Caucasian Moose
Encyclopedia
The Caucasian Moose was a subspecies
of moose
found in the Caucasus Mountains
of Eastern Europe
. It is widely believed to be extinct.
It has often been confused with the European Elk
, leading to debate regarding the possibility that some members of the species have survived; however, the European Elk lives in Scandinavia
and the Baltic States
, whereas the Caucasian Moose lived in Eastern Europe and Western Siberia
.
The species was quite common until the mid-19th century, when populations began to decrease.
Among its predators were the Asiatic lion
(until 10th century), bear
s, wolves, leopard
s and the Caspian tiger
. The other moose species, the Alaska moose
is also known as the Giant moose.
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
found in the Caucasus Mountains
Caucasus Mountains
The Caucasus Mountains is a mountain system in Eurasia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the Caucasus region .The Caucasus Mountains includes:* the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and* the Lesser Caucasus Mountains....
of Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
. It is widely believed to be extinct.
It has often been confused with the European Elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
, leading to debate regarding the possibility that some members of the species have survived; however, the European Elk lives in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
and the Baltic States
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
, whereas the Caucasian Moose lived in Eastern Europe and Western Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
.
The species was quite common until the mid-19th century, when populations began to decrease.
Among its predators were the Asiatic lion
Asiatic Lion
The Asiatic lion also known as the Indian lion, Persian lion and Eurasian Lion is a subspecies of lion. The only place in the wild where the lion is found is in the Gir Forest of Gujarat, India...
(until 10th century), bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
s, wolves, leopard
Persian Leopard
The Persian leopard , also called Caucasian leopard, is the largest leopard subspecies, and is native to eastern Turkey, the Caucasus mountains, northern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, and parts of western Afghanistan...
s and the Caspian tiger
Caspian Tiger
The Caspian tiger, also known as the Turan tiger and Hyrcanian tiger, is an extinct tiger subspecies that has been recorded in the wild until the early 1970s, and used to inhabit the sparse forest habitats and riverine corridors west and south of the Caspian Sea, from Turkey, Iran and west through...
. The other moose species, the Alaska moose
Alaska Moose
The Alaska Moose is a subspecies of Moose that ranges from Alaska to western Yukon. The Alaska Moose is the largest subspecies of moose. Alaska Moose inhabit boreal forests and mixed deciduous forests throughout most of Alaska and most of Western Yukon...
is also known as the Giant moose.