Despite being a large country, Uzbekistan is one of only two countries in the world known as a double-landlocked country. This term describes a country surrounded by other countries without access to the open sea. The other country fitting this description is Liechtenstein, one of the smallest countries in the world.
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Cervus wallichii - A full-grown wapiti, also referred to as an elk, stands 1.5 meters at the shoulders and can weigh up to 340 kilos. The antlers of the wapiti are shed each year in early winter and begin to show again in early April as small velvet covered buds. The antlers are true bone structures and grow at rates of 2.5 centimeters per day. By the end of May, the antlers are well developed. The protective velvet covering begins to peel off in September, a time when the boney material of the antler has fully dried and hardened.
