Moose (Alces alces) is the North American name for the largest extant species in the eer family. The same animal is called the Elk in Europe. The name moose is derived from the Algonquian Eastern Abnaki name moz, meaning "he trims, shaves". Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a "twig-like" configuration. In North America, Elk refers to the second largest deer species, Cervus canadensis.