Elk are large, social deer native to North America. Males are characterized by their large, unique antlers, which can weigh up to 40 pounds and are shed annually. These larger land mammals have a distinct tan and brown coat with a buff-colored rump patch. Elk have established wild populations in the Western United States, and successful reintroduction efforts have led to thriving elk populations in several Eastern states, including Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. These herbivorous mammals stand about five feet tall at the shoulder and weigh up to 1,000 pounds. Continue reading to discover how elk use their teeth to clip and pull off vegetation, which is then mashed and ground, before being swallowed and digested.
What Kind of Teeth Do Elk Have?
Permanent teeth will replace the calf teeth, or milk teeth, that appear shortly after birth.
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Elk are deer and, like most deer, have two sets of teeth: temporary calf teeth, followed by a set of permanent teeth, similar to humans. Elk have incisors, canines, premolars, and molars.
Adult teeth cannot be replaced with new teeth if lost, so elk’s teeth wear down over time, with some older elk having no teeth at all.
Calf Teeth
Calves do not have molars
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Calves, or fawns, are weaned as early as two months after birth, but they start to develop teeth earlier. Calf teeth will begin to emerge when the calf is approximately three weeks old, at which time it will incorporate grass into its diet alongside its mother’s milk.
Calf teeth consist of small and delicate incisors, canines, and premolars, but no molar teeth. Over the years, they add more teeth and replace their calf teeth with permanent adult teeth, which are larger and stronger. Elk will have all their adult teeth by about two and a half years of age.
How Many Teeth Do Elk Have?
Adult elk have 34 teeth.
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Unlike most deer, which have 32 teeth, adult elk have 34 teeth, a unique dentition they share with reindeer.
Lower Incisors
Elk do not have upper incisors, but they do have six incisors in their lower jaw, which they use to pull and grab food that they then press against the hard gum pad in their upper jaw to sever the vegetation. This tough, fleshy plate takes the place of the upper incisors. Called a dental pad, it works as a hard surface on which the teeth cut food. The dental pad also makes it comfortable for elk to grind with their molars.
Upper Canines
The presence of two upper canines is one of the distinctive features of the elk among the deer species. According to reports, these canine teeth are ivory, the same material as the long tusks of wild boars, walruses, and elephants.
The canines are the only ivory teeth in the elk’s mouth, and are coveted by trophy hunters worldwide. The canines can be used to determine the age of an elk, as the teeth wear down and grow shorter over the years.
Premolars
The premolars on the lower jaw are separated from the incisors by a small gap called the diastema. Adult elk have 12 premolars, six on the upper and lower jaws. Like all the teeth in the lower jaw of the elk, they are made of enamel.
According to a news account, biologists from the Arizona Game and Fish Commission stated that the age of an elk can be estimated from the premolar. Premolars for elk about a year old have three cusps, but as they get older than two years, these teeth wear down to two cusps.
Molars
Molars begin to grow in elk that are about 18 months of age. These teeth come immediately after the premolars and are 12 in number, with six in each jaw. These teeth have ridges like the premolars and are quite effective for chewing.
What Do Elk Use Their Teeth for?
Elk are herbivores with teeth adapted for their plant-based diet.
Elk are almost exclusively herbivores, though there are rare anecdotal reports of elk consuming animal matter, such as small birds, but this is not typical or well-documented behavior.
Collecting and Chewing Food (Twice)
Elk are ruminants, similar to cows. These large deer have four-chambered stomachs, which help them store food for later periods. Elk primarily eat grasses and forbs in spring, summer, and fall, but rely more on woody plants, bark, and twigs during the winter when grasses are scarce. These large deer use their incisors and dental pads to cut bits of grass before chewing.
According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, elk first chew their food to break it down and swallow it. This partly chewed food is stored in the rumen. Later, the food is regurgitated and chewed a second time before swallowing again. Digestion continues in the second stomach before the food passes into the remaining two stomach chambers and then into the intestine.
To Scare Predators or Competition: The Biting Threat
Elks scare off predators or competition by revealing their canines.
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Because elk are plant eaters, they are not likely to attack a predator with their teeth. An elk’s greatest defense is its speed. According to the National Park Service, an elk might try to scare its predator or competition by grinding its teeth and revealing its canines before attacking or fleeing.
Parks Canada states that elk can become aggressive toward humans during fall and spring. Bull elk are aggressive during the mating season, which typically spans from late August through October, when they fight other males for mating rights. Between May and June, known as the spring calving season, cow elk may become aggressive when defending their young.
