Deer Facts

About the deer

The deer family splits into two subfamilies. Cervinae covers elk, red deer, fallow deer and muntjac. Capreolinae covers moose, reindeer, roe deer and white-tailed deer. Antlers are bony outgrowths of the skull, regrown every year and often used when males fight. Male water deer are the exception and grow none, while female reindeer grow them too.

Some deer-like animals are not true deer. Musk deer of Asia and chevrotains of tropical African and Asian forests belong to separate families and are not closely related to Cervidae. People have depicted deer since Paleolithic cave paintings, and deer show up in myths, religion and literature. Venison comes from their meat, buckskin from their hides, and knife handles from their antlers. Hunting deer has been popular since the Middle Ages.

Did you know?

• Red deer appear on the coat of arms of Åland.
• Deer hunting still helps feed many families today.
• The plural of deer is simply deer.