Deer Inhabit Many Different Regions in the World

There are 43 species of hoofed deer that are ruminants having two large and two small hooves on each foot. They are ruminants in which the males have antlers. Deer are native to all continents except Australia and Antarctica. For many types of deer the male is a buck and the female a doe. The male red deer is a stag, while for other large species the male is a bull, the female a cow, as in cattle. Deer live in a variety of environments, ranging from tundra to the tropical rainforest. While often associated with forests, many deer live in transitional areas between forests and thickets, prairie and savanna. The majority of large deer species inhabit temperate mixed deciduous forest, mountain mixed coniferous forest, tropical seasonal/dry forest, and savanna habitats around the world. Clearing open areas within forests to some extent may actually benefit deer populations by exposing the underbrush and allowing the types of grasses, weeds, and herbs to grow that deer like to eat. Access to adjacent croplands may also benefit deer. Adequate forest or brush cover must be provided for deer populations to grow and thrive.

The highest concentration of large deer species in temperate North America lies in the Canadian Rocky Mountain and Columbia Mountain regions between Alberta and British Columbia where all five North American deer species (white-tailed deer, mule deer, caribou, elk, and moose) can be found. The rare woodland caribou have the most restricted range living at higher altitudes. Elk and mule deer both migrate between the alpine meadows and lower coniferous forests and tend to be most common in this region. Elk also inhabit river valley bottomlands, which they share with the white-tailed deer.

Deer are specialized herbivores, as is reflected in their large and anatomically complex digestive organs, their mobile lips, and the size and complexity of their teeth. They are highly selective feeders on young grasses, herbs, lichens, foliage, buds, aquatic plants, woody shoots, fruit, and plant food characterized by low fiber but high protein content. The bias of deer toward high-quality food has its origin in the very high demands of antler growth for minerals, protein, and energy. Antlers finish growing before the mating season and are used as weapons and shields in combat or as display organs in courtship. Normally shed after the mating season, antlers may be retained in some territorial tropical deer for more than a year. The deer’s demand for energy and nutrients declines with body size but increases exponentially for antler growth. While deer tend to have similar food habits, they are highly divergent in their antipredator strategies. This divergence segregates species ecologically and thus minimizes potential food competition between species sharing the same space.