Species of Deer around the world

 

Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family called Cervidae. A number of broadly similar animals from related families within the order Artiodactyla, (even-toed ungulates) are often also called deer.

Male deer of all species grow and shed new antlers each year, this is how male deer are different from other permanently horned animals such as antelope, which have a strong resemblance to deer.

Musk deer are a type of deer which can be found in Asia and Mouse deer are found in tropical African and Asian forests, both these types of deer are not true deer and they form their own families, all other animals which can be found in Africa which resemble deer are known as antelope. 

Deer can be found all over the world, and in many of these places unfortunately deer are hunted by both human and animal predators. Although there is many species of deer, Africa has only one native species which is the Red Deer which is confined to the Atlas Mountains in the north-west of the continent. 

Deer are often associated with living within forests, but they can be found in many different environments, from cold forests in the highlands of Scotland to tropical rainforests. Deer’s like to live in areas of forests as well as savanna that are open space, but the majority of large deer live in mixed forest, mountainous forests and seasonal/dry forests. 

Many people believe that when forests are destroyed for their wood deers will suffer but this can actually benefit deer populations as this exposes the understory of the forest which allows mixed types of grass, weeds and herbs to grow which deer eat. However, for the deer population to grow there must be an sufficient amount of forest cover.