# Caucasian moose

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Extinct moose subspecies

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Caucasian elk 1841 illustration of male Conservation status Extinct (1900) Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Infraclass: Placentalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Cervidae Subfamily: Capreolinae Genus: Alces Species: A. alces Subspecies: †A. a. caucasicus Trinomial name †Alces alces caucasicus (Weretschagin, 1955)

The **Caucasian elk**, also known as the **Caucasian moose**[1][2] (*Alces alces caucasicus*) is an [extinct](/source/Extinct) [subspecies](/source/Subspecies) of elk ([moose](/source/Moose)) found in the [Black Sea](/source/Black_Sea) and the [Caucasus Mountains](/source/Caucasus_Mountains) of [Eastern Europe](/source/Eastern_Europe) and [Asia Minor](/source/Asia_Minor), in modern-day [European Russia](/source/European_Russia), [Armenia](/source/Armenia),[2] [Azerbaijan](/source/Azerbaijan), [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(country)), and eastern [Turkey](/source/Turkey) and north and west [Iran](/source/Iran).

## Taxonomy

The subspecies was first described by [Nikolay Kuzmich Vereshchagin](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nikolay_Kuzmich_Vereshchagin&action=edit&redlink=1) [[ru](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%89%D0%B0%D0%B3%D0%B8%D0%BD,_%D0%9D%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B9_%D0%9A%D1%83%D0%B7%D1%8C%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%87)] in 1955.[3] In 1999, Danilkin questioned whether they were sufficiently distinct from *A. a. alces* to merit a separate subspecies.[4]

## Extinction

The subspecies was quite common until the mid-19th century, when populations began to decrease due to overhunting. It became extinct sometime in the beginning of the 20th century.[2]

## Predators

Among its likely predators were the Anatolian or [Persian leopard](/source/Persian_leopard) (also called the Caucasus leopard), [Asiatic black bear](/source/Asiatic_black_bear), [Eurasian brown bear](/source/Eurasian_brown_bear), [steppe wolves](/source/Steppe_wolves), the [Asiatic lion](/source/Asiatic_lion) (now restricted to India's [Gir Forest](/source/Gir_Forest)) and the now-extinct [Caspian tiger](/source/Caspian_tiger);[2] The [Eurasian lynx](/source/Eurasian_lynx), [golden eagles](/source/Golden_eagle) and the [Asiatic cheetah](/source/Asiatic_cheetah)—now restricted to [Iran](/source/Iran)—all may have occasionally preyed on calves.

## See also

- [List of extinct animals of Europe](/source/List_of_extinct_animals_of_Europe)

- [Caucasian wisent](/source/Caucasian_wisent)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Wrobel, Murray (2006-11-18). [*Elsevier's Dictionary of Mammals*](https://books.google.com/books?id=Qn1A9Y1OA2oC&q=Caucasian+elk&pg=PA14). Elsevier. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780080488820](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780080488820).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:0_2-3) Manaseryan, Nina; Gyonjyan2, Andranik. ["THE CHANGE OF THE ANTHROPOGENE FAUNA OF ARMENIA"](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335662214). *Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology, Institute of Zoology, NAS of Republic of Armenia*.{{[cite journal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_journal)}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_numeric_names:_authors_list))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Барышников, Геннадий Федорович (2009). [*Млекопитающие фауны России и сопредельных территорий. Копытные Непарнопалые и парнопалые (свиные, кабарговые, оленевые) ч. 1*](https://www.zin.ru/publications/fauna_keys/Keys_173_Baryshnikov_2009.pdf#page=114) (PDF) (in Russian). Наука. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-5-02-026347-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-5-02-026347-5).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Давыдов, Андрей; Сипко, Т.; Рожков, Юрий; Проняев, А.; Холодова, М. (2022-05-15). [*Лось: популяционная биология и микроэволюция*](https://books.google.com/books?id=XVgvDwAAQBAJ&dq=%D0%9A%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%B7%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9+%D0%BB%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%8C&pg=PA151) (in Russian). Litres. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-5-04-070618-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-5-04-070618-1).

## External links

- [Caucasian Moose – Extinct](http://bearcreekjournal.com/caucasian-moose-extinct/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110422223517/http://bearcreekjournal.com/caucasian-moose-extinct/) 2011-04-22 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine).

Taxon identifiers Alces alces caucasicus Wikidata: Q5054268 Wikispecies: Alces alces caucasica CoL: 5FHCK EoL: 10408237 GBIF: 4262285 ITIS: 898419 MSW: 14200210

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Caucasian moose](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasian_moose) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasian_moose?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.