Talk:Tule elk
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File:Cervus canadensis nannodes at Tomales Point.jpg scheduled for POTD
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The tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) is a subspecies of elk found only in California, seen here at Tomales Point in Point Reyes National Seashore. When Europeans arrived in the area, an estimated 500,000 tule elk roamed these regions, but the animals were thought to have been hunted to extinction by 1870. A single pair was discovered on the ranch of the cattle baron Henry Miller in 1874. He ordered his men to protect them, and is credited with the survival of the subspecies. As of 2019, the total Californian population is estimated to be 5,700. Photograph credit: Frank Schulenburg
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Use of “wapiti”
[edit]It is not clear to me that "wapiti" should be used repeatedly in this article, rather than being mentioned in the introduction as an additional name. I'm not even sure that should be done, since I am not sure that the term is actually in use for this subspecies.
The main article on Elk mentions wapiti as follows: The name "wapiti" is derived from a Shawnee and Cree word meaning "white rump".
The Shawnee and Cree did not live in California. If names used by any of the indigenous peoples of California are known, it would be good to have a section on that, but I think that almost every use of wapiti should probably be removed or reverted. Hjal (talk) 21:26, 7 June 2026 (UTC)
- More than half of the current 35 references use the terms "elk" or "tule elk" in their title. Only one uses "wapiti." It may be a better term for Canadian subspecies or herds, but it seems inappropriate for a species endemic to California. The one ref is as follows:
- R.O. Polziehn; J. Hamr; F.F. Mallory; C. Strobeck (1998). "Phylogenetic status of North American wapiti (Cervus elaphus) subspecies". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 76 (6): 998–1010. Hjal (talk) 21:49, 7 June 2026 (UTC)