Deer

Deer Fossil range: Early Oligocene - Recent
A male White-tailed Deer
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Suborder: Ruminantia Family: Cervidae Goldfuss, 1820

Deer are a group of even-toed ungulate mammals. They form the family Cervidae. They are also called true deer.

A male deer is called stag or buck, a female deer is called doe, and a young deer is called fawn.

There are about 40 species of deer. They originally lived in Europe, Asia, North America and South America. Humans also brought deer to Australia and New Zealand.

Most male deer have antlers, which they often use for fighting, but both the male and female reindeer have antlers. The Water Deer has no antlers at all.

The plural of 'Deer' is just 'Deer'. It is not 'Deers'.

Behaviour

Deer do not make nests or dens. They find a safe and comfortable place to rest under low hanging evergreen branches. They stay close to where they can find food. In summer, they eat grasses, plants and weeds. In the fall, they like mushrooms and small branches. They do not store their food for the winter. If the snow is not deep, they use their hooves to uncover moss and leaves. If the snow is deep, they eat twigs and branches.

The doe usually has 1 or 2 fawns in the spring. The fawn can stand immediately after birth, but is weak. The doe will hide each fawn in a different place. They are camouflaged by spots on their backs.

Deer have many predators. Wolves, cougar, dogs and people will eat deer. They are always looking, listening and smelling for danger. They can usually run faster than their predators.

Taxonomy

A group of Red Deer.

A moose, the biggest deer.

A baby Roe Deer, hiding.

A White-tailed Deer mother and her fawn.

• Family Cervidae
  • Subfamily Hydropotinae: Water Deer
    • Genus Hydropotes
      • Water Deer, Hydropotes inermis
  • Subfamily Muntiacinae: Muntjacs
    • Genus Muntiacus: Muntjacs
    • Genus Elaphodus
      • Tufted Deer, Elaphodus cephalophus
  • Subfamily Capreolinae: New World Deer
    • Genus Capreolus
      • Roe Deer, Capreolus capreolus
      • Siberian Roe Deer, Capreolus pygargus
    • Genus Odocoileus
      • White-tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus
      • Mule Deer, Odocoileus hemionus
    • Genus Ozotoceros
      • Pampas Deer, Ozotoceros bezoarticus
    • Genus Blastocerus
      • Marsh Deer, Blastocerus dichotomus
    • Genus Mazama: Brocket Deer
    • Genus Pudu: Pudú
    • Genus Rangifer
      • Reindeer, Rangifer tarandus
    • Genus Hippocamelus: Andean Deer
    • Genus Alces
      • Moose, Alces alces
  • Subfamily Cervinae: True Deer, Old World Deer
    • Genus Axis
      • Chital, Axis axis
      • Hog Deer, Axis porcinus
      • Bawean Deer, Axis kuhlii
      • Calamian Deer, Axis calamianensis
    • Genus Elaphurus
      • Père David's Deer, Elaphurus davidianus
    • Genus Cervus
      • Red Deer, Cervus elaphus
      • Wapiti (Elk) Cervus canadensis
      • White-lipped Deer, Cervus albirostris
      • Sika Deer, Cervus nippon
      • Barasingha, Cervus duvaucelii
      • Schomburgk's Deer, Cervus schomburgki †
      • Thamin, Cervus eldii
      • Sambar Deer, Cervus unicolor
      • Rusa Deer, Cervus timorensis
      • Philippine Deer, Cervus mariannus
      • Philippine Spotted Deer, Cervus alfredi
    • Genus Dama
      • Fallow Deer, Dama dama

Other websites

Look up Deer in Wikispecies, a directory of species

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Cervidae