20 Deer Facts For Kids

1. Deer is a common name for a large group of hoofed ruminant mammals who are members of the Cervidae family.
2. Deer are believed to have evolved into their modern day selves over 30 million years.
3. Deer are widely known and popular for being majestic, having antlers, with most references to the Disney character Bambi.
4. Deer species can be found in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America.
5. Deer live in a wide variety of habitats, varying by species, ranging from tundra to tropical rainforests.
6. All deer are omnivores and feed on various foliage depending on their species, location and time of year.
7. There are 43 different species of deer in the Cervidae family.
8. The size of a deer varies greatly by species, they can weigh as little as 14 pounds or as much as 1,543 pounds.
9. Deer are great runners and on average most species can run up to 35 miles per hour.
10. Deer are great jumpers and can jump up to 10 feet high and as far as 30 feet.
11. The largest deer species is the moose (Alces alces) with a weight between 838 and 1,543 pounds.
12. The smallest deer species is the southern pudu (Pudu puda) with a weight between 14 and 30 pounds.
13. The fastest deer species is the mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) with a top running speed of up to 40 miles per hour.
14. All male deer species grow antlers and shed them annually, except for the male water deer (Hydropotes inermis), which doesn’t grow antlers. The only female deer species to grow antlers is the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus).
15. The antlers grown by male deer are used to attract female deer and to fight other males.
16. All adult deer species have 32 teeth, with only reindeer and elk (Cervus canadensis) having 34 more.
17. A male deer is called a buck, a female deer is called a doe, and a juvenile deer is called a fawn or a calf.
18. Deer are common prey for most predatory animals, causing them to be timid and shy.
19. Deer are able to avoid predators using their excellent running, jump and swimming skills.
20. Deer hunting is popular worldwide and dear are hunted for both meat and sport.

Deer Pictures

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the below images will be helpful for your research on deer. Below are six pictures of various deer species. These pictures should help you better understand the different types of deer found around the world.

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