Deer are the ruminant mammals. Male deer of all species except one species grow and shed new antlers each
year – in this they differ from permanently horned animals such as antelope. Here’s a list of distinct species of
deer.
Tufted Deer (Elaphodus cephalophus)
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Take a close look at those canine teeth. This animal is not Dracula’s Deer; it’s the Tufted Deer, a close relative
of the Muntjac. It can be found in China, India and Myanmar. It is restricted to forested mountain habitat up to
4500 meters above sea level, making study difficult, and, although suffering from habitat loss, is not considered
endangered. This small deer that grows up to 70 cm has small antlers and like related species the males have
short tusks. It is well camouflaged, the most prominent feature being a tuft of black hair over the forehead.
Hair-fronted Muntjac (Muntiacus crinifrons)
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The Hairy-fronted Muntjac or Black Muntjac of south China and Myanmar is extremely difficult to study because
of its shyness. It is considered an endangered species with as few as 10,000 individuals spread over a wide area.
The number of this small deer in Myanmar is suggested to be similar to those in China. The most notable trait of
this deer is the hair on its face hence the common name.
Chinese Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis)
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This is not a Vampire Deer my Dear. The male Water Deer is the most unique of all male deer. It is the only deer
that do not possess or grow an antler. It is superficially more similar to a musk deer than a true deer. Instead of
having antlers it has tusks (downward-pointing canine teeth). These unique characteristics have caused it to be
classified in its own genus (Hydropotes) and its own subfamily (Hydropotinae). It is endemic to China and Korea,
there are two subspecies: the Chinese Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis inermis) and the Korean Water Deer
(Hydropotes inermis argyropus).
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The long canine teeth which protrude from the upper jaw are fairly large in the bucks, ranging in length from 5.5
cm / 2.1 in. on average to as long as 8 cm / 3.2 in. Does in comparison, have tiny canines that are on an average
of 0.5 cm / 0.2 in. in length.
Barren Ground Caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus)
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This is yet another peculiar deer my dear because it is an albino deer. This albino deer is a Barren-ground
Caribou, a subspecies of Caribou that can be found in Canada and Greenland. Male and female have antlers.
Males can grow up to 150 kg and female up to 90 kg.
Pudu (Pudu)
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The Pudu is endemic to South America and considered as the world’s smallest deer. It grows up to 16 inches
tall. Its uniqueness is not due to its size only. It has several interesting characteristics that distinguish it from other
deer. It is capable of climbing fallen trees, and it is sometimes forced to do so, both to escape predators and
reach food. Because of its small size, it is often forced to balance on its hind legs to reach foliage. When
threatened, it barks in alarm.
Fallow Deer (Dama dama)
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The good-looking Fallow Deer has a life span of about 12-16 years. All of the Fallow Deer have white spots on
their backs, and black tips at the ends of their tails.
The species is very variable in color, with four main variants, common, menil, melanistic and white – a genuine
color variety and not a true albanistic which is extremely rare.
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European Red Deer (Cervus elaphus)
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The Red Deer can be found in Europe and parts of Asia and Africa. It is one of the largest species of deer and
the only species of deer to inhabit Africa. However, it has been introduce to other parts of the world. The venison
of Red Deer is a major source of food in many areas.
Wapiti (Cervus canadensis)
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The Wapiti or Elk is one of the largest deer in the world and one of the largest mammals in North America and
eastern Asia. Male elk have large antlers which are shed each year. Males engage in ritualized mating behaviors
during the rut, including posturing, antler wrestling, and bugling, a loud series of screams which establishes
dominance over other males and attracts females. The bugle call is one of the most distinctive calls in nature.
Sika Deer (Cervus nippon)
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The Sika Deer inhabits much of East Asia. Several subspecies include the Dybowski’s Sika Deer of Manchuria
and Ussuri Region, the Hokkaido Sika Deer of Hokkaido Island in Japan, the Kerama Sika Deer of Ryukyu Islands
and the Formosan Sika Deer. They can be found in several zoos and are being kept alive by a captive-
management program.
Eld’s Deer (Cervus eldii M’Clelland)
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The Eld’s Deer is indigenous to Southeast Asia. There are 3 subspecies recognized; the Manipur Brow-antlered
Deer, the Thailand Brow-antlered Deer and the Burmese Brow-antlered Deer. The species was first discovered
by westerners in Manipur in 1839. It was named Cervus eldi in 1844 in honor of Lt. Percy Eld – a British officer.
Chital Deer (Axis axis)
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The Chital or Cheetal, also known as Spotted Deer or Axis Deer can be found in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh
and India. It is the most common deer species in Indian forests. Its coat is reddish fawn, marked with white spots,
and its under parts are white. Its antlers, which it sheds annually, are usually three-pronged and curve in a lyre
shape and may extend to 75 cm or 2.5 ft. Lifespan is around 20-30 years.
Persian Fallow Deer (Dama dama mesopotamica)
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The Persian Fallow Deer is a subspecies of Fallow Deer. It has a bigger and less palmated antlers and nearly
extinct today, inhabiting only a small habitat in Iran and Israel. They are bred in zoos and parks in Iran, Israel and
Germany today. The existing population may be suffering from inbreeding and lack of genetic diversity. More than
650 of them live in Israel.
Reindeer/Caribou (Rangifer tarandus)
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And who does not recognize the reindeer? Reindeer and Caribou is the same. It is called as the Caribou when
wild in North America. It is an Arctic and Sub-Arctic-dwelling deer, widespread and numerous across the northern
Holartic. Originally, the Reindeer was found in many areas from Scandinavia, Russia, China, Alaska, Canada and
US. Today, wild reindeer have disappeared from many areas within its large historical range, especially from the
southern parts, where it vanished almost everywhere. Large populations of wild reindeer are still found in Norway,
Siberia, Greenland, Alaska and Canada.
Migratory Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou)
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The Migratory Woodland Caribou of Quebec and Labrador live in two wild herds, the Leaf herd with 628,000
individuals and the George River herd with 385,000 individuals. The caribou generally travel upwards of 2,000 km
annually and live in an area of about 1,000,000 square kilometers. Some individuals have been observed
traveling 6,000 km in a single year.
Moose (Alces alces)
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The Moose in North America or Elk in Europe is the largest species of deer in the world. A Moose is recognizable
by the palmate antlers of the males. The word moose is derived from the Algonquian Eastern Abnaki name moz,
which loosely translates to “twig eater”.
Hope you enjoyed this. Thank you!
See also
12 Amazingly Unique Sheep
World’s Most Awesome-looking Goats
Written by nobertbermosa
I am a Secondary School Head Teacher III and currently enrolled for my doctorate degree at Araullo University. I also contribute to Triond and Factoid
Hokkaido at a Glance Hokkaido is the northernmost island of Japan, a country at the eastern verge of Eurasia and the western edge of the Pacific Ocean. The 21st largest island in the world, Hokkaido is roughly the same size as Austria and its population is similar to those of Denmark and Finland. With 50million tourists welcomed to Hokkaido each year, the island holds rank as Japans premier sightseeing region. In 2008, at the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit, Hokkaido was further showcased to the world as an ideal site for international conferences.
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