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Size
Shoulder height: 165-250 cm
Body length : 120-150 cm
Weight
: 100-220 kg (male) 154-300 kg (female).
Red deer are the largest land mammals in Britain.
Physical Appearance
Red deer have a reddish
brown coat, which changes to a brownish-grey in the
winter. They have a creamy patch on
their rump and a short, beige tail.
Only the males carry antlers, which they lose in February to
April. They grow new antlers in
August.
Distribution
They range from W Europe,
NW Africa, Asia to W China
and NW America. Red deer have also been
introduced to New Zealand. They live in open deciduous woodland, plains,
mountains and moorland.
Diet
Red deer are browsers,
and feed on grasses, herbs, leaves, buds, shoots and bark .
Social organisation and behaviour
Red deer are active both day and
night, but activity peaks at dawn and dusk.
Males carry out ritualised fighting
to minimise the risk of serious injury. They begin by
emitting a powerful roar that echoes through the
forest. This often eliminates the younger
males, who lack the deep, powerful
bellow attained by experienced males.
After roaring, the larger remaining males size each other up, and
if antler and body size are comparable,
they battle for the females with their hardened antlers. The
antlers lock and each
male
attempts to forcefully push the other away.The
strongest and most powerful male wins and secures a harem (group) of
females for mating.
Reproduction
After a gestation
period of 33-34 weeks, the female gives
birth to one calf, and very
rarely has twins. The calf is weaned after
9-12 months and reaches sexual maturity after one and a half
years.
Conservation/status
Red deer are not considered to be endangered, and in some
areas, they are
over-populated and may be culled.
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