Mary Allen
Deer form a large family within mammals. The meaning of the Latin name “Cervidae” is “antler bearer”. All adult male deer have antlers. The reindeer is an exception, as the females also have antlers. All deer feed on plants, primarily grass, leaves, moss, and the young shoots of conifers.
There are over 50 species of deer in the world. The red deer, fallow deer, roe deer, reindeer, and elk belong to this family and are also found in Europe. Deer are also found in Asia, as well as in North America and South America. Even in Africa, there is a single species of deer, that is the Barbary deer. Whoever mentions the deer in the German-speaking world usually means the red deer, but that is actually not quite correct.
The largest and heaviest deer is the moose. The smallest is the southern pudu. It lives in the mountains of South America and is about the size of a small or medium-sized dog.
How about the antlers?
Antlers are something of a deer’s trademark. Antlers are made of bone and have branches. They should not be confused with horns. Because horns only have a cone made of bone on the inside and consist of horns on the outside, i.e. dead skin. In addition, horns have no branches. They are at most rather straight or a little rounder. Horns stay on for life, as they do on cows, goats, sheep, and many other animals.
Young deer do not yet have antlers. They are also not yet mature enough to have young. Adult deer lose their antlers after mating. His blood supply is cut off. It then dies and regrows. This can start immediately or in a few weeks. In any case, it has to be done quickly, because in less than a year the male deer will need their antlers again to compete for the best females.