Tian Shan wapiti
The Tian Shan wapiti or Tian Shan maral (Cervus canadensis songaricus), is a subspecies of C. canadensis. It is often called the Tian Shan elk in North American English.
| Tian Shan wapiti (maral or elk) | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Cervidae |
| Subfamily: | Cervinae |
| Genus: | Cervus |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | C. c. songaricus |
| Trinomial name | |
| Cervus canadensis songaricus | |
Description
It is native to the Tian Shan Mountains ranges, found in eastern Kyrgyzstan, southeastern Kazakhstan, and North Central Xinjiang of western China. It is the largest subspecies of Asian elk, both in body size and antlers.
- Conservation
Around 50,000 individual Tian Shan elk are left in the wild, and they are declining at a rapid rate. China has about 4000 to 5000 individuals in deer farms.
References
- Erxleben, J. C. P. (1777). Anfangsgründe der Naturlehre and Systema regni animalis.
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