8 Deer Species: Learn About All the Major Deer Species

Deer are one of the most popular mammals in the world! They are beautiful and graceful creatures that inhabit forests and open areas around the world. Some deer species are even daring to venture into town (but that's no advantage!).

Their family is divided into two subfamilies, which in turn are made up of several deer species and subspecies. We'll start by discussing each family and then move on to the eight major deer species. enjoy!

deer subfamily

The Cervinae deer subfamily is also known as the Old World deer subfamily. Some also refer to these deer as plesiometacarpal deer, suggesting that they have only proximal metacarpals.

The subfamily consists of eight genera, each with its own deer species:

1. Elaphodus genus – a species called tufted deer
2. Muntjac – 12 species, including Indian and Sumatran muntjacs
3. Damascus – two species, common fallow deer and Persian fallow deer
4. Axis genus – four species, including Indian hog deer
5. Cherry – two extant species, one extinct
6. Elaphurus genus – a species of deer called Pere David
7. Rusa genus – four species, including the Visayan sika deer
8. Deer genus – five species, including elk and red deer

In addition, the subfamily includes 14 extinct deer species.

Capreolinae subfamily

The Capreolinae subfamily is also known as the New World Deer Subfamily or the Farpaw deer herd. The latter points to the fact that these deer maintain their distal lateral metacarpals.

The subfamily consists of 10 genera, which in turn consist of deer species:

1. Capreolus genus – two species known as western roe deer and eastern roe deer
2. Jellyfish – a species called Sambar
3. Alces genus – a species called moose or Eurasian elk
4. Rangifer genus – a species called caribou or caribou
5. Odocoileus genus – three extant species including white-tailed deer and one extinct species
6. Blastocerus genus – a species called swamp deer
7. Hippocamelus genus – two species called taruca and South Andean deer
8. Genus Mazama – 23 species including Gray Chick and Brazilian Chick
9. Ozotoceros genus – a species called pampas deer
10. Pudu genus – two species, called northern pudu and southern pudu

There are also nine extinct genera in this subfamily.

8 major deer species

Since the above two subfamilies consist of eight genera and nine genera respectively, there are currently 17 main species of deer. However, we will only be discussing eight of them – some of the most famous and beloved deer in the world!

1. Muntjac

Muntjacs are deer in the genus Muntjac , consisting of 12 recognized species. Native to South and Southeast Asia, these deer are believed to have lived on Earth for approximately 15-35 million years!

These deer live in India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Taiwan, southern China and the Indonesian archipelago. Reeves muntjac is now found in England and Japan. Muntjacs can be found in tropical rainforests, monsoon forests and the lower Himalayas. Most deer live in habitats close to water sources.

The Indian muntjac subspecies is unique in that it is the only diploid mammal in the world with 6 female chromosomes and 7 male chromosomes.

2. Elk

Elk, also known as red deer, is one of the largest land mammals in North America. This deer species consists of 11 extant subspecies and two extinct subspecies.

These deer live in open deciduous forests, upland swamps, boreal forests, grasslands, and mountains. They can be found from central Asia to East Asia and North America. Elk can grow up to 4 feet 11 inches at the shoulder and 8 feet 10 inches from nose to tail. Male elk are larger and heavier than females.

3. Red deer

The term "red deer" refers to red deer , which in turn consists of about 13 subspecies. The aforementioned American elk was once considered a subspecies of elk, but was eventually established as a separate species.

These ruminants are the fourth largest living deer on Earth. Their size depends on their distribution. For example, the largest red deer are in the Carpathian Mountains of Central Europe. However, if we were to discuss an average, we'd say that male red deer grow to about 98 inches (without tail) and weigh 530 pounds. Female red deer are smaller, measuring 83 inches long and weighing up to 370 pounds. Their tails may add another 4-7 inches to overall body length.

4. Fawn

The common name for the genus Dama is "fawn," and it consists of two species: Dama dama (European fallow deer) and Dama mesopotamica (Persian fallow deer). Male Fawns are approximately 55-63 inches long and 33-37 inches tall at the shoulder, while females are slightly smaller at 51-59 inches long and 30-33 inches tall. In terms of weight, though, males are considerably heavier, reaching 220 pounds, while females rarely exceed 110 pounds.

The Persian Fawn can be found in Tamarix, Pistachio, and Oak Forests. They are similar in appearance to European deer except that they have fewer palmate antlers.

Since 2008, the Persian fawn has been listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Their conservation story goes back a long way, and many efforts have been made to preserve their populations.

5. Reindeer

Reindeer are known as caribou in North America. There are currently 14 recognized subspecies of reindeer, two of which are extinct. Caribou are the only deer herd whose females have antlers. The color of the fur varies by subspecies, location and season. For example, northern deer are smaller and have lighter fur. Southern deer are larger in size and darker in color.

These deer are typically 64-81 inches long and 180-260 pounds. Male reindeer are larger than females. Another unique feature of reindeer is their vision. Research has shown that reindeer can see light with wavelengths as short as 320 nm (like the ultraviolet range), which helps them survive in the Arctic.

6. Whitetail deer

Whitetail deer are the best known and most common in North America. However, these deer have been introduced to other areas such as New Zealand and Europe. They live east of the Rocky Mountains, southwestern Arizona, and Mexico in North America. Most whitetail deer are located in Texas. To be more precise, Texas is home to approximately 5.3 million deer!

The Odocoileus virginianus species is divided into 26 subspecies, 17 of which are found in North America.

These deer have a gray-brown coat in the fall and winter and a reddish-brown coat in the spring and summer. The most distinctive feature of the whitetail is its tail, which is white on the underside. It raises its tail when it is frightened or feels threatened.

Whitetail deer typically weigh between 150 and 300 pounds, with males being larger than females.

7. Roe deer

Roe deer are a smaller species that can easily survive cold and harsh environments as their bodies have adapted to this habitat. Additionally, they prefer to live above the treeline and in open agricultural areas. However, if they are looking for food, they will search almost all habitats and then retreat to dense woodlands to rest.

Most roe deer grow to 4 feet 5 inches and 2 feet 2 inches at the shoulder. They usually weigh between 35 and 75 pounds. However, there is one small exception: Kazakh roe deer are larger than most roe deer.

Bucks' antlers can reach 8-10 inches long and usually have two or three points. Some unique bucks develop four points.

8. Moose

Moose are the heaviest and largest deer species in existence. The moose's most distinctive feature is its broad, palm-shaped antlers. In contrast, other deer have branch-like antlers. They live in broadleaf, mixed and boreal forests in the northern hemisphere.

Moose have double coats. They are approximately 4.6 – 6.9 inches tall at the shoulder, so are larger than elk (wapiti). Males can weigh up to 1,543 pounds, while females are not as heavy as they rarely exceed 1,000 pounds.

Next:

• Deer Lifespan: How Long Do Deer Live?
• How do deer keep warm in winter?
• Florida Reef Deer: Here's What Makes Them So Special

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