The common wapiti (Cervus canadensis); the second largest member of the deer family, smaller only than a moose. Elk never have flat antlers (like moose do.)
An elk is a type of large deer. Elks have big, flat horns called antlers and are found in Northern Europe, Asia, and North America. Some British speakers use elk to refer to the European and Asian varieties of this animal, and moose to refer to the North American variety. Any of several species of large deer in the genus Cervus, notably the red deer of Europe, the Kashmir stag, and the Himalayan shou, as well as the North American deer more correctly called wapiti. The creature called elk in Europe is a member of the species (Alces alces) known in North America as moose. The name is also applied to the extinct Irish elk