Deer is a beautiful plus speedy animal, famous for its eyes. It belongs to a herbivore group of animals and lives in dark forests. They can be found in every region except Australia and Antarctica. Male deer are called stags, harts or bulls, female deer are called cows hinds or does and young deer are called fawns or calves.
1. Family
Deer belongs to the Cervidae family of mammals. Other members of family include Elk, reindeer, chital and roe etc.
2. Antlers
Deer are the only living animal on the earth that shed their antlers every years, one reason of this could be that growing speed of deer is much fast than any other living being. Antlers are the horns like thing on male deer specially.
3. Different between horns and antlers
Antlers are like horn but they are not horn! Horns do not shed and their surface is not velvety like antlers; horns are hard bony things and they do not grow up back if they are broken.
4. Listening ability
Listening ability of deer is far better than human. Deer can catch those frequencies that human can’t. They can also turn their ears in any direction without turning their head.
5. Smelling ability
Deer also have extraordinary smelling ability. They can smell food from large distance. Deer use this ability to communicate with each other also and to detect the position of other group mates.
6. Seasonal activities
Deer are more active in summer and in winter as they do not get enough food so they get less active. In winter they eat only one third of the food they usually eat and stay in wood to escape from cold.
7. Life expectancy
Life expectancy of deer is about 20years. But every year their number is getting reduced due to cutting of forests and targeting deer on high level.
8. Dears can swim
It would be matter of interest for many people to know that deer also can swim even in deep waters.
9. Male deer
Male deer are very protective and defensive for their family. They would not let any outsider enter in their territory and can collide with other deer if they try to offend and harm his family members i.e. hind or fawns.
10. Changing of color
After summer and before winter, deer change their color and shed their antlers. This change usually takes place within one or two weeks.