to diagnose a deer, elk, or moose with CWD based on these symptoms alone because many of CWD symptoms also occur with other diseases and malnutrition. As CWD progresses, infected animals may have a variety of changes in behavior and appearance. Deer, elk, reindeer, sika, and moose with CWD may not show any signs of the disease for years after they become infected. Cervidae means animals that are members of the family Cervidae and includes, but is not limited to, white-tailed deer, mule deer, red deer, elk, moose. Pregnant elk cows carry their calves for 20 days longer than red deer hinds, while bull elk carry their antlers for 35 days longer than red deer stags. But there are also many differences between the two. Having this feature does not necessarily mean an animal is a true deer, but it wont be a deer without possessing it either. They have a characteristic buff colored rump and long thin legs. Elk are related to deer but are much larger than most of their relatives. Description: Elk, or red deer, range in color from dark brown in winter to tan in summer.

Also, elk stand between 2 and 4.9 feet tall at the withers, while the sambar deer can stand up to 5 feet tall. The 4 Best Deer Repellents: Reviewed and Ranked. Like other prion diseases, CWD may have an incubation period of over a year and clear neurological signs may develop slowly. Elk and red deer can have fertile offspring, often a strong indicator that two animals belong to the same species. Elk are also called wapiti, a Native American word that means light-colored deer. On average, an elk can weigh anywhere between 350 and 1,300 pounds compared to the sambar deer, which weighs between 240 and 1,200 pounds on average. CWD affects many different species of hoofed animals including North American elk or Wapiti, red deer, mule deer, black-tailed deer, white-tailed deer, Sika deer, reindeer, and moose.

Scientists think CWD spreads between animals through contact with contaminated body fluids and tissue or indirectly through exposure to CWD in the environment, such as in drinking water or food.
