Question: are elk and red deer the same thing?
Answer: The European red deer ( Cervus elaphus Linnaeus 1758 ) and our elk (Cervus elaphus canadensis) are the same species (The words "Linnaeus" and "canadensis" refer to subspecies, but the species name for both deer is elaphus.) ... Our elk have another name of "wapiti" because of an old mistake in naming them.