The moment we see a deer, the first thing that catches our attention is its antlers!Antlers are natural extensions of the skull which are distinct from horns. Did you know that antlers are the fastest-growing living tissue in the world?Antlers are unique to deer and males, of most species, carry them barring Musk deer and Chinese water deer, in which neither possesses the antlers. Another exception is reindeer, in which both sexes possess them. The reindeer uses antlers to compete with other males during mating. The antlers take about 150 days to grow and are shed annually. They have a coat of velvet, rich in nerves and blood vessels, which also die.The growth of antlers demands a high-quality diet, rich in protein, minerals, and energy, despite the deer being a herbivore. They are specialized herbivores, evident in their complex digestive organs like four-chambered stomach, complex teeth, mobile lips. They require to feed on a low fiber, high protein content food like highly selective grasses, lichens, aquatic plants, woody shoots, fruits, buds.These food requirements have a strong influence on the living environment or habitats. They avoid places that lack productive habitats like deserts, dry grasslands. They live in habitats like warm and wet rainforests, mountain areas, dense forests, planted areas. Reindeer is the only domesticated species among all the deers, as they can co-exist with humans.Deer are ruminant mammals with a life span of 10 to 20 years based on species and location. Deer may be found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica, and there are more than 60 different species. A few popular species are moose, red deer, reindeer, roe. Their height can vary from 13 in - 8.5 ft ( 32 cm - 2.6 m) and weigh from 27 - 1544 lb (12 - 700 kg). Most deer are medium brown, with varying shades. White stag also exists, though rare. When spotted, they are viewed as a business opportunity, as they can get sold for thousands of pounds. Deer hunting is also considered a business, as it is popular amongst adventure seekers.Deer are unique in having two large and two small hooves on each foot. Another interesting fact is they have 310 degrees of vision, as their eyes are located on the sides. This is very high compared to humans, who have 180 degrees of vision. Their excellent night vision helps them during dawn and dusk when they are most active. Deer are very good swimmers and can jump as high as 10 ft (3 m). They are less active in winter, preserving food when it is available less. They have a homeland range of up to 30 mi (48.2 km), moving around based on food availability. Their exceptional sense of smell and hearing helps them in sensing danger and spotting food and other deer. Did you know that deer are color blind to neon orange, which is why hunters wear jackets of that color?They communicate through body language, sounds, and scent marking, which they use to call each other, escaping from predators, marking territories, mating. Their language consists of several types of sounds to alert each other in danger.Moose is the largest in the deer family. Large male deer, called stag, is also being called a buck. A doe deer, sometimes known as a hind, is a female, whereas a fawn is a juvenile deer. Antlers distinguish the bucks and do from each other. Bucks use antlers to fight overdoes during mating season or rut. The overpowering buck becomes the winner. Their mating season begins in the fall when they are most fertile. Deer in tropical regions breed throughout the year. The larger species have more extended gestation periods. By late spring, they’ve given birth to one to three fawns. The fawns have white spots when they are born, which disappear as they grow. These spots act as defensive mechanisms by blending into their background, camouflaging them. They usually stay with the mother until two years of age, till they can fetch their food. Another mechanism of escaping from predators is the lack of smell on fawns. Within half an hour of birth, they are able to walk.You can learn more about these fun facts, like how fast can a deer run? And are deer color blind?What is a group of roe deer called?A group of deer is called a herd. Mob, bunch, parcel, or rangale, are other ways to call a group of deer.The roe deer is a deer species that is modest in size but powerful. It has a stocky appearance and has short legs. It is a native of Europe which is primarily solitary but sometimes forms small groups of females and her young ones.A bevy is a collective term for a bunch of roe deer. Small groups are also referred to as parcels. Flock is a collective noun used for a group of animals of similar kinds that live, feed, and travel together like sheep, goats, birds, and herd is the right word for a group of deers. It can be used for people of a particular type, like folks are under a single leader, like members of a church, tourists of a place.The collective noun for a group of crocodiles is called bask on land and float in water. The word bask symbolizes their enjoyment under the sunshine and a bunch of other group members. A gang is a collective term for a group of elk. The male elk is called a bull, and the female is called a cow. Horde is the collective noun for a bunch of hamsters. The collective name for a group of crows is murder. The word murder is associated with crows as they are considered an omen of death.Can one group of deer be run off of their territory by another group of deer?Many times, bucks are more competitive than they do. They try to establish territory when they want to attract the female. A sort of passive competition may be seen between the herds for resources like food, water.On some occasions, a herd of a territory can become possessive of their range and may become defensive about their core areas and heft against each other, especially the male deer. On such occasions, they may drive the herds of other ranges to protect their resources.Why would a group of deers chase another deer away?Deer live in herds and are generally very alert to any potential danger. They have effective communication methods to signal an impending danger to protect themselves as a group.However, on certain occasions, a herd can call a group of deer to chase for territorial reasons, where for dominance and food resources. In such situations, they prefer to stick to their herd. The male deer is more aggressive than the female deer, which is more amiable and takes care of their fawn.How many deers is called a herd?Deer like to live in large groups though we see them alone grazing many times, near a river bank for water. Else, they can feed large animals for dinner! Primarily, prey animals live together and work together to lower the chances of attacks by predator animals.A group of deer called, herd, generally, three to five bucks. The male deer do not form groups as does the female deer. The does form groups with fawn, and other does, whereas the bucks group amongst themselves. This herd of deer is also referred to as rangale or parcel. The word Rangale originates from the French word, Rengaille, symbolizing the main body of an army. Since deer are mostly seen together, they resemble an army. A small herd is a parcel, which originates from the Latin name Particula, meaning a small portion.Does a group include both male and female deer?The male deer are more territorial and establish their dominance with their antlers and age. Deers are more peaceful at taking care of the fawns and maintain a much more pleasant family environment within the herd.The herd of deer generally does not include bucks and does. The doe’s group is with other does and fawns, whereas the bucks form a herd with other bucks or stay alone.Common behaviors of the herdSometimes, the doe chases all other deer away, which is not a territorial fight. When food resources are scarce and desperate times, the doe can become aggressive in chasing away other animals to preserve the food. Some red deer show highly territorial behavior as a mating strategy and courted females within their range only. After moose, elk, and sambar deer, the red deer, which can be found in Europe and other parts of the world, struggles to claim territory over females. Another species, mule deer, live in herds most of the time, but the male deer and female deer come together only during mating or rutting.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you like our suggestions for what is a group of deer called? Then why not take a look at when do whitetail deer shed their antlers? or Kashmir Musk Deer Facts.
The moment we see a deer, the first thing that catches our attention is its antlers!
