The only animals with antlers on their heads are deer. Deer are hoofed mammals that belong to the scientific family Cervidae. There are more than 30 different species, or kinds, of deer. Among them are the moose, wapiti, and reindeer, or caribou.

Where deer live

Deer are native to Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and northern Africa. They have been introduced into such areas as the Hawaiian Islands, Australia, and New Zealand. They live in a wide variety of places, including forests, swamps, deserts, and tundra.

Physical features

Deer range in shoulder height from about 12 inches (30 centimeters) in the South American pudu to 7 feet (2.1 meters) or more in the moose. In most species females are somewhat smaller than males. Deer typically have compact bodies and short tails. The ears are large but usually slender. The legs are usually long and slender with paired hooves.

Deer are usually a shade of brown, often with white on the chest and throat. Generally the fur is slightly rough but has a smooth appearance. Some deer have a shaggier coat, especially in the cold seasons.

Except for female reindeer, only male deer grow antlers. The antlers are shed each year. Male deer use their antlers as weapons during the mating season to win the chance to mate with females. A buck, or male, develops a pair of spiked antlers by the fall of its second year. Between January and April, after mating, the buck sheds his antlers and grows a larger set.

Behavior

Deer are very cautious animals with a keen sense of smell and hearing. Most deer live in small family groups, though the males generally spend some time alone. Deer are most active in early morning and late afternoon, resting at midday and at night. Some types travel a long way from place to place for different seasons.

Deer eat only plant material such as grass, young shoots, twigs, and bark. They are ruminants, meaning that they digest their food in stages. Deer chew their food, swallow it, and then bring it back up from the stomach in a form called cud. After chewing the cud, they swallow again so the stomach can finish digestion.

In warm climates deer mate at any time of the year. In colder climates they breed in autumn or winter. Female deer give birth to one or two young or, occasionally, to triplets. The offspring nurse for several months. Most deer reach adulthood in one to three years.

Deer and humans

In colonial times the deer of North America were one of the most important wild game animals. Their meat, called venison, was a major food source for early settlers. Deerskin was used to make jackets, moccasins, and other leather goods. White-tailed deer are still the most popular large game animal in the eastern United States.

White-tailed deer are considered nuisances in some areas because there are so many of them. They destroy shrubs and plants and carry ticks that spread Lyme disease. Deer also cause thousands of traffic accidents each year. Some experts believe that hunting is the best way to control white-tailed deer populations.

For some deer species, however, hunting is a serious threat to survival. Another great danger for deer is the loss of their natural homes. People have cleared much of the land where deer lived for farmland and for other purposes. To protect the remaining deer, many places have banned deer hunting and set aside land where deer can live safely.