What are the different types of deer?

There are many different deer types throughout the world and it is amazing to see such diversity in nature. Deer families are present in all the regions of the world having 53 species except Australia and Antarctica. Each region has different deer species and has different names. Let’s dive into the details of such deer species.

What are the different types of deer?

Following are the different types of deer species in the world:

Black-tailed deer

The first member of this family is the black-tailed deer which is found mainly in Columbia and Alaska. It is native to North America.

Black-tailed deer are herbivorous species and munch on algae, fungi, plants, and shrubs. They are ruminant by nature. They weigh around 130 pounds but can reach upto 200 pounds depending on diet and body size. The male has antlers, and the wild female lacks them. The male antlers started growing 6–8 months of age.

Black-tailed deer is the subspecies of the mule deer and has a black or dark brown tail and white underneath, which is sometimes confused with its counterpart whitetail deer. Black-tail deer have distinctive dark brown antlers, a tough body, and slender legs.

Mule deer

The next type of deer is the mule deer found in the deserts of North and South America. They have a brown color body, which helps them adjust to the desert environment. Mule deer have distinctive forked antlers, and white patches on either side of the hind quarter distinguish it from the rest of the deer species in America.

The tail tip of the mule deer is dipped in black ink. Mule deer have a shoulder height of 4 feet and a total height of 6 feet including the antlers. Mule deer weigh around 280 pounds.

Chital deer

The next type of deer is the chital deer found in America. They were transported to Texas in the 1930s and now have a significant population. Chital deer also called axis deer have unique white spots on their entire body, which do not fade as white-tailed deer.

They have six-point antlers, and many males have more than that. Chital deer have long, narrow muzzles and dark black color noses. Their hooves are not developed to move in rugged areas, so they avoid such grounds.

They weigh around 60 to 150 pounds depending upon the location and habitat of the region. They also have a slightly brownish color coat.

Elk deer

The next type of deer is the elk, the second largest deer in the family Cervidae after moose. Elk weighs around 1100 pounds and has a height of 7 feet. They have a length of 8 to 10 feet from the nose to the base of the tail.

Elk are found in North America and some parts of Asia. The male has antlers, which are around 4 feet while females lack antlers. Elk have a copper or brownish color coat in summer while tan color in winter and fall.

Red deer

The next type of deer is the red deer which is the fourth largest deer on earth. It has a body length of 105 inches for males and 90 inches for females. Males and females weigh around 530 and 370 pounds respectively. Red deer have 13 different subspecies with Carpathian mountain deer as the largest subspecies.

Red deer are found in parts of Europe and Asia like Iran. The elk was once considered a red deer, but later on, it was regarded as a separate species by international rules. The male deer is stag or hart, and the female is called hind.

Fallow deer

The next type of deer is the fallow deer which is mainly found in the Middle East and Europe. There are two main subspecies of fallow deer; one is called European fallow deer, and the other is called Persian fallow deer.

European fallow deer male has a shoulder height of 40 inches, and female has 35 inches. Males and females weigh around 220 pounds and 150 pounds respectively. Persian fallow deer are the same in appearance as European fallow deer except for the palmated antlers. The Persian fallow deer is regarded as an endangered species by the IUCN.

Muntjac deer

The next type of deer is the muntjac deer which is mainly found in Asia specifically in India. Muntjac deer have a rust color in summer and dark gray in winter. Males are called bucks, females Does, and young ones fawn.

The weight ranges from 20 kg for males and 16 kg for females. They have an average height of a man, which is 0.55 m. They have a hunched appearance of body with hindquarters slightly up with downward shoulders.

The male has small antlers which are covered with fur at the base. Males have downward-directed black lines on the face. They have a broad, flat tail that is erect and shows a white color underneath when disturbed.

Roe deer

The next type of deer is the roe deer which is mainly found in the UK and Ireland. Males are called Bucks, and females Does, while young ones are kids. They weigh around 10 to 25 kgs for males and 20 kgs for females. They have white humps and no visible tails.

Males have small antlers, which have three points when fully grown. Antlers are beaded when they are fully grown and covered by nodules. They have a rusty color coat in winter and dull, gray colors in winter. They have small hooves which they use to dig. You may see around 4 cm marks on the ground.

They also urinate to mark their territory. Roe deer have black eyes, noses, and mouths surrounded by white color. They have large ears. You may see dugged areas where a roe deer is usually living.

Reindeer

The next type of deer is the reindeer which is found in arctic, subarctic, and boreal regions, especially the north pole. They can survive such harsh climates. Male and female both have antlers which is the characteristic of this type of deer.

Females use antlers to find food as it is difficult to remove the ice in otherwise case. Females have thin antlers, which help them to defend the young ones from predators. Reindeer have a pale creamy to brown color coat and are very thick to provide isolation to the body. They have a thin coat on the body but have hair around the neck region.

The extremities are short, meaning short ears, legs, and tails to prevent heat loss from the body.

Reindeer is the same deer that is semi-domesticated by Santa and others.

Moose deer

Moose deer is the largest deer of the family Cervidae. It has a shoulder height of 7 feet or more and weighs around 1800 lbs. They have unique and large antlers which are 6 feet in weight and weigh approximately 80 lbs.

Moose live in north arctic areas where there is harsh weather. They have thick and short coats except for the neck region where the coat is long, giving them a mane. The thick coat helps to reduce heat dissipation.

They have short but bulky bodies with well-developed shoulders. Moose have dark-colored coats which tend to absorb more heat. They have small eyes but large ears which can detect light noise easily. They have a longer lower lip which is used for prehension.

What is the difference between a deer and an antelope?

Following are the key differences between deer and antelope:

• Deer and antelope are two different families. Deer belong to the Cervidae family while antelopes belong to the Bovidae family.
• Deer antlers grow and shed annually while antlers of antelope do not shed and are permanent.
• Antlers of deer branch out while antlers of antelope do not branch out instead having a unique shape.
• Deer are found in every region except Australia and Antarctica while antelopes are native to Africa and Asia.
• Deer have 53 species while antelope have 91 species.
• Lastly, deer include moose, reindeer, and red deer while antelope include gazelle, markhor, and waterbuck.

Bottom line

In this blog, we have discussed the main features of different types of deer species. This article also covers the habitat and geographical distribution of the main species of the deer family. Deer family is very vast and to study them all is not easy.