About Deer, facts on Deer, description and distribution of Deer, information on Deer, Deer classification, Deer types, Deer history, Deer evolution

Home Knowledge Nature Animals Vertebrates Mammals Deer

Deer are Herbivore and Ruminant Mammals. They are Animals who have a stomach divided into four (occasionally three) compartments. The food that they eat is regurgitated after sometime and this semi-digested mass, known as Cud is chewed again. The Process of Rechewing the Cud to further break down plant matter and stimulate digestion is called Ruminating. Deer are often identified with their Horns which is in most Species, is exclusive to the Males only. Sometimes a Female may have Small Stub giving the appearance of small Horn. Male Deer of all Species but the Chinese Water Deer and Female Reindeer grow and shed new Antlers each year. There are about 38 Species of Deer in the World. The Musk Deer of Asia and Water Chevrotain (or Mouse Deer) of tropical African and Asian Forests are not usually regarded as True Deer and form their own families, Moschidae and Tragulidae, respectively. Male Deer is often called as a Stag or a Buck. A Female Deer is often called as a Doe or Hind. The life expectancy of Deer is 20 years.

Scientific Classification

Kingdom - Animalia.
Phylum - Chordata.
Class - Mammalia.
Order - Artiodactyla.
Suborder - Ruminantia.
Infraorder - Pecora.
Family - Cervidae.

Physical Features

Colour - Deer, generally come in various shades of Brown. Some Deer have Spots like the Spotted Deer and some young one's of Deer too have Spots which disappear as they mature.

Colour Variations

Piebald Deer - A Piebald Deer is a Deer with a Brown and White Spotting Pattern. This type of Colouration is caused by a Recessive Genetic Trait and the Deer usually become more prevalent due to overpopulation of a Deer Herd. Such Colouration is not caused by parasites or diseases. The Piebald White Tail Deer has White Legs and Underbelly, and Spotted Markings into the Brown top half. Piebalds can appear to be almost entirely White. In addition to the non-standard colouration, other differences have been observed: bowing or Roman nose, overly arched spine (scoliosis), long tails, short legs, and underbites.

White Deer - An Albino Deer is a Deer which generally has a Solid White Colouration all over the Body. Some may have Pink Eyes and Nose and Greyish Coloured Hooves. In some cases they may have Normal Coloured Eyes, Nose and Hooves. The White Deer Colouration is the result of a Recessive Gene.

Weight - Deer Weights generally range from 40 to 200 kilograms depending upon the Species.

Height - Deer Heights range from 13 Inches (33 cm) to 7 Feet (2.1 meters) depending upon the Species.

Deer generally have Lithe, Compact Bodies and Long, Powerful Legs which are suited for rugged woodland terrain.

Most of the Male Deer acquire Horns as they Mature. But before having Horns, they develop Antlers which are a solid bony outgrowths of the skull. These are shed and renewed annually. They are at first covered by Velvet, a soft, hairy skin permeated by blood vessels. Deer shed their Antlers annually as a prelude to the regeneration, or re-growth, of new ones. In the autumn, the Velvet is shed and the Antlers harden. In the winter, the Antlers are shed. The entire shedding process takes a mere two to three weeks to complete, and the re-growth phase takes place over the summer. The Stem of the Antler is called the Beam, and the branches are called the Tines. Horns are never shed and continue to grow throughout the animal's life. If they are broken, they don't grow back.

Deer have their Eyes on the sides of their head, giving them a 310 degree view. This wide view does make it hard for Deer to focus on a single point. Deer have a good night vision, which is useful in the early morning and near dusk.

Deer have Small Teeth in the front of the bottom Jaw, which they use for tearing and breaking apart food. They have no Teeth in the front of the top Jaw. Instead they have a hard Palate, which is used in much the same way as Teeth. In the back of the mouth, Deer have Molars, Canines and Incisors, which are used for Chewing.

Deer have large ears which are formed of a lot of muscles attached to them which allow them to turn their ears in any direction, without moving their heads. This enables them having a great sense of hearing. They can hear higher frequencies of sound than humans.

Deer are Ungulates, which means that they have two-toed hoofs. Their long legs have powerful muscles which enable them to run 40 miles per hour and jump 10 feet high. It enables them to be good jumpers and swimmers as well.

Nearly all Deer have a Facial Gland in front of each eye. The Gland contains a strongly scented pheromone, used to mark its home range. Bucks of a wide range of Species open these glands wide when angry or excited.

All Deer have a Liver without a Gallbladder.

Geographical Range and Habitat

Deer are widely distributed with indigenous representatives in all Continents except Antarctica and Australia. Africa has only one Native Species, the Red Deer, confined to the Atlas Mountains in the north-west of the Continent. Deer live in a variety of Habitats which ranges from the Tropical Rain Forest to the Tundra. However the majority of the Deer population of the world is found in Mixed Temperate Deciduous Forests, Seasonal or Tropical Dry Forests, Mixed Mountain Coniferous Forests and in Savannah's.

Behaviour

Deer hardly chew their food which goes into the first stomach. While they rest, the food will move to the second stomach and form little balls. Now the food is brought back to the mouth and chewed. This chewed food goes into the third and fourth stomachs. In the winter months, when less food is available, Deer will become less active. By slowing down, they can get by eating only about one third of the food they normally eat. They will also stay in the woods more often, to escape the cold winds.

The Brown Coat of the Deer provides great Camouflage in the woodlands. By standing still, they can go undetected by a passing predator. Fawns have a Reddish-Brown Colour covered with White Spots, which help camouflage them and disappear when they are 3-4 months old. In the fall, Deer will shed their Summer Coat and receive a much Thicker Winter Coat.

During the mating season of Temperate Species, Males use one of three strategies to obtain access to receptive Females. They may defend a territory that overlaps the ranges of Females. They may defend a single Doe against all suitors like White-Tailed deer. Or they may attempt to assemble and hold a harem of Females, like the Red Deer. The Males and Females of this Gregarious Species spend most of the year in single-sex herds, which generally have particular ranges. During September, the Females gather in Rutting Areas, and are soon joined by the Males, which compete for the Females through displays of roaring, spraying urine, and fighting.

They use there Antlers as weapons during breeding-season combats between bucks. Bucks fight one another for the opportunity to attract mates in a given herd. The two bucks circle each other, bend back their legs, lower their heads, and charge. This period is called the Rut. During the Rut the necks of the Male Deer swells to more than double their normal diameter and their Antlers lost their velvet. This change prepares them for fights with other Bucks to determine dominance and breeding rights. They will crash Antlers, but usually don't get hurt. During this period, Males are very nervous and constantly active, which can cause them to wander into residential areas.

They also use their Horns as defence weapons against their predators. Deer who lack Antlers (the Musk Deer and Chinese River Deer), long upper canines serve as weapons.

Deer lick their nose to keep it moist, which helps odour particles stick to it, improving their sense of smell. The nose also plays a role in communication. Deer produce scents with glands located on their head, legs and hooves. These scents provide information to other deer about their gender, social status, physical condition and whether an area is safe.

When Deer feel threatened, they will raise their tail to warn other Deer.

Deer are Polygamous. They have more than one mating partner

Diet

They eat a variety of plants like grass, leaves, stems, shoots, berries, herbs, acorns, mushrooms, wild fruit and agriculture crops like corn and soy beans.

Predators - Most common Predators of Deer are Big Cats, members of the Wild Dog family, various Bear Species.

Predator List inclusive of all Species of Deer

Lion.
Tiger.
Brown Bear.
Indian Wild Dog.
Cougar.
Python.
Wolf.

Reproduction

Sexual Maturity amongst Deer like other animals is dependant on genetic and nutritional factors. Most Males reach sexual maturity in the 4th or 5th year. However some family lines of Deer reach sexual maturity earlier than others. Fallow Deer (Dama dama) the critical body-weight for sexual maturity of Does is about 30Kg. This can be easily be achieved by 15 months of age with good nutrition. During Mating season, dominance amongst Males is established by body size, antler size, etc. which ensures healthy off-springs. Gestation in Deer is about 200 days and in the spring, the Female will give birth to one to three Fawns. Young Deer stay with their mothers for 1-2 years.

Extinct Species

Schomburgk's Deer (Cervus schomburgki) - It is one of the recently extinct Species of Deer. It was a graceful Species similar in appearance to the Barasingha. It' fur was a dark brown with lighter underparts. The underside of the tail was white. Males possessed basket-like antlers, upon which all the main tines branched. This caused the Deer to have up to 33 points on their Antlers and the outer edge of the rack to be up to 35 inches long. Females had no Antlers. This deer was endemic to Thailand. The wild population of Schomburgk’s Deer is thought to have died because of over hunting in 1932, with the last captive individual being killed in 1938. After the discovery of fresh Antlers in 1991, the Schomburgk's Deer may possibly survive in Laos. Until there is scientific proof of a living specimen its considered as Extinct Species.

Irish Elk (Megaloceros giganteus) - Also known as the Giant Deer, it was a species of Megaloceros and one of the largest Deer that ever lived. Its range extended across Eurasia, from Ireland to east of Lake Baikal, during the Late Pleistocene. The latest known remains of the Species have been carbon dated to about 7,700 years ago. The Irish Elk stood about 2.1 metres (6.9 ft) tall at the shoulders, and it had the largest Antlers of any known Cervid (a maximum of 3.65 m (12.0 ft) from tip to tip and weighing up to 40 kilograms (88 lb). It is considered that this Species died out because of either over hunting or illness caused due to it's massive Antlers.

In Folklore and Culture

In Hindu mythology, the Goddess Saraswati takes the form of a Red Deer called Rohit, according to the Aitareya Upanishad. Saraswati is the goddess of learning so learned men use Deer skin as clothing and mats to sit upon. A Golden Deer plays an important role in the epic Ramayana. While in exile in the forest, Rama's wife Sita sees a Golden Deer and asks Rama and Lakshmana to get it for her. The Deer is actually a Demon called Maricha in disguise. Maricha takes this form to lure Rama and Lakshmana away from Sita so his nephew Ravana can kidnap her.

The Deer plays a large role in Scottish Gaelic poetry (fiadh) of the Highlands of Scotland, where it is seen as a noble creature, and often used as a flattering simile or metaphor when used in comparison to a famous warrior, hero or chief.

Several Norwegian municipalities have a Stag or Stag's head in their Arms: Gjemnes, Hitra, Hjartdal, Rendalen and Voss. A Deer appears on the arms of the Israeli Postal Authority.

Saint Giles, a Catholic saint especially revered in the south of France, is reported to have lived for many years as a hermit in the forest near Nîmes, where in the greatest solitude he spent many years, his sole companion being a Deer, or Hind, who in some stories sustained him on her milk. In art, he is often depicted together with that Hind.

A Samurai warrior named Honda Tadakatsu famously adorned Deer Antlers on his helmet.

Deer cartoon characters are also common in animation movies. Bambi, an animated feature of a Deer, is a popular movie for kids. In animated movie titled Open Season, a Deer named Elliot is one of the central characters.