Red Deer

Cervus elaphus

Stags grow a new set of antlers every year, which are covered in a soft, blood-rich skin called 'velvet' that they rub off once the antlers are fully grown.

Scientific name

Cervus elaphus

Taxonomy

Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Artiodactyla › Cervidae › Cervus

IUCN Red List status

Least Concern

Population trend

increasing

Biome

forest

Habitat

Temperate deciduous and coniferous forests, open woodlands, meadows, and montane valleys.

Diet

Herbivorous; feeds on grasses, sedges, shrubs, leaves, twigs, bark, and acorns.

Range

Europe, Western Asia, North Africa, North America (introduced)

Size

Shoulder height: 1.1 to 1.4 meters; Weight: 120 to 240 kg

Lifespan

10-15 years in the wild

Active

crepuscular

Threats

Habitat fragmentation, vehicular collisions, and localized poaching or hybridization with non-native deer species.

Safe to approach?

Generally harmless and shy, but can become highly defensive and dangerous during the autumn rutting season (males) or when protecting calves in spring (females). Maintain a safe distance of at least 50 meters. Never feed them or approach closely. If charged, place a large obstacle like a tree between yourself and the deer, and back away slowly.

The red deer ( Cervus elaphus ) is one of the largest deer species. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, Iran, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being the only species of deer to inhabit Africa. Red deer have been introduced to other areas, including Australia, New Zealand, United States, Canada, Peru, Uruguay, Chile and Argentina....

Photo: Demian Hiß, CC-BY, via iNaturalist

Plain-text version: /species/a11dbbea-0a1d-401a-b07b-5f1c050a13b1.md