How big were the antlers of the great Irish deer?

It is a giant extinct deer, the largest deer species ever, that stood up to seven feet at the shoulder (2.1 meters), with antlers spanning up to 12 feet (3.65 meters).

1. How big were the Irish Elks antlers?
2. What is the largest antlers in the world?
3. Which deer has the biggest antlers?
4. What prehistoric animal had the largest antlers?
5. What is bigger an Irish elk or a moose?
6. Do Irish elk still exist?
7. What killed the Irish elk?
8. How tall are Irish elk?
9. How long has Irish elk been extinct?
10. How much did the Irish elk weigh?
11. Can we bring back the Irish elk?
12. What was the biggest deer ever shot?
13. Are Elk native to Ireland?
14. Which is bigger deer or moose?

How big were the Irish Elks antlers?

The Irish elk stood about 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) tall at the shoulders and carried the largest antlers of any known deer, a maximum of 3.65 m (12.0 ft) from tip to tip and 40 kg (88 lb) in weight.

What is the largest antlers in the world?

Today we call it the Irish elk, or Megaloceros giganteus. The biggest males weighed 1,500 pounds, about the same as an Alaskan moose, and they sported the largest antlers the world has ever known—12 feet across, weighing almost 90 pounds.

Which deer has the biggest antlers?

Unsurprisingly, the largest antlers are found on the largest deer species - moose! Other North American animals with antlers include mule-deer and caribou. Caribou, also known as reindeer, are the only species where both males and females have antlers.

What prehistoric animal had the largest antlers?

The antlers of the prehistoric deer Megaloceros giganteus inspire awe and bemusement in equal measure. They were the largest the world has ever known — up to 12 feet wide and five feet high — atop the head of a creature otherwise no taller than a modern moose.

What is bigger an Irish elk or a moose?

Although several other species of Megaloceros are known, the Irish elk was the largest. It was about the size of the modern moose (Alces alces) and had the largest antlers of any form of deer known—in some specimens, 4 metres (about 13 feet) across.

Do Irish elk still exist?

The Irish Elk is an extinct species within the Cervidae family – closely related to living deer species. ... Though Irish Elk remains have been found all throughout Europe, the peat bogs of Ireland preserved many specimens that were well-intact.

What killed the Irish elk?

MARIE NOLAN UNTIL now it has always been believed that climate change led to the extinction of the Irish Elk. But new evidence suggests it was Stone Age hunters and not the weather that killed off the majestic beast which stood more than 6ft tall at the shoulder with antlers spanning 11ft.

How tall are Irish elk?

As previously mentioned the Irish elk was one of the largest deer species to ever exist. The average animal would have stood at about 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) tall at the shoulders. We also know that the Irish elk carried the largest antlers of any known deer.

How long has Irish elk been extinct?

Around 400,000 years ago, the Irish Elk (Megaloceros giganteus) roamed Pleistocene Europe and Asia. The species went extinct around 8,000 years ago.

How much did the Irish elk weigh?

Weighing around 1,500 pounds and rivaling a large moose in size, the Irish elk is one of the largest known deer.

Can we bring back the Irish elk?

Scientists believe that some extinct animals, including the Irish elk once immortalized in poem by Seamus Heaney, may walk on Earth again as advances continue in cloning. While the science of cloning is still in its infancy, many scientists now believe it's only a matter of time before it becomes a viable option.

What was the biggest deer ever shot?

From what we can gather, the heaviest whitetail ever shot was killed by a bow-hunter, John Annett of Ontario, in 1977. The deer field dressed 431 pounds on government-certified scales. That would have given it an estimated live weight of more than 540 pounds.

Are Elk native to Ireland?

The Irish elk and the red deer both became extinct in Ireland about 10,500 years ago during the Nahanagan Stadial. ... They almost became extinct again in the 20th century, with only around 60 left, but have now made a comeback to approximately one thousand where the "native" herd has survived in Killarney National Park.

Which is bigger deer or moose?

There are many species of deer whereas moose is classified as a species of deer. Moose is the largest member, in terms of body size, of all the deer species.