Red deer
The red deer (Cervus elaphus) appeared in Europe by the beginning of the Middle Pleistocene around 800,000 years ago. These earliest forms belonged to the palaeosubspecies Cervus elaphus acoronatus. Biologists once considered the red deer and elk or wapiti as a single species forming a continuous distribution throughout temperate Eurasia and North America. This belief relied on fully fertile hybrids produced under captive conditions. Genetic evidence now clearly shows that the wapiti and red deer form two separate species. The ancestor of the red deer probably originated in central Asia. A 2014 mitochondrial DNA study revealed the internal phylogeny of Cervus to be distinct from other groups. Another member of the red deer group which may represent a separate species is C. corsicanus. If so, C. corsicanus includes the subspecies C. e. barbarus restricted to Maghreb in North Africa, Corsica, and Sardinia.
A male red deer is called a stag or hart, while a female is called a hind. The male red deer is typically long from the nose to the base of the tail and weighs between specific ranges depending on location. European red deer have a relatively long tail compared with their Asian and North American relatives. Subtle differences in appearance are noted between the various subspecies of red deer, primarily in size and antlers. The smallest being the Corsican red deer found on the islands of Corsica and Sardinia. The largest being the Caspian red deer of Asia Minor and the Caucasus Region to the west of the Caspian Sea. Large red deer stags, like the Caspian red deer or those of the Carpathian Mountains, may rival North American elk in size. Female red deer are much smaller than the males. Antlers start growing in the spring and are shed each year, usually at the end of winter. While an antler is growing, it is covered with highly vascular skin called velvet. Antlers can grow at a rate of 25 millimeters a day. Any tines in excess of the fourth and fifth tines grow radially from the cup.
The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of Western Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains of Northern Africa, being the only living species of deer to inhabit Africa. As of the mid-1990s, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria were the only African countries known to have red deer. In France, the population multiplied five-fold in the last half-century, increasing from 30,000 in 1970 to around 160,000 in 2014. The deer has particularly expanded its footprint into forests at higher altitudes than before. Red deer in Europe generally spend their winters at lower altitudes in more wooded terrain. During the summer, they migrate to higher elevations where food supplies are greater and better for the calving season. In New Zealand, red deer were introduced by acclimatisation societies along with other deer and game species. Between 1851 and 1926, 220 separate liberations of red deer involved over 800 deer. In Argentina and Chile, the red deer has had a potentially adverse impact on native animal species.
Mature red deer usually stay in single-sex groups for most of the year. During the mating season, called the rut, mature stags compete for the attentions of the hinds. Rival stags challenge opponents by belling and walking in parallel. This allows combatants to assess each other's antlers, body size and fighting prowess. If neither stag backs down, a clash of antlers can occur, and stags sometimes sustain serious injuries. Dominant stags urinate on themselves and follow groups of hinds during the rut, from August into early winter. The stags may have as many as 20 hinds to keep from other, less attractive males. Male European red deer have a distinctive roar during the rut. The male deer roars to keep his harem of females together. Females are initially attracted to those males that both roar most often and have the loudest roar call. Roaring is most common during the early dawn and late evening. Only mature stags hold harems, and breeding success peaks at about eight years of age.
In many parts of the world, the meat from red deer is used as a food source. The meat of the deer, called venison, was until recently restricted in the United Kingdom to those with connections to the aristocratic or poaching communities. A licence was needed to sell it legally, but it is now widely available in supermarkets, especially in the autumn. Venison is higher in protein and lower in fat than either beef or chicken. The red deer can produce up to 1 kilogram of antler velvet annually. On ranches in New Zealand, China, Siberia, and elsewhere, this velvet is collected and sold to markets in East Asia. South Korea is the primary consumer for holistic medicines. In Russia, a medication produced from antler velvet is sold under the brand name Pantokrin. Deer hair products are also used in the fly fishing industry, being used to tie flies. Deer antlers were and still are the source material for horn furniture. Already in the 15th century trophies of case were used for clothes hooks, storage racks and chandeliers.
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Common questions
When did the red deer appear in Europe?
The red deer appeared in Europe by the beginning of the Middle Pleistocene around 800,000 years ago. These earliest forms belonged to the palaeosubspecies Cervus elaphus acoronatus.
What is the difference between a male and female red deer called?
A male red deer is called a stag or hart while a female is called a hind. Female red deer are much smaller than the males and typically stay in single-sex groups for most of the year.
Where does the red deer inhabit today?
The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of Western Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains of Northern Africa being the only living species of deer to inhabit Africa.
How long do antlers grow each day on the red deer?
Antlers can grow at a rate of 25 millimeters a day while covered with highly vascular skin called velvet. Antlers start growing in the spring and are shed each year usually at the end of winter.
When was the red deer introduced to New Zealand?
Between 1851 and 1926, 220 separate liberations of red deer involved over 800 deer. Red deer were introduced by acclimatisation societies along with other deer and game species during this period.