Adult males, called bucks, inhabiting the deserts tend to be smaller than their eastern relatives, which can weigh 300 pounds. Desert Whitetail bucks average about 200 pounds and stand about 3 1/2 feet high at the shoulders. As in most deer species, the females (does) are smaller, with an average weight of about 125 pounds.

Range

Throughout North America from southern Canada through Central America. Whitetail deer inhabit most of southern Canada and all of the mainland US except two or three states in the west. Their range reaches throughout Central America to Bolivia.

Related Species

The Cervidae Family includes deer and their allies, including moose, elk, and caribou. All have slender legs. Most are brown or gray in color, with white spots characterizing the young, and in a few species, the adults. The Whitetail and its cousin the Mule Deer, are the only members of this family found in the North American deserts.

Antlers (solid horns) distinguish most of the three dozen species of the deer family from the other hoofed mammals. Unlike most other hoofed mammals, which have permanent, hollow horns, only male deer grow antlers, which they shed each year.

Comparisons

The closely related Mule Deer (O. hemionus) are more commonly found in the North American deserts and throughout the West. In desert regions they are somewhat larger and stouter, have larger ears and tails tipped with black. Mule Deer antlers are normally smaller and branch to form 2 equal forks, while the male Whitetail Deer has forward curving antlers with a number of points (tines) branching from the main beam.

Vocalization

Whitetail deer are not especially vocal, although young fawns bleat on occasion. Injured deer utter a startlingly loud “blatt” or bawl. Whistles or snorts of disturbed Whitetails are the most commonly heard sounds.

Features

The Whitetail Deer tail has a 4-10 inches white underside of the tail, which is held conspicuously erect like a flag when the animal is alarmed or running. Whitetail ears are considerably smaller than Mule Deer ears.

Behavior

Deer are extremely cautious animals with keen senses of smell and hearing. Both Whitetail and Mule deer can run as fast as 40 miles per hour and are good swimmers. The basic social unit is a female and her fawns, although does have been observed to graze together in herds of up to hundreds of individuals. In the deserts, deer often migrate from higher summertime elevations downslope to warmer climes where more food is available. When a number gather together trampling down the snow in an area, it is known as a “deer yard.” Except for the mating season, bucks and does remain apart. Bucks generally live alone or in small groups with other bucks, while does live alone or with their fawns and female yearlings.

Habitat

Whitetail Deer generally prefer open woodland, but are often found on the fringes of urban areas and in farming country, but desert species can occur in most habitats within 10 miles of a water source. They often enter human inhabited areas and feast on flowers and grass as well as regularly getting a drink from man’s abundant water supplies. Some deer have also taken to eating garbage and plastic which is not at all good for them. Recently. A number of deer had to be sacrificed at the Grand Canyon after having eaten human trash which stopped up their systems and caused them not to be able to process food.

Food & Hunting

Whitetail deer feed on a variety of vegetation, depending on what is available in their habitat. They are browsers feeding on twigs, leaves, bark, shrubs, the fruits and nuts of most vegetation, as well as lichens and other fungi. In desert areas, plants such as huajillo brush, yucca, prickly pear cactus, comal, ratama and various tough shrubs may be the main components of a Whitetail’s diet.

Conifers are often utilized in winter when other foods are scarce. Whitetail deer feed mainly from before dawn until several hours after, and again from late afternoon until dusk.

Breeding

Bucks develop a pair of spiked antlers by the fall of their second year, when they become fierce fighters for the autumn mating season. Winners of head-on clashes are awarded mating privileges with the does in the vicinity. Age, genetics and nutrition determine antler size, which establishes social status among the males. Large-antlered bucks, with their intimidating racks, mate more frequently. Does are seasonally polyoestrous and usually come into heat in November for a short twenty-four hour period. If a doe is not mated, a second oestrus occurs approximately 28 days later. Mating occurs from October to December After mating, bucks shed their antlers and grow a larger set between January and April. In early summer, after a gestation period of about 200 days, does give birth to one or two young. Fawns weigh 5 to 8 pounds at birth, but quickly gain weight and can run within a week. Cared for only by the mother, she nurses them for about 5 weeks before weaning. Fawns are able to walk at birth and nibble on vegetation only a few days later. They are weaned at approximately six weeks. Females generally follow their mothers for about two years, but males leave the group within the first year. Bucks may form transient groups of 2-4 in the summer, but these disband prior to the mating season. Males begin rutting as early as September, and at this point become entirely preoccupied with obtaining matings. They do not guard harems (as with elk) but rather fight each other individually, clashing antlers to gain access to a particular female. Whitetail does are painstakingly careful to keep their offspring hidden from predators. When foraging, females leave their offspring in dense vegetation for about four hours at a time. While waiting for the female to return, fawns lay flat on the ground with their necks outstretched, well camouflaged against the forest floor. Fawns withhold their feces and urine until the mother arrives, at which point she ingests whatever the fawn voids to deny predators any sign of the fawn.

Conservation

Life span in the wild is 10 years, but Whitetail deer have lived up to 20 years in captivity . Adult deer have few predators except for humans, Mountain Lions and wolves, where they still exist. Coyote predation on fawns can be considerable, accounting for as much as 40% of fawn mortality in some areas. State fish and game agencies regard deer as a renewable, harvestable resource for viewing and hunting. Sport hunters bag about 1 million Mule Deer and 2 million Whitetail Deer annually. The National Park Service estimates that between 23 and 40 million Whitetail Deer inhabited North America before the arrival of Europeans. For a number of years the population was greatly reduced in the U.S., due to habitat loss and unrestricted hunting. But by the mid-20th century, the population has been restored throughout North America. Today, an estimated 14 to 20 million are believed to inhabit the United States alone, and in many areas of the eastern U.S. populations have soared to previously unattained levels. Experts cite various reasons for this reversal, in addition to the behavioral flexibility of deer. An increase in food supplies has been accompanied by a decrease in the natural predator populations of Wolves, Coyotes, Mountain Lions and Bobcats, which have not survived urbanization. Game management measures have placed restrictions on hunting seasons, bag limits and available lands for public hunting, while establishing artificially protected habitats in state and national parks. Recently, the National Park Service, noted that it may need to begin “managing” the deer population in about 50 eastern parks because deer over-browsing is causing the destabilization of park ecosystems. Injuries to park visitors from contact with deer that are perceived as tame, collisions of motor vehicles with deer, and damage to crops, ornamental shrubs and flowers in historical parks were also cited as increasing problems by the NPS.

Sources:

• http://www.desertusa.com

Generally, the male (stag or hart) Red Deer is typically 175 to 230 cm (69 to 91 in) long and weighs 160 to 240 kg (350 to 530 lb); the female is 160 to 210 cm (63 to 83 in) long and weighs 120 to 170 kg (260 to 370 lb).[4] The tail adds another 12 to 19 cm (4.7 to 7.5 in) and shoulder height is about 105 to 120 cm (41 to 47 in). Size varies in different subspecies with the largest, the huge but small-antlered deer of the Carpathian Mountains, weighing up to 500 kg (1,100 lb). At the other end of the scale, the Corsican Red Deer weighs about 80 to 100 kg (180 to 220 lb), although Red Deer in poor habitats can weigh as little as 53 to 112 kg (120 to 250 lb). European Red Deer tend to be reddish-brown in their summer coats. The males of many subspecies also grow a short neck mane (“mane” of hair around their necks) during the autumn. The male deer of the British Isles and Norway tend to have the thickest and most noticeable neck manes. Male Caspian Red Deer and Spanish Red Deer do not carry neck manes. Male deer of all subspecies, however, tend to have stronger and thicker neck muscles than female deer, which may give them an appearance of having neck manes. Red Deer hinds (females) do not have neck manes. The European Red Deer is adapted to a woodland environment.

Only the stags have antlers which start growing in the spring and are shed each year, usually at the end of winter. Antlers are made of bone which can grow at a rate of 2.5 cm (1.0 in) a day. A soft covering known as velvet helps to protect newly forming antlers in the spring. European red deer antlers are distinctive in being rather straight and rugose, with the fourth and fifth tines forming a “crown” or “cup” in larger males. Any tines in excess of the fourth and fifth tine will grow radially from the “cup”. “Cups” are generally absent in the antlers of smaller red deer such as Corsican Red Deer. West European Red Deer antlers feature bez (second) tines that are either absent or smaller than the brow tine. However, bez tines occur frequently in Norwegian Red Deer. Antlers of Caspian Red Deer carry large bez (second) tines and form less-developed “cups” than West European red deer, their antlers are thus more like the “throw back” top tines of the wapiti and these are known as maraloid characteristics. A stag can (exceptionally) have antlers with no tines, and is then known as a switch. Similarly, a stag that doesn’t grow antlers is a hummel. The antlers are testosterone-driven and as the stag’s testosterone levels drop in the autumn, the velvet is shed and the antlers stop growing. Red Deer produce no testosterone in their bodies while they are growing antler. With the approach of autumn, the antler begin to calcify and the stags testosterone production builds for the approaching rut (mating season).

During the autumn, all Red Deer subspecies grow a thicker coat of hair which helps to insulate them during the winter. Autumn is also when some of the stags grow their neck manes.[3] It is in the autumn/winter coat that most subspecies are most distinct. The Caspian Red Deer’s winter coat is greyer and has a larger and more distinguished light rump-patch (like Elk and some Central Asian Red Deer) compared to the West European Red Deer which has more of a greyish-brown coat with a darker yellowish rump patch in the winter. By the time summer begins, the heavy winter coat has been shed; the animals are known to rub against trees and other objects to help remove hair from their bodies. Red Deer have different coloration based on the seasons and types of habitats, with grey or lighter coloration prevalent in the winter and a more reddish and darker coat in the summer.[8] Most European Red Deer wear a reddish-brown summer coat, and some individuals may have a few spots on the backs of their summer coats.

Behavior

Mature Red Deer usually stay in single-sex groups for most of the year. During the mating ritual, called the rut, mature stags compete for the attentions of the hinds and will then try to defend hinds that they attract. Rival stags challenge opponents by belling and walking in parallel. This allows combatants to assess each other’s antlers, body size and fighting prowess. If neither stag backs down, a clash of antlers can occur, and stags sometimes sustain serious injuries.

Dominant stags follow groups of hinds during the rut, from August into early winter. The stags may have as many as 20 hinds to keep from other less attractive males. Only mature stags hold harems (groups of hinds) and breeding success peaks at about 8 years of age. Stags 2–4 years old rarely hold harems and spend most of the rut on the periphery of larger harems, as do stags over 11 years old. Young and old stags that do acquire a harem hold it later in the breeding season than those stags in their prime. Harem holding stags rarely feed and lose up to 20% of their body weight. Stags that enter the rut in poor condition are less likely to make it through to the peak conception period.

Male European Red Deer have a distinctive “roar” during the rut, which is an adaptation to forested environments, as opposed to male Wapiti (or American Elk) which “bugle” during the rut in adaptation to open environments. The male deer roars to keep his harem of females together. The females are initially attracted to those males that both roar most often and have the loudest roar call. Males also use the roar call when competing with other males for females during the rut, and along with other forms of posturing and antler fights, is a method used by the males to establish dominance. Roaring is most common during the early dawn and late evening, which is also when the crepuscular deer are most active in general.

Breeding, Gestation, and Lifespan

Red Deer mating patterns usually involve a dozen or more mating attempts before the first successful one. There may be several more matings before the stag will seek out another mate in his harem. Females in their second autumn can produce one and very rarely two offspring per year. The gestation period is 240 and 262 days and the offspring weigh about 15 kg (33 lb). After two weeks, fawns are able to join the herd and are fully weaned after two months. Female offspring outnumber male offspring more than two to one and all Red Deer fawns are born spotted, as is common with many deer species, and lose their spots by the end of summer. However, as in many species of Old World Deer, some adults do retain a few spots on the backs of their summer coats. The offspring will remain with their mothers for almost one full year, leaving around the time that the next season offspring are produced. The gestation period is the same for all subspecies.

Red Deer live up to over 20 years in captivity and in the wild they average 10 to 13 years,, though some subspecies with less predation pressure average 15 years.

Protection from Predators

Male Red Deer retain their antlers for more than half the year and are less gregarious and less likely to group with other males when they have antlers. The antlers provide self-defence as does a strong front-leg kicking action which is performed by both sexes when attacked. Once the antlers are shed, stags tend to form bachelor groups which allow them to cooperatively work together. Herds tend to have one or more members watching for potential danger while the remaining members eat and rest.

After the rut, females form large herds of up to 50 individuals. The newborn calves are kept close to the hinds by a series of vocalizations between the two, and larger nurseries have an ongoing and constant chatter during the daytime hours. When approached by predators, the largest and most robust females may make a stand, using their front legs to kick at their attackers. Guttural grunts and posturing is used with all but the most determined of predators with great effectiveness. Aside from humans and domestic dogs, the Wolf is probably the most dangerous predator that most European Red Deer encounter. Occasionally, the Brown bear will predate on European Red Deer as well. Eurasian Lynx and wild boars sometimes prey on the calves. The leopard in Asia Minor (now extinct) probably preyed on East European Red Deer. Both Barbary Lion and Barbary Leopard probably once preyed on Atlas stags in the Atlas Mountains, although Barbary Lion is now extinct in the wild, and Barbary Leopard either very rare or extinct.

Sources:

• http://www.wikipedia.com

Range

The Scimitar Oryx was once one of the most common large mammals of northern Africa with a range extending from Morocco and Tunisia to Egypt, reaching south to Mauritania and Sudan. The range rapidly declined throughout the 20th Century, until in 1980 it was known only from Chad and Niger with a few individuals in Mali and Sudan. The Scimitar Oryx species is believed to have become Extinct in the Wild in 1999.

Habitat

Scimitar Oryx inhabit sub-desert areas, the area between true desert and the Sahel where the annual rainfall is less than 350 millimeters, and lives in dunes, wooded depressions between dunes and grassy steppe.

Biology

The Scimitar Oryx species is well adapted for survival in the dry areas it inhabits; it is able to live for nine to ten months without drinking, thanks to a number of specializations including kidneys that minimize urine production and an ability to reach body temperatures of 46.5°C before beginning to perspire. In the wild, the Scimitar Oryx lived in groups of up to 40, with much larger herds forming at certain times of year. In the wet season these herds migrated to the north, returning at the onset of the dry season. Scimitar Oryx births occur mainly in March and October, and the female will separate herself from the herd for a few hours while she calves. The Scimitar Oryx young become fully independent at around 14 weeks of age.  Browsing in the relative cool of the early morning and evening, the Scimitar Oryx feed on a wide range of grass species, foliage, and fruit.

Threats

Originally the Scimitar Oryx began to decline as a result of major climatic changes that caused the Sahara region to become dry. As the Sahara desert expanded, two populations of this Scimitar Oryx became increasingly isolated. The northern population was mostly lost prior to the 20th Century. The decline of the southern Scimitar Oryx population accelerated as Europeans began to settle the area and hunting for meat, hides, and horn-trophies increased. It is thought that World War Two and the Civil War in Chad during the 1980s impacted heavily on the species through an increase in hunting for food.

Conservation

The Scimitar Oryx species has successfully been bred in captivity and in 1985, five captive-bred pairs were reintroduced to Tunisia, and by 1989 the herd had produced 4 wild-born calves. Captive-bred Scimitar Oryx now exist in healthy numbers in both Tunisia and Morocco, and have been reintroduced into Senegal. Scimitar Oryx have also been introduced to Israel, although this was not within the historic range. Recent reports of sightings of Scimitar Oryx in Chad and Niger have been investigated but no animals found.

Sources:

• http://www.arkive.org

Its tail is long, holds a black end, making it stand out against the rump’s white. The male Fallow Deer are bigger and heavier than females. They have antlers, which are absent from the distaff side.  To say that a Fallow Deer’s antlers are impressive is not an understatement.  They are not like other kinds of deer, the Fallow Deer have flat and broad antlers.  In fact, the antlers are dependent on the age of the deer, with of course the old ones holding the largest antlers.

History

Right after the Ice age, Fallow Deer were discovered in North Africa, and parts of the Balkans, but due to the heavy hunting of mankind, the numbers quickly went down. Until it came to the point that Asia Minor was the only place where they could be found. That was then, today, Fallow Deer can be found in a lot of European states. Outside of Europe, they can also be found in the United States.

Lifespan

Fallow Deer live a maximum of 11 to 15 years, but those are the ones in captivity, the ones at the wild do not last that long, and it is of course due to predation and the elements.

Sources:

• http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Artiodactyla/Cervidae/Dama/Dama-dama.html

Behavior

Blackbucks tend to inhabit open grasslands and are primarily diurnal.  Blackbucks are considered one of the fastest animals in the world.  Their keen eye sight and blazing speeds are its main protection against predators. When alarmed, the Blackbuck herd disperses in high leaps and bounds, and then breaks off into a quick gallop.  Males use horns in displaying rituals to attract females and fighting for breeding rights during the rut.  Male Blackbucks will lock horns and push against each other until one male concedes defeat.  Playful sparring occurs much in the same way, but lacking intensity.

Food Habits

Blackbucks are grazers that feed primarily on grass in open prairies.  They also consume leaves, herbs, and shrubs.

Breeding

Blackbuck males fight for dominance during the rut and protect their territories from intruding males.  With their heads tilted back and horns parallel, they proudly display for potential breeding does. Breeding can occur throughout the year, with peaks seen from August to October and March to April. There is a decline in the number of births during the winter months.  Blackbuck does have a short gestation period of five months, which allows them to breed twice a year.  While they usually give birth to only one young at a time, two breeding cycles per year often results in two young born in a 12 month period.  Blackbucks reach sexual maturity at a year and a half (does as young as 8 months).

Life Span

Blackbucks usually live 10 to 12 years and sometimes up to 15 years.  The oldest Blackbuck on record was 18 years of age.

Keeping Blackbuck

Blackbucks are one of the few exotics that do not require a high fence to stock on your property.  They will seldom jump a low fence unless they feel threatened or cornered.  If looking toadd Blackbuck to your ranch, be sure to thoroughly check all perimeter fences (low or high) for weakness or holes that these minuscule animals will explore and possibly slip through. Blackbuck do require a dependable water source and shelter during periods of snow.  At feeding stations, Blackbuck tend to be timid, allowing other animals to feed first.

Sources:

• http://www.allaboutexotics.com/exotic-species/blackbuck-antelope/

Behavior

Barasingha prefer to inhabit marshes or swamplands.  Barasingha like to feed in open grasslands and take shelter in brush during heat of the day and harsh weather conditions. Male Barasingha create wallows and gather harems of females during breeding season. Barasingha use smell as their primary sense for detecting danger and will drink twice a day during the hottest parts of the year.  Stripping of antler velvet takes place in late August to September and they usually drop antlers in February.

Breeding

Barasingha males fight for dominance and the right to breed females.  The breeding season extends from September to April in most states, with a spike in rutting activity seen in December and January.  Barasingha are the only exotic deer that are monestrous — females only come into estrous once a year.  Gestation lasts 8 months and females give birth to only one young per season.  This low birth rate lends to a naturally low recruitment rate (animals reaching breeding age).

Food Habits

Barasingha survive mainly on grasses, but will browse on occasion.  They prefer fresh, green growth, but will graze on course, dry grasses if all that persists.  Live Oak is a preferred browse in states where they are available, such as Texas.

Life Span

Barasingha can live 20 to 30 years.

Keeping Barasingha

Barasingha compete with Axis Deer for fresh grass. Their winter diet may be supplemented with grass hay to stave off malnourishment and mineral supplements may also help.  Barasingha require some amount of brushy vegetation for protection from wind.  Predation can be a major problem for young and recruitment.  Steps should be taken to avoid disturbance of breeding grounds and wallows during rut.  Male Barasingha can be aggressive, especially during rut and should be handled with caution.  Fences of 6 to 8 ft. generally are sufficient for containing Barasingha populations.  There are thought to be only 350 to 400 Barasingha left in their native India.  This number has risen from a mere 67 animals due to conservation efforts.

Sources:

• http://www.allaboutexotics.com/exotic-species/barasingha/

Physical Traits

The Axis Deer has a beautiful golden brown coat, which is covered with big white spots.  On average, a male deer (known as stag) grows to a shoulder height of somewhere between 85cm and 90cm.  The weight of a stag averages around 80 kg.  Does are shorter as well as lighter.  The coat of an adult Axis Deer has brighter spots as compared to that of fawns.  At the same time, the white throat patch of a stag is more prominent than that of a doe.

The antlers of the Axis Deer branch to six points and sweep back into an upward curve.  They shed their antlers on an annual basis.  Mostly, the antlers of Indian chital deer grow to a length of 20 inches.  Only some deer have antlers that reach 30 inches.  An Indian spotted deer, whose anglers were 41 inches long, still holds the record for having the longest antlers in the world.

Natural Habitat

The natural habitat of the Axis Deer comprises of Indian parkland habitats, with open woodland in grassy areas.  They prefer to live near rivers and other sources of water.  In rare cases, they may inhabit thick forests.

Mating Behavior

The mating behavior of the axis deer is quite different from the other deer.  They do not follow any seasonal rut and fawning can occur in any month.  In fact, one can find Axis Deer in hard horn and in velvet at the same time.  Axis Deer are also not seen wallowing during rut.  Rather, they emit a shrill call, proudly displaying their beautiful antlers.  The gestation period is 220 days, after which a single young one is born.

Sources:

• http://www.issg.org/database/species/management_info.asp?si=972&fr=1&sts=&lang=EN
• http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/tmot1/cervaxis.htm