354 VERTEBRATE ANIMALS OF THE UNITED STATES 



Key to the Genera of Cervidae 



ai Antlers cylindrical and not palmate, 



bi Antlers directed backwards, the prongs forwards i. Cervus. 



b2 Antlers directed forwards, the prongs upwards 2. Odocoileus. 



as Antlers more or less palmate. 



bi Males only with horns; lowest prongs not extending over the 



face 3. A Ices. 



bi Both sexes with horns; lowest prongs extending over the face. .4. Rangifer. 



1. Cervus L. Antlers present only in the male, cylindrical, the 

 first prong being just above the base and projecting over the brow; 

 dentition 0/4, i/o, 7,/ 3, 3/ 3', tail very short; hoofs broad and rounded; 

 nose naked ; fawns spotted : 3 species in the United States. 



C. canadensis Erxleben. Wapiti; elk. Color dark chestnut brown 

 on the head, neck and under parts; back and sides yellowish gray; a 

 large whitish patch on the rump; length 2,800 mm.; tail 200 mm.; 

 hind foot 650 mm.; height at shoulders 1,220 mm.; weight 700 to 1,000 

 lbs.; length of antlers along outside curve 1,655 mm.; Rocky Mountain 

 region from New Mexico and Arizona to British Columbia; formerly 

 eastward in the Canadian, Transitional and Upper Austral zones to the 

 Atlantic; related to the red deer of Europe, C. elephus L. 



Stibs pedes of C. canadensis 



C. c. occidentalis (Hamilton Smith). Size larger; head, legs and neck 

 black: coastal forests from British Columbia south into northwestern 

 California. 



C. merriami Nelson. Color yellowish brown: White Mountains, 

 Arizona and Mogollon Mountains, New Mexico; nearly extinct. 



C. nannodes Merriam. Color pale buffy gray; length 2030 mm.; 

 tail 140 mm.; hind foot 620 mm.; legs short: Kern County, California. 



2. Odocoileus Rafinesque. Antlers present in the male alone, the 

 first prong being directed upwards and not over the brow; dentition 

 04, 0/0, ^/t^, t,/2)\ tail rather long, thickly haired beneath; hoofs 

 narrow; young spotted: about 20 species, 7 in America. 



Key to the United States Species of Odocoileus 



ai East of the Great Plains. 



bi Eastern States, north of the Gulf States 0. virginianus. 



bo Gulf States O. osceola. 



a2 Great Plains to the Pacific. 



bi In the Rio Grande region 0. texanus. 



bo In northwestern Minnesota and Canada O. vigultus. 



