In North America, more is better. Both Canada and the United States are among the ten largest countries in the world in terms of area! There are many very large animals in these large countries. Incredibly large animals are found throughout North America, from bison grazing on the golden plains to polar bears traversing barren ice fields. In this article, we’ll take a look at the 5 largest land mammals in North America by weight.
# 5: Roosevelt Elk – 700-1200 lbs.
Roosevelt’s Elk is the fifth largest land mammal, weighing an average of 700 to 1200 pounds! This makes Roosevelt’s elk the largest extant elk species in North America! These majestic animals inhabit the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, including the Hoh Rainforest in Washington state. Females and calves usually live in groups of 20, while males live alone or in small groups with other males. Roosevelt’s Elk were named after President Theodore Roosevelt when he declared Mount Olympus a National Monument in 1909 to preserve the habitat of this beautiful species. Roosevelt Elks are classified as Least Dangerous on the IUCN Red List.
# 4: Kodiak Bear – 660-1320 lbs.
The Kodiak bear is the fourth largest land mammal in North America, weighing between 660 and 1320 pounds! This is the same size as five refrigerators! Kodiak bears are a subspecies of brown bear that lives on the islands of the Kodiak archipelago in Alaska. It is the largest subspecies of brown bears and the second largest of all bear species after polar bears.
The Kodiak brown bear hunt has a long history and the rules adopted by the Alaska Game Board are currently in force. Although 4,500 applications are filed annually, only 496 permits are issued to hunt these bears in a given season. All non-Alaskan residents who have received a permit (one third of the issued permits) must be briefed and have a guide accompanying them on the hunt. All legal killings are subject to regulatory review before the hides and meat can be removed from the islands. Maintaining the status of the Kodiak bear is of least concern.
# 3: Polar Bear – 770-1540 lbs.
A male polar bear can weigh between 770 and 1540 pounds! Polar bears are the largest bear species in the world! Polar bears spend a lot of time on land, but are technically marine mammals due to their dependence on the ocean. The largest polar bear ever recorded weighed 2,209 pounds! This huge polar bear was hunted in Alaska. North America is home to 13 subpopulations of polar bears, from Alaska and Canada’s Northwest Territories adjacent to the Beaufort Sea to Hudson Bay.
Polar bears are classified as a vulnerable species and are at risk of becoming endangered if preventive measures are not taken. This is due to the impact of climate change on the polar ecosystem. Due to large-scale ice melting, polar bear habitats have begun to disappear, and polar bears have to travel increasingly difficult distances. Although polar bears are excellent swimmers, having covered a record 400 miles, they risk drowning.
# 2: Moose – 838-1543 lbs.
The second largest land mammal in North America is the elk weighing 838-1543 pounds. There are four North American moose subspecies, including western, eastern, Yellowstone, and Alaskan moose. The largest confirmed elk was caught in the Yukon River in 1897 and weighed a whopping 1808 pounds! In 2004, there was a report of 2,299 pounds of elk, but this has not been confirmed. The Alaskan Elk holds the record for the heaviest antlers at 79 pounds!
The moose in America injures more people than any other animal and is second only to hippos worldwide. Moose are also responsible for fatal collisions with vehicles. The center of gravity of an elk is higher than the hood of most cars. In a collision, the moose will crush the windshield, the front roof rails, and the driver and passenger inside the vehicle. Thus, vehicle collisions with moose result in high mortality rates for both humans and the moose themselves. The IUCN Red List classifies this animal as the least dangerous.
# 1: American Bison – 701–2599 lbs.
The largest land mammal in North America is the American bison! The American bison is also the national mammal of the United States. This beast can weigh between 701 and 2599 pounds! The largest wild American bison ever recorded was a 2,800 pound bull. Bison are also bred in captivity and raised for meat. The largest bison in captivity weighed an incredible 3,801 pounds! Despite its size, the bison can jump six feet vertically and run at 40 miles per hour. Adult bison have few predators, but when hunting, they primarily become prey for wolves. Bison are ruminants, meaning they have a special stomach that ferments plants before being digested. Therefore, they can consume large amounts of herbs and woody plants, which are usually difficult to digest.
Bison have a long history with humans. They were an important food source for the Native Americans who inhabited the plains. They also provided hides and bones for clothing, tools, and shelter. Bison also had cultural and spiritual significance, especially among the Sioux and Mandan peoples. In these cultures, bison were sacred, and among the Sioux people, the female white bison calf was the main spiritual prophet. The massacre of buffalo during the Indian Wars was an attempt to destroy the main resource of the inhabitants of the plains. Government decrees on the destruction of bison led to their almost extinction in 1890.
Today, the American bison is an endangered species. Efforts to restore the population led to an increase in the number of bison from its population of 1,091 in 1890. However, many of the bison that exist today are actually hybrids with livestock. Only two populations, one in Yellowstone National Park and one in Elk Island National Park, have genetically pure American bison.