Deer Facts

Deer are some of the most beautiful creatures.

They have been hunted by men and used as food as well as clothing and the antlers were sometimes used as weapons or tools.

Deer Facts for Kids

• Male deer are called bucks
• Female deer are called does
• Baby deer are called fawns
• Male deer grow new antlers each year.
• Deer have hooves and even-toes.
• The smallest deer are Roe Deer
• The biggest deer are the Alaskan moose

What are the different names for deer?

Bucks – These are male deer and can weigh between 100 – 300 pounds. They have a prominent set of antlers that grow during the summer and fall months and shed in winter.

Stags – Larger males are referred to as Stags because of their size   

Doe – Is an adult female. They can weigh up to 125 pounds

Fawn – is a baby deer. On average, they have 300 white spots when born to keep them camouflaged. Their mother feeds them about twice a day. They spend the first month of their lives hiding from predators.

Where do deer live?

They are herbivores and can live in many different environments and ecosystems.

You’ll find them in forests, grasslands, mountains, wetlands, forests, and in some urban cities in larger Parklands.

What do deer like to eat?

They can live in so many different environments because of their adaptable diet.

They are plant eaters and like to eat grass, strobes, berries, flowers, and any other plants they can find.

What are Deer’s Natural Predators?

Yes, they have lots, which include coyotes, bears, and bobcats. Baby fawns are born with spots that help keep camouflage. They hide in the long grass.

Their mother keeps her distance to distract any would-be predators from finding them.

How do deer protect themselves?

They protect themselves by fleeing they can run at speeds up to 30miles an hour and are very agile. They are excellent swimmers and can jump very far and high.

They have a keen sense of danger and will also alert other deer at the same time by stomping and snorting.

Types of Deer

Roe Deer

Roe Deer is a small species with relatively short antlers. They have legs that taper to a point, which earned them the name roe. Their coat is reddish-brown in color with white on the tips of the ears, tail bones, and lower legs​​. Some have lighter-hued coats, while the others are darker.

You will find them in mixed countryside areas, including farmland, grassland, woodland, and heathland. They like to eat leaves, grass, berries, and ferns, and heathers.

They can live up to 20 years, but not many will reach that age the average is around 10 years.

Musk Deer

Musk deer can refer to any one of seven different types of deer species. They make up Moschus, the only extant genus of the family Moschidae.

They are nocturnal and live mainly in the mountains of southern Asia. They like forested and alpine scrub habitats. They have striking characteristics, a kangaroo-like face, and tusks, and the males grow these teeth for display instead of antlers.

They are herbivores that live in hilly, forested environments far from humans. They like to eat flowers, leaves, grasses with some mosses and lichens.

Mule Deer

The Mule Deer is a black-tailed deer. It’s medium-sized and native to North America and also found in Mexico plus different parts of South America.

They have adapted to their environment and different food source and like to eat grass, shrub fruits, berries, and nuts when available.

Their predators are wolves, coyotes, cougars, and of course, humans.

They are not particularly herding animals, but they do form small herds for protection from predators.

Water Deer

The Chinese water deer is small it can be found in marshy habitat and generally are powerful swimmers.

They can be found in many countries like France, Britain, South Korea, China, the United States, and parts of South America.

They are solitary animals except during the mating season. In some countries like Korea, they are thriving because of the extinction of natural a predator.

Whitetail deer

This is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America. It’s also found in many countries in South America. It’s the largest deer species in North America and the largest in South America.

The white tail deer is believed to have first appeared in North America from Southeast Asia during the Pleistocene era.

There are between 25 and 35 million Whitetails in North America itself.

They eat large amounts of food such as grass, shoots, leaves, fruits when available, and nuts.

Other Facts

• Deer are included in what is called the ‘Cervidae’ family of animals. This family includes other species such as reindeer, moose, and elk.
• They adapt well to a lot of habitats but prefer to live in what is called ‘edge’ locations. These are usually wooded areas with enough grazing and food.
• The male grows antlers and when they fall off they will grow again the next year.
• Antlers are an extension of the bone and when they first start growing they are covered in a kind of ‘felt’. The felt contains blood vessels and as it dries the male deer must rub the felt off to expose the antler underneath. They usually rub against tree bark to remove the felt.
• There are animals such as the antelope that look a lot like deer but antelopes have horns. Horns are permanent and do not grow back each year like antlers.
• The antlers of a male grow out into many extensions called ‘points’. The male makes use of their antlers to fight and to get the attention of the female.
• Many of the deer species have been hunted solely for the collection of antlers.
• A male deer is called a ‘buck’, however, very large males are referred to as a ‘stag’.
• Females are usually referred to as a ‘doe and the baby is called a ‘fawn’.
• Fawns are born with spotted coloring to allow them to be camouflaged in the grasses. They usually lose the spotted coloring within their first year of growth.
• A fawn will take its first steps within thirty minutes of its birth.
• Young deer will remain around its mother for the first year of its life.
• When a group of deer is together, it is called a ‘herd’.
• Different species of deer have various leg lengths that suit whatever area that is their habitat.
• They have the ability to jump quite high and they are also quite excellent swimmers.