10 Fun facts about deer that we bet you never knew

The deer is an intriguing animal that belongs to the family of Cervidae. There are different species of deer, and each has some unique characteristics that make them different. Initially, they were found in the region of North America, Asia, Africa, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, and South America. 

One of the major characteristics that distinguish them from other animals is the presence of antlers. All the deer species have antlers that make them identical. Deer tend to live in woody terrain and have compact and flexible bodies that help them survive. 

While these are some generic things that you might have heard about deer, there are plenty of other things as well that might come across as fascinating. Here are a few fun facts about deer that you might have never heard of. 

1 – Eyes Are On The Side Of The Head

Deer’s eyes are located on the side of their heads that give them a 310 degrees vision angle and a good focal point. The impressive night vision is like the cherry on the cake. It helps them during the feeding time and escape from the predators. 

2 – Amazing Hearing Sense

Not only splendid eyesight, but deer also has an amazing hearing sense. They can move their ears in the direction of the noise without even moving their heads. This gives them superior hearing power. Deer can also pick up higher sound frequencies compared to humans.

3 – Impeccable Sense of Smell

We can conclude that deer have great sensing organs that help them survive in a land of predators. Their impeccable smell sensors can detect predators from miles away. You would have seen them licking their noses; it is their way of keeping their senses moist and agile. 

4 – Deer Are Social Animals

You will hardly spot a deer walking alone; they all walk-in groups that are called herds. They either walk in sexes or have a male leader who leads the herd. A male herd can easily watch over the female herd while walking. The herd can accommodate up to 100,000 members. It totally depends on the leader to house the deer into the group.

5 – Special Ways Of Communication

By using their amazing senses, deer tend to establish an effective communication channel between each other. They have developed unique ways of communicating with each other. They produce scent in their body that indicates important information like their sex physique social status or any danger. 

6 – Practice Polygamy and Monogamy

The breeding season is short for deer that makes them develop some special characteristics. For instance, a male may live in a territory that includes one or more females, or several males can protect a group. One other option is to travel alone and look for suitable mates. Males can pick up any approach of their preference. 

7 – Antlers Grow During Spring Season

In the regions of temperate climate, deer tend to grow their antlers. These are velvet covered horn-like things that have blood vessels and nerves on them. Antlers are extremely important for the male deer to showcase their dominance, especially during mating. 

8 – 180 To 240 Days Of Gestation

Deer can give birth to one or two fawns at a time. A deer giving birth to three fawns is a rare occasion. Their gestation period is evidently longer than other animals. A fawn is able to stand on its own within 10 minutes of coming out. Within seven hours, they can start walking; it is an impressive trait that is hardly found in others. 

9 – Fawns Have Undetectable Odor

The reason predators are not able to pick up on fawns is that they don’t have any identifiable smell that attracts them. When fawns are born, mothers will hide them in secure places where they can feed them. Fawns are safely kept for at least 1-2 years before they can go out on their own. They are fed six times a day for proper nourishment. 

10 – Reindeer Are Domestic Deer

A majority of deer species live in the wild, and that’s the reason they are categorized under wild animals. However, reindeer is the only species that is domestic. These are among those domesticated species that can coexist with humans. Reindeer are native to the North American, European, and Asian regions. 

The Bottom Line

Different wild animals have unique characteristics that make them distinctive from one another. Deer is also a wild animal that has some unique characteristics that make them worth attention. 

You might have watched deer on your TV screens or in forest reserves, but you would not have known about these facts. The above mentioned were some of the lesser-known and interesting facts about deer. 

There is a lot you can discover about deer. All you need is to remain interested and keep digging for information.