(Western Palearctic) Red deer

There are about as many different views on the taxonomy of the red deer as there are experts. Some authors consider all red deer, including the wapiti group, to be one species. Others split the group into two species: elaphus, ranging from Western Europe to Central Asia, and canadensis the wapitis or elks of Eastern Asia and North America. More recently, it has been suggested that the red deer group may be made up of three or four different species. Similarly, views differ as to the number of and boundaries between subspecies in Europe. The deer, however, are not particularly impressed by taxonomists’ views. They all happily interbreed if allowed to. As a matter of fact, there are few autochthonous red deer in Britain and Continental Europe, as hunters and deer farmers have introduced foreign deer in order to increase the productivity or trophy size of the local populations.Body size varies enormously as a function of genetics and environmental factors. Head-body length ranges from 165-250 cm, height at shoulder from 120-150 cm, and body weight in males from 90 to more than 200 kg. Females are about one third to one fourth lighter than males.

 

The tailmeasures 12-15 cm, i.e. it is relatively longer than in deer of the wapiti group. It is surrounded by a light rump-patch.

 

Only the males grow antlers which are shed in February and start re-growing in spring. The antlers are rather straight and rugose, with the fourth and fifth tines forming a fork, which may develop into a crown if more than five tines are developed. In the year 1742 Count Ludwig VIII of Hessen Darmstadt shot a stag with 28 tines. As of today, deer with more than 20 tines are more common in Eastern Europe, but may occur anywhere if food is supplemented. The antlers may reach a weight of up to 16 kg. Exceptionally, a stag can have antlers without tines, and is then known as a "switch".

 

The coat is short and reddish browns in summer, and thick and grey-brown in winter. The fawns are spotted, and sometimes faint spots may be seen still in adults, mainly in females. In parts of the range the stags grow a short neck mane; hinds do not have neck manes.

 

The red deer is a social and mainly nocturnal animal. It swims well, and both sexes like to wallow in a mud bath.

 

Outside the rutting seaon, males and females travel in separate herds. Hind herds consist of a number of mother families consisting a hind and her subadult and juvenile offspring. In montane areas, there is a vertical migration with the hot summer months being spent at high altitudes.

 

In Central Europe, the rutting season is in September / October. After a gestation period of 34 weeks, the hind gives birth in May / June to one young, rarely twins. The fawns weigh about 6-8 kg at birth and will be weaned after 9-12 months. Sexual maturity is reached at an age of 1.5 to 3 years depending of population density and environmental factors.

 

Red deer are mixed feeders, doing a lot of grazing where they have access to open areas but also browsing herbs shrubs and trees, and occasionally doing considerable damage to forestry by stripping the bark of trees.