Curiosity is one of the many beautiful components that make human beings. Recently I was seated somewhere, and I was suddenly aware that it the holiday season. The next thought was a memory about reindeer and the Santa clause. I have always been curious about how it is he was able to get reindeer to fly. I also wondered where he could have found such a friendly reindeer. I heard that deer often have similar traits and that I have to pay plenty of attention to each species’ features to identify it successfully.
Of course, I went ahead to do the only thing we do when we are curious about something. I went online to find out more about reindeers, and I accidentally discovered that I did not know about deer types. I like to learn new things, so I read short articles about the different deer species worldwide. It sometimes requires you to look at specific features about a particular deer species to tell them apart, as I genuinely discovered from my reading. I found a lot of interesting facts about the different types of deer. It would only be right if I briefly shared what I learned about some seventeen different types of deer.
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Alpine Musk Deer

The Alpine Musk Deer gets part of its name because it dwells in mountain regions in the Himalayas and Siberia. If I were on an expedition to look for this deer, the best time would be to go at night. Alpine musk deer are nocturnal, which has earned them an adscription of being shy. They also prefer to spend time by themselves, and you will rarely see one in the company of another.
When it comes to identifying one, I would have to check that neither has antlers nor facial glands. Sometimes they are referred to as vampire deer because they have oversized canines that look like fangs. I wouldn’t imagine what it would be like to come across one in the dark by myself. I think that I would be more scared than excited. Picture bambino with fangs. Scary, isn’t it?
However, cometary to my opinion, their long canines are just what adds to the deer’s aesthetic, and they are, in fact, relatively harmless. This deer seems to be on the receiving end of having elongated facial features as it also has long ears and a uniquely long tail. It would be hard to miss this deer when you go hiking in the Himalayas or Siberia.
The deer has a grey-brown coat with long hair that is quite brittle. The lifespan of an Alpine musk deer is at seven years. The musk part of its name is because the males have a gland that secretes musk to attract females during mating season. One interesting fact about their behavior between a male and a female alpine musk deer is that the males are territorial. They feed on plant leaves and shrubs.
Axis Deer

Axis deer also goes by the name Chital deer. It is one of the most exciting deer types, mostly because of its characteristics at a young age. When young, axis deer have white spots that last throughout. I would expect that the spot sold to fade as it grows into its body, but perhaps nature has to make it enjoyable that way. Instead of fading off, the spots develop to occupy the rest of the body up to the legs.
I would give anything to witness such a remarkable transformation. Finding out this information about this type of deer made me enthusiastic about finding out more information about it. The white spot should make it one of the easiest types of deer to spot inf I was to go on an adventure.
When it comes to the rest of its appearance, the chital deer has a long muzzle and a black nose—a mature deer weight between 60 to 170 pounds. The weight of the axis deer depends on the region where it dwells. Males have antlers with six points, with the dominant ones having more than six. These are kind of antlers that you are likely to find mounted in hunters’ homes.
They are common in Texas. They prefer to live in areas where the land is even to facilitate movement since they have special hoofs that allow them to thrive. They are an extroverted species, and you are likely to spot them in groups.
Common Fallow Deer

I discovered that this the most likely kind of deer to find in a zoo or a park. It has its origins In Eastern Mediterranean but is now common in the United Kingdoms. The easiest way to spot a common fallow deer is by its gingery brown feed coat with white spots on the back. Its tail is black and white. However, just like human beings, they tend to differ in looks in that some of them have dark brown without any spots, especially in winter.
They have a grace about them, with their height going up to three feet. The male and female vary in weight, with the male weighing between 40-60 kg and the female 31-44 kg. They prefer to feed on herbs and foliage. When they spot a predator, they move in a way in a fashion of stiff-legged jumping and stotting.
One common characteristic between the buck and some human males is that they have Adam’s apple. The mating ceremony features the male waving the antlers at the female while making a sound. Their pursue of attractive females does not end there as they use the smell of their urine to invite females to mate. They are often very possessive of females in their territories and often deny them exit.
Leaf Muntjac Deer

Leaf Muntjac deer is one of the smallest deer species according to the wildlife conservation society. I found that I can find it in Myanmar in the Hukawng Valley. They prefer to live in the region between the tropical and temperate forests where there are dense. This deer is one of the most recently discovered deer species.
It mostly dwells in different areas across Asia. One fun fact about its name’s origins is that it is small enough to fit in a leaf. I looked at a picture of someone holding a full-grown muntjac deer, and I realized just how little it is. A mature leaf muntjac weighs around the same as a chicken or a cat at 10-20 pounds.
When it comes to antlers, the buck has unbranched antlers measuring 2.5 cm in height. Was it not for the antlers, it would be impossible to tell a male and a female leaf minijack deer apart? Young muntjac deer lacks spots. Both females and males have canine tusks. They have tiny rounded ears, which when you spot one on an adventure, you will find that the ears have tears.
Interestingly, the female species color tends to change in the spring and summer. All the changes to their appearances are to survive in their woody environments by hiding from predators. I’ll admit that this is one of the most exciting deer to come across. They have the most adorable huge eyes that allow them to see clearly in the dark. If I were to keep a deer as my animal companion would most likely choose a muntjac deer.
Marsh Deer

The height of a full-grown marsh deer is 100-127 cm, making it one of South America’s largest deer. When it comes to appearances, they have red gold brown fur, which often turns dark during winter. A picture of the marsh deer reminded me of one of my favorite childhood animated movies.
One distinctive feature of marsh deer is the eras that are extremely large and lined with white hairs. Like most deer, this species has big black eyes. After finding out this part about Marsh deer, it got me thinking about whether deer see in color or black and white.
For marsh deer to survive in their swampy habitats, they have long legs and hooves with an elastic interdigital membrane. These features make them perfect swimmers and able to walk on marshy surfaces comfortably. It must be wonderful to possess a regular water animal’s qualities like a duck and still belong to specific land species.
Only bucks have double forked antlers that are capable of growing up to about sixty centimeters. A fully grown marsh deer weighs between 80 -125 kg. Their lifespan is ten years. If you plan on going on a trip to the marshy regions of South America, you are sure to spot a marsh deer or two.
Moose

It seems that all the species of deer remind me of my most favorite childhood movies. That said, I was not surprised to find out that moose is the largest deer species, with full-grown bulls weighing between 300-350 kg. If you ever come across one, you can identify it, especially if it is a male by its huge antlers that measure six feet from end to end. I know what you are thinking, how it is they support so much weight on their heads? Well, it’s a matter of muscle and another anatomy, but to put it simply, it another one of nature’s wonders.
The way to tell apart a moose from other deer species is that moose have a flap of skin, beltways, bunder the throat. Since they are tall animals, they prefer to live in areas with tall shrubs since its along the way down. Their diet varies from season to season, with the feeding on shrubs and pinecones in winter. It turns out their hooves are quite handy, too, as they use them to scratch the snow to reach nutritious moss and to balance in soft snow and marshy ground.
Instead of buck, male moose are bulls. When mating season comes in September, they below loudly to get attention from females. The males live solitary lives but tend to come together to fight for females in the mating season. After mating, the males are absent partners, and they only show attention to females in the next mating season. Moose are common in North America and Eurasia.
Females can have one or two calves around spring. A calve weighs an average of 30 pounds. You wouldn’t expect a feeble young animal to outrun a grown human being. However, in the case of moose calves, they are capable of outrunning a person. Calves leave to stay with their mothers for at least a year—what a tough life.
Mule Deer

If you have never heard of a deer with ears larger than its head, then you must not have heard of the Mule deer. Although other deer have the same characteristics as this deer, this species, in particular, has distinctively large ears. You probably have to take a second look at this deer because the face has a mask, which is just a black forehead.
The coat of this species changes from season to season. It’s tannish brown in the summer and brownish grey in the winter. One way of recognizing this deer in the wild is by identifying the white rump patch and having a small whitetail with a black tip.
When it’s time to run, it moves by trotting motion where all the four hooves push off the ground simultaneously. A mature mule deer Is at least 3.5 feet tall and weighs between 130 and 280 pounds. Typically, the female mule deer is smaller than the female. This species dwells mostly in Missouri in the Rocky Mountain region. These areas have rich shrub growth and young plants that are more nutritious.
Mule deer are quite selective when it comes to diet. They can live to a maximum of eleven years. A fun fact about these deer is that they get their name from having large ears like those of a mule.
Pere David’s Deer

Pere David’s deer is one of the most endangered species. Its origins in China had reports of extinction around the 1860s when the Emperor of Chinas Imperial Hunting park started to ensure that the species have protection.
The deer species measures about 1.1 metes tall. It has heavy legs and hooves. The proportion doesn’t seem to match with that of the ears as they are small. It also features a long bushy tail. Like most deer species, the coat appears to change color in the summer and winter, going from reddish-brown to grayish brown.
The antlers on the bucks are long and forked shortly above the base. Right now, you are most likely to spot the deer in a zoo or in-game reserves. I couldn’t find much information about this species in terms of how it lives. Most literature about this deer is about the conservation measures underway to ensure that it does not go extinct.
Pronghorn

Deers are fast, but this deer species, in particular, is extra quick and can run more than 53 miles an hour. This characteristic allows the deer to get away from predators like coyotes and bobcats. When I found out about their speed, I wondered what would happen if you put them up to race with antelopes.
They stand at proud three feet tall above the shoulders. Their coat is reddish-brown, but the underbelly is white and has white stripes on their throats. This feature is hard to miss if you ever go exploring to try and find some Pronghorn.
Another attractive characteristic about this species is that both males and females have horns split into forwarding pointing prongs, thus the name pronghorn. The horns can grow more than one foot. They are ruminants that feed on grass and sagebrush. The mating season for the pronghorns begins in autumn. The males are territorial and protective of their females.
Red Deer

In Australia, Red deer take the position of the second-largest wild deer species. They live on deer farms in Australia. The stag can grow up to 120 cm tall and weighs between 135-160 kg. The female red deer, known as hind, are about 90 cm tall and weigh at least 92 kg. They get their name because they have a russet brown coat that covers their outer legs.
The rest of the body, particularly the underparts and neck, are grey. The distinct identifying feature of these deer is the straw-colored patch on the rump. At birth, the young ones have spots, but they grow into their uniform dull brown coat in time before maturity.
Stags have antlers with a unique design of the main beam and three tines on them. The appearance of the antlers determines the position of a stag in a red deer community. Availability of food demines how big the antlers of a male red deer will grow. They have large heads that are only reasonable to support the antlers and has wide brown spaced eyes.
It is possible to confuse the hoofprint of this animal with that of sheep or goats. The mating season comes with a fight among stags to establish dominance with females. The stags can roar and grunt while females bark, especially when looking for the young ones.
Reindeer

When I started reading about this deer, I thought I could finally answer whether reindeer can fly and whether they are fictional. I found that reindeer are real deer that you can quickly identify from the antlers’ appearance that can grow up to 1.4 meters in males. Of course, that is in addition to the fact that they have broad hooves bound to leave a distinct print wherever they step.
They have a broad muzzle, wherein in fictional movies, Santa clause can tie a rope. They have a brown coat that transforms to white in winter. This species of deer is the easiest one to domesticate, which happens in the Asian Arctic. They make great assistance when it is time to pull loads through the ice. Apart from Asia Artic, they also dwell in Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia, and Northern China.
It is almost impossible to come across a lone reindeer s they often move in herds. They are herbivores that graze and feed on lichen, leaves, and moss during the winter. They also enjoy a diet of Urea that has low protein content during the winter. A male can weigh up to 250kg, while the females are likely to weigh less. I answered a lot of questions after reading about reindeer online. All that remains now is for me to go exploring to see if I can spot one in its natural habitat. I was a bit disappointed to learn that reindeer cannot fly, but I was happy with all the new things I discovered about them.
Roe Deer

I found out that the roe deer is the most common deer species, especially in the country. The way to identify this species is by the white rump located on its body that is often easily visible as it moves around. The fur on a arose deer changes from season to season, with it appearing red-brown in summer and fading into a duller shade in the winter.
Unlike most males in most deer species with big horns, the males in the roe deer species have small antlers with three points that they shed and grow up yearly. The similarity between males and females is in the fact that both have black noses and white chins.
Roe deer dirt is tree shoots, leaves, and herbs. Their mating season is in the summer. The males put up fights with each other during this time, followed by courtship. The female roe deer can have two or three calves in spring, known as kids or fawns. These young ones come with a spotted coat, which is useful for camouflage from predators.
Roe deer are common in Britain and Ireland. They are not restricted by space as they even go into human settlements in the country and urban centers to explore and feed. Go quietly into the woods, and you are likely to spot one. They are quite intuitive, as are all animals of intruders.
Sambar Deer

Sambar deer is another deer species deer that is nocturnal. When confronted by a predator, they freeze and then proceed to make threatening sounds against the predators. They have a mane that erects when they are scared as well. I would give anything to witness such an event. They can adapt quickly to new environments.
They prefer to live in areas with a water body or areas with dense forests such as the Himalayan Mountains, Taiwan, Sumatra, and Borneo. It is the largest seer species in Australia after the moose and wapiti. The species is known for its shyness and its ability to hide from predators. They are a great source of inspiration for looking for ideas of costumes with camouflage qualities.
You can tell by their appearance that they are tough. Sambar deer have a thick hide and coarse fur that is uniform brown. The brown color lightens towards the chin and legs. They also have large round ears that are pale with hair tufts. Stags can grow up to a height of 130 cm and weigh 230 kg. Sambar deer also have triple tined antlers. If you ever feel the need to go exploring to look for deer, this is one species that you have a good time looking for.
Sika Deer

Saka deer are common in mountainous regions. This species of deer is medium-sized with a mature one growing up to 138-179 cm. They are close in resemblance to fallow deer, especially in the summer when they have a spotted coat that becomes rougher in the winter. Unlike the fallow deer, this species has a shorter tail.
They always appear to give you a look since they have furrowed brows. The males have narrow antlers and a mane on their necks. They can feed on marsh grass and leaves on trees, and any bushy vegetation. Sika deer are nocturnal. Apart from humans, the other predators against Sika, a deer, are wolves and tigers. They don’t freeze when threatened but tend to run to safety. Males have antlers that they can also use for defense.
One interesting fact about this species is that they can sounds. The males produce a high pitch bark sound when threatened. This sound is often to alert other deer in the vicinity of danger. Females communicate with each other and their young ones using bleats and whistles. The fawns neigh when communicating while the males wail during mating. This species of deer is common has its origins in Japan, Taiwan, and Eastern Asia.
Southern Pudu

The first time I looked at the picture of a Southern Pudu, I could immediately tell that this is one of the most exciting deer species. First of all, it has a coat that is either red or brown. This appearance is just at the top of the body as the underside is pale while the ears are orange. Interesting indeed.
The antlers of the males are short and spiked. They are not as permanent as they shed every July. Southern Pudu has a black nose and eyes. In terms of size, the males tend to be larger than females with 34-36cm height. They are herbivores and feed on clover, cereals, and vegetables. They are perhaps the only deer species that can stand on the back legs.
Another distinct nature of this species is that they can go for long periods without drinking water. They hydrate enough from the food they eat. They belong to the category of threatened animals. Southern Pudu is common in South America, especially in Argentina and Chile.
They prefer to live in forested areas consisting of evergreen, deciduous forest. Their mating season lasts between April and May. The mating process is quite elaborative and mostly involves males examining the females. They are introverted animals that prefer to stay alone. A fun fact about this species is that it is the second smallest deer species after the northern Pudu.
White Spotted Chevrotain

White Spotted Chevrotain is mostly nocturnal. You might spot them during the day but rarely. This species likes being near water holes to hydrate or keep cool. Their defense mechanism comprises of a reedy grunt when threatened and then dashing away to safety.
In appearance,white-spotted chevrotain has long hind legs and has a hunched back. It might sound like an uncomfortable position to be in forever, but nature made them so, and they have adapted to it. Their coats are brown with white spots, thus their descriptive name. The dots form a distinctive pattern where they form four to five rows on the sides.
A closer look at the underside of the body, you notice that they are pale beige. All these variations eventually merge into a uniform coat. This species lacks antlers, although the males tend to have long canines that look like small tusks. They are common in the and regions of Sri Lanka. They are quite invasive and will go into coconut plantations named gardens.
A mature male white Chevrotain weighs about 3,1 kg while the female weighs 3.8 kg. They also grow to a length of 46-56 cm. They prefer to live in solitude. The more I found out about this species, the more I got excited at the chance of ever seeing one.
White-Tailed Deer

This type of deer likes to migrate during the summer. They dwell in Southern Canada and South America, where there are meadows and fields to run during the summer. They prefer to stay in the forest where there are coniferous stands during the winter. It must be great to live in nature, enjoying its abundance in a limitless way.
Like most deer species, the adult white-tailed deer has a reddish-brown coat that fades off into grayish brown in the summer. The male white-tailed deer is called a buck. Bucks grow temporary antlers that fall of in the winter. Only the male deer have antlers with tines with sharp points.
The mating season features males fighting each other for dominance over females. These deer species are herbivores who prefer leaves, corn, grass, and anything else that a herbivore can have. They are mostly nocturnal but will come out during the day to browse a bit.
The most vulnerable are the young white-tailed deer that run a risk of attacks from predictors like bobcats and mountain lions. When alarmed, they stomp their hooves and produce a snorting sound to alert other deer. These deer species are fast runners and swimmers as well.
