Cervus canadensis nannodes

Tule Elk

Family: Cervidae · Class: Mammalia · Order: Artiodactyla

Conservation status: G5T3 S3

The Tule elk is North America's smallest subspecies of elk and the only one endemic to California. Adult bulls stand 1.2 to 1.4 meters (4.0 to 4.5 feet) at the shoulder and weigh 204 to 340 kilograms (450 to 750 pounds), while cows are smaller at 170 to 240 kilograms (375 to 530 pounds). Bulls develop distinctive antlers with six or more points per side and display a characteristic tan to brown coat with a darker neck mane during breeding season. Both sexes have a prominent yellowish rump patch and relatively long legs adapted for their open grassland habitat. Historically, Tule elk occupied much of California's Central Valley, coastal ranges, and foothills from the Sacramento Valley south to Kern County. The subspecies once numbered in the hundreds of thousands before near-extinction in the late 1800s. Today, their range is fragmented into 22 separate herds distributed across the Central Valley, coastal ranges, and select locations including Point Reyes National Seashore, Cache Creek, Grizzly Island, San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, and Carrizo Plain National Monument (California Department of Fish and Wildlife). Recent habitat modeling identified extensive suitable but unoccupied habitat in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the northern Diablo Range and Santa Cruz Mountains, totaling 422,700 to 643,000 hectares depending on season. Tule elk are the most specialized elk in North America, adapted to semi-arid conditions and open grasslands where other elk subspecies would not typically thrive. They inhabit annual grasslands, oak woodlands, chaparral, and wetland edges at elevations from sea level to 1,500 meters. Unlike other elk subspecies that require heavy forest cover seasonally, Tule elk live year-round in open country with minimal tree cover. They prefer areas with diverse native grasses, forbs, and access to water sources. As primarily grazers, Tule elk consume grasses, forbs, shrubs, and browse on trees up to 1.8 meters (6 feet) high. Their diet includes native bunch grasses, clovers, and seasonal wildflowers. Breeding occurs from August through October, with bulls establishing harems and engaging in bugling displays and physical contests. Gestation lasts approximately 250 days, with single calves born in late spring. Calves remain with mothers through their first year. Tule elk form herds that may migrate seasonally between summer and winter ranges, though many populations maintain year-round territories. The Tule elk represents one of conservation's notable recovery stories, increasing from three herds totaling 500 individuals in 1970 to approximately 5,700 elk across 22 herds as of December 2025 (California Department of Fish and Wildlife). The subspecies has a global rank of G5T3, indicating the species overall is secure but this subspecies is vulnerable. Primary management challenges include habitat fragmentation, genetic isolation between small populations, agricultural conflicts, and limited suitable habitat for range expansion. Current herds are managed through periodic relocations to establish new populations and prevent overuse of confined habitats, as occurred historically at Tupman Tule Elk Reserve.

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, and more.