What is the most common name for a deer? Deer - horned inhabitant of the forest

Deer is an animal of the chordate type, class mammals, order Artiodactyla, family Deer (deer) ( Cervidae). The article provides a description of the family.

The deer received its modern name thanks to the Old Slavic word “elen”. This is what the ancient Slavs called a slender animal with branched horns.

Deer: description and photo. What does the animal look like?

The sizes of members of the family vary greatly. The height of the reindeer ranges from 0.8 to 1.5 meters, the body length is 2 meters, and the weight of the deer is about 200 kg. The small tufted deer barely reaches 1 meter in length and weighs no more than 50 kg.

The most slender body is distinguished by the red deer, which has a proportional build, an elongated neck and a light, slightly elongated head. The eyes of a deer are yellow-brown in color, with deep tear grooves located nearby. The broad forehead is slightly concave.

Some types of deer have thin, graceful limbs, others have short legs, but all are united by well-developed leg muscles and the presence of toes spaced apart and connected by membranes.

A deer's teeth are a good indicator of its age. Based on the degree of grinding of the fangs and incisors, curvature and angle of inclination, a specialist can accurately determine the age of the deer.

All species, except the antlerless water deer, are distinguished by branched antlers (called antlers), and only males are distinguished by such bone formations.

Reindeer is the only species of deer in which females have antlers just like males, but are much smaller.

Most species of deer that live in temperate latitudes shed their antlers every year. In their place, new ones immediately begin to grow, first consisting of cartilage, then overgrown with bone tissue. A deer's antlers grow depending on its diet: the denser the diet, the faster the antlers grow. Deer living in the tropics do not shed their antlers for years, and residents of the equatorial belt do not lose them at all.

The main function of a deer’s antlers is protection and attack, and their power determines the chances of a particular male individual to emerge victorious in a duel for a female deer. Reindeer use their antlers as tools, digging out snow with them to get to moss. The span of the horns of a seasoned male deer is 120 cm.

Deer sheds its antlers

And this deer has grown antlers of an atypical shape

The skin of a deer is covered with fur, thin and short in summer, and longer and thicker in winter.

The color of deer fur depends on the species and can be brown, coffee-brown, red-brown, brownish, gray, red, plain, with spots and marks.

Deer is an animal that is among the twenty fastest.

The speed of a deer escaping from a chase can reach 50-55 km/h.

Deer live in European and Asian countries, in Russia, and feel at ease in North and South America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In the wild, the average life expectancy of a deer is 15-20 years. In zoos and reindeer farms, with good care, deer live up to 25-30 years.

Deer are animals that are quite unpretentious to their environment. They feel great on the plains, and in areas with mountainous terrain, and in wetlands, and in the zone of tundra mosses and lichens.

Many species inhabit extremely wet places, choosing to live in areas near water bodies. Preferring a mainly nomadic lifestyle, deer are found in forests with their meadows in the summer; in winter they wander into impenetrable thickets, since there are usually fewer snow drifts and it is easier to find food under a small layer of snow.

Deer is a herbivorous animal, the diet of which depends on its species and habitat. In spring and early summer, deer feed on cereals, umbellifers, and legumes. Deer food in summer includes nuts, chestnuts, mushrooms, berries, and plant seeds.

During the warm season, deer eat buds, leaves and young shoots of trees and shrubs: maple, rowan, viburnum. The deer will not refuse other fruits. In winter, deer are forced to feed on the bark and branches of plants, pine needles, acorns and lichens.

Animals make up for the lack of minerals in the body with salt obtained from salt licks, chew soil rich in mineral salts, and drink water from mineral springs. To compensate for the protein deficiency, deer gnaw on their own shed antlers and are forced to consume bird eggs.

Types of deer, names and photographs

The modern classification of the deer family includes 3 subfamilies, 19 genera and 51 species. In addition to deer, representatives of the family include fallow deer, pudú, roe deer, as well as mazamas, muntjacs, axis, sambars and barasinga.

The most interesting varieties of deer are rightfully considered to be the following:

• Noble deer(Cervus elaphus)

It belongs to the genus true deer and includes 15 subspecies. Representatives of the species are united by a characteristic white spot under the tail, which rises above the tailbone. There is no spotting in the color of red deer in summer. Deer antlers are distinguished by a significant number of branches (especially in European deer), forming a characteristic crown at the end of each antler. Depending on the subspecies, the size of a deer can be 2.5 meters in length and 1.3-1.6 meters at the withers, with a weight of over 300 kg (deer and wapiti). A small Bukhara deer weighs just under 100 kg and grows to 170-190 cm.

The animal's diet in the spring and summer consists of various legumes, grass and grains. In winter, deer feed on shoots of bushes and trees, fallen leaves, various mushrooms, chestnuts, and tree bark. If there is a lack of food, deer can eat spruce or pine needles, lichens and acorns. The salt balance that they maintain on natural or artificial salt marshes is of great importance for the normal life of these mammals.

The red deer lives over a fairly wide area, covering Western European, Scandinavian countries, Algeria, the Moroccan Republic and China, as well as both American continents, Australia and New Zealand. The main condition is the presence of a fresh body of water nearby. Red deer live in one specific area in herds of up to 10 individuals, although after the mating season their numbers can increase to 30.

• or caribou(Rangifer tarandus)

It stands out among its relatives by its upper lip, completely covered with hair, and the presence of horns in individuals of both sexes. The body size of an adult male is 1.9-2.1 meters with a weight of 190 kg, a female reindeer (which is also called vazhenka) grows to 1.6-1.9 m and weighs up to 123 kg. The reindeer is a stocky animal, lacking the gracefulness inherent in deer and having a slightly elongated skull shape.

Reindeer food: grass that grows in abundance in the tundra, leaves of bushes, mushrooms, various berries. With a lack of protein nutrition, deer find bird nests and eat bird eggs and even young chicks laid in them. Reindeer also feed on small rodents - lemmings. The main food for deer in the tundra in winter is reindeer moss. Reindeer compensate for the lack of minerals in their meager food by eating their own antlers, drinking sea water or visiting salt marshes.

Reindeer live in the tundra and taiga in Eurasia, North America and the islands of the Arctic Ocean. Numerous herds of reindeer live in lowland and mountain taiga regions, grazing in endless tundra and swampy expanses, making spring and winter migrations in search of food.

• Water deer(Hydropotes inermis)

The only antlerless deer in the family. The dimensions of the species are 75-100 cm in length, the height of the deer is 45-55 cm, and the body weight is 9-15 kg. An adult male deer is distinguished by saber-shaped curved fangs (teeth) that prominently protrude from under the upper lip. The skin is colored brownish-brown.

The main food of deer is leaves of bushes, young green grass, and succulent river sedge. The animals cause significant damage to agriculture, making devastating raids on cultivated rice fields and destroying not only weeds, but also crop shoots.

Under natural conditions, water deer live in the floodplains of rivers in the eastern and central parts of China and the Korean Peninsula. Antlerless deer were brought to England and France, where they successfully adapted to the local climate. These animals lead a solitary lifestyle, finding a mate only during the rutting period. In search of food, they swim several kilometers, migrating between numerous islands in river deltas.

• or milu(Elaphurus davidianus)

A rare species of deer that completely died out in the wild at the beginning of the 20th century. Nowadays, they are trying to restore the population in Chinese reserves, where the species originally existed. Representatives of the species acquired their name thanks to Armand David, a French priest and naturalist.

The body length of an adult deer is 150-215 cm, height at the withers can reach 140 cm, and the weight of the deer reaches 150-200 kg. An exceptional feature of this species is that David's deer change their antlers twice a year. These animals have an elongated narrow head, atypical for deer, as well as long curly hair on the body.

The food of David's deer consists of grass, young branches and leaves of bushes, sugar cane and a variety of algae.

Unfortunately, this species is no longer observed in natural conditions. All known individuals live in nature reserves and zoos. David's deer are animals that lead a herd lifestyle. Even before and after the mating season, they prefer to stay in small groups of up to 10 individuals. During the rut for the right to possess a harem of females, the males stage real massacres, using not only horns, but also teeth and forelimbs in the battle.

• White-faced deer(Przewalskium albirostris)

The animal has a large body up to 230 cm long and an impressive weight of up to 200 kg. The height of the deer at the withers is 1.3 m. This species received its name due to the white coloration of the neck and front of the head. A distinctive feature of the species is the high, wide hooves and large white deer antlers.

White-faced deer feed on various grasses growing in spacious alpine meadows. As food, animals happily eat numerous types of clover, meadowsweet, grandiflora beech, angelica and variegated fescue. In addition, they often eat foliage from low-growing bushes.

The white-faced deer lives mainly in the coniferous forests of eastern Tibet and some Chinese provinces. The animals are found in the mountainous regions of the Alps, located at an altitude of more than 3,500 meters above sea level. They form communities whose number does not exceed 20 individuals. In search of food, deer often migrate to altitudes of up to 5000 m.

• Tufted deer(Elaphodus cephalophus)

The animal has a black-brown crest on its head, up to 17 cm long. Adult deer grow to a size of 110-160 cm with a body weight of 17-50 kg. The color of a deer can be dark brown or dark gray. The horns are short and unbranched, barely noticeable from under the crest.

In addition to the typical plant food, consisting of leaves of trees and shrubs, grass and various berries, tufted deer often eat small carrion, which is the protein component of the diet.

Deer live in the territory of South and East Asia in forests located at an altitude of more than 4500 m. Very cautious animals lead a solitary and isolated way of life. They meet with representatives of the opposite sex only during the rutting season. They are most active at dawn or dusk.

• White-tailed deer (Virginian deer) (Odocoileus virginianus)

The most common member of the family, lives in North America.

It got its name from the interesting color of its tail, the top of which is brown and the bottom is white. The northern part of the population has a height at the withers of up to 1 m, and a body weight of about 150 kg. Representatives of the population living on the Florida Keys grow up to 60 cm at the withers and weigh only 35 kg.

In spring and summer, deer eat green growth of bushes or trees, lush grass, and flowering plants. In addition, they raid agricultural fields where they destroy cereal crops. In autumn, deer eat fruits, berries and nuts. In winter, these animals have to make do with fallen leaves and branches.

White-tailed deer live on mountain slopes and in vast forests, as well as in the vast expanses of prairies and savannas in South and North America. Most of the time, Virginia deer lead a solitary lifestyle, gathering in small herds only during the mating season.

• pig deer(Axis porcinus)

It got its name for its original manner of movement, reminiscent of a move. The height of the deer at the withers is 70 cm, the length of the body is 110 cm, the weight of the deer is about 50 kg. The animal has a fluffy tail, males are darker in color than females.

Deer live in the flat landscapes of Pakistan, India, Thailand and other countries of South Asia. The species was also introduced to Australia and the USA. These animals lead a solitary lifestyle, rarely gathering in small herds.

Deer graze mainly at night, preferring to rest during the daytime, hiding in densely overgrown bushes. The deer's diet does not depend on the seasons and consists of a variety of grasses, as well as branches and leaves of low bushes.

• South Andean deer(Hippocamelus bisulcus)

The animal has a stocky build and short legs, adapted to move across mountainous landscapes. The deer measures 1.4-1.6 m in length and weighs 70-80 kg. Height at the withers is 80-90 cm. The deer's fur is brownish or gray-brown with white spots on the throat.

Deer live in the mountains of Chile and Argentina, where they live alone, gathering in small groups during the rut. Due to a sharp decline in the population, this species of deer is listed in the International Red Book.

The spring and summer diet of deer consists of a variety of grassy meadow vegetation. In winter and during snowfalls, they find food in wooded valleys. Here, deer food consists of leaves and young branches of bushes and trees.

• Dappled deer(Cervus nippon)

It grows in length up to 1.6-1.8 m with a weight of 75-130 kg. The size at the withers is 95-112 cm. The summer color of the deer is distinguished by a bright red-red color with white spotting; in winter the color fades.

Sika deer eat not only mushrooms, nuts, leaves and oak or alder shoots, but also a variety of herbs and berries. In winter, they find fallen leaves, last year's grass and acorns under the snow. In hungry years, sika deer feed on the bark of deciduous trees. Individuals living near the sea coast happily eat algae washed ashore and restore the mineral balance of the body with the help of sea salt.

Sika deer lead a herd lifestyle, gathering in small groups of 10–20 individuals. The distribution area of ​​this species covers the plains, mountains and foothills of the northern hemisphere. The sika deer lives in the Far East, central Russia and the Caucasus.

Deer are a fairly large family of artiodactyl mammals, consisting of 19 genera and 51 species. Numerous representatives of the family live almost all over the planet - in North and South America, Eurasia, Australia, and New Zealand. In Africa, some species of deer can only be seen in the northwestern regions; they are not found south of the Sahara.

Variety of species

Deer breeds differ in size, shape of antlers, their presence or absence, body and leg sizes, and other features.

Deer!

The sizes of different types of deer vary significantly - for example, a miniature Pudu deer grows only 30-40 cm in height, its body length is up to 90 cm, and its weight is about 10 kilograms. The horns are short, only 7-10 centimeters. Pudu lives in the southern regions of Chile.

And moose, which also belong to the deer family, can be as big as horses.

Antlers, the main characteristic of deer, are not present in all species. The water deer, which lives in Eastern China and Korea, has no antlers at all. But there are curved, saber-shaped fangs, protruding 5-6 centimeters from under the upper lip. The height at the withers of the water deer is only 50-55 cm, the body length is no more than 100 cm, and the weight is about 15 kg.

As a rule, only male deer have antlers; female deer do not have this feature. The exception is reindeer, the females of which are females who also wear this decoration.

The pig deer, native to India, is considered the most clumsy member of the family. It has a large belly, a heavy body, short legs and head, and its fur hairs are coarse and stiff. The height at the withers is no higher than 65-70 cm, the body length is slightly more than 1 meter, the tail length is 20 cm.

Fallow deer is a breed of deer distinguished by its particular speed and grace. Fallow deer live in countries with warm and temperate climates, but can be seen in both Norway and Sweden. Nowadays, due to deforestation, fallow deer are more often found in zoos than in the wild.

The fast fallow deer is not large in size, its body length is between 135-140 cm, its tail is 16-19 cm long, its shoulder height is 85-90 cm, its weight is no more than 120 kg.

Its legs are shorter and thinner than those of a red deer, so it is inferior to it in terms of movement speed. While running, he raises his legs high, sometimes jumping like a goat on all four legs at once.

The Virginia white-tailed deer also has a graceful physique. It has a thin and long head, which looks more beautiful and neat than that of other species of deer.

The body length of the Virginia deer is about 1.8 meters, the tail length is 30 cm, and the height at the shoulders is 1 meter. Females are smaller than males, their height does not exceed 80 cm, and their body length is 1.3 meters. Depending on the species, white-tailed deer can weigh from 22 to 180 kg.

The red deer is distinguished not only by its graceful and beautiful physique, but also by its proud, noble bearing, fully justifying its name.

The red deer is much larger than the fallow deer, and is capable of high speed when running. Its body length reaches 1.7-2 meters, tail length - 15 cm, shoulder height - 1.2-1.5 meters, weight 160-170 kg, but there are individuals weighing up to 300 kilograms or more.

The red deer has beautiful, branched antlers; at the head they bend back and to the sides, and then inward, bringing the ends together. Such horns weigh from 5 to 12 kg.

Reindeer

Several species of reindeer live in Russia; here they are of great economic importance - they are irreplaceable companions of several peoples of the north, who simply could not exist without them. Reindeer breeds in Russia are represented by four main groups: Chukchi, Nenets, Evenki and Even.

The Chukotka breed is short in stature, with a strong, rounded body. Chukotka deer live in Kamchatka and Chukotka. The breed is distinguished by its ability to gain weight in a short time and easily tolerate winter cold and lack of food.

The height at the withers is 98-105 cm in males, 90-100 cm in females, body length is 107-112 in males, and 102-105 in females. Live weight on average is 130-140 kg for males and 93-96 for females. Fur color is dark brown.

The Nenets breed is another indigenous species of deer, common in the North of Russia. They are bred in the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions, in the lower reaches of the Yenisei and Ob.

Nenets deer have a strong build and brown fur. The height at the shoulders in males reaches 101-107 cm, in females – 99-106 cm. Body length is 109-115 cm in males, and 99-106 in females. Average weight is 130-135 kg for males, and 90-95 kg for females.

The Evenki breed of deer lives in the Altai Territory, the Baikal region, Sakhalin, Yakutia, Tyva, Buryatia, and the Evenki Autonomous Okrug.

The breed is distinguished by its light brown or gray fur color. The height at the shoulders in males reaches 113-118 cm, in females 100-106 cm. Body length is 114-127 in males, and 116-131 in females.

The Even breed is similar to the Chukchi and Evenki breeds of deer. The animals are adapted to life in harsh northern conditions, serve well as vehicles, and are a source of hides and meat.

The size of representatives of the deer family is extremely diverse and can vary from very large individuals, the size of a horse (such as an elk) to very small ones, the size of a hare (such as a pudu). No less interesting is the habitat of deer, which today covers not only forests and swamps, but also deserts and steppes.

Description of the deer

The color of deer varies depending on age: young fawns are usually spotted, adult deer are single-colored, dark in tone, with occasional light spots. The only exception is reindeer, which have the same uniform color both in youth and in maturity. Most species of deer have a so-called mirror in the area of ​​the back of the thighs, which looks like a single bright spot that catches the eye.

The hair coat of deer is characterized by a well-developed layer - the pneumatic medullary layer. On the skin of deer there are various glands with special purposes:

• tail;
• metatarsal;
• interdigital;
• preorbital, etc.

Male deer wear antlers on several branches, depending on their age and membership in a particular species group. They are bone formations located on apophyses - special growths on the frontal part. The only exceptions in this regard are a few genera - Pudu, Mazama, Elapodus, whose horns do not have branches. Reindeer also belong to the category of exceptions - they have antlers, both males and females. But in the group of water deer, on the contrary, they are absent altogether.

As a rule, deer shed their antlers every year so that new ones appear for the new season., therefore, by the number of processes on them, experienced people can easily determine the age of the animal. Moreover, each process has its own name:

• 1st supraorbital (lower, which extends above the rosette);
• 2nd supraorbital (next to it);
• middle (third process);
• coronal or apical (all others located in the upper part).

During the period when a deer's antlers grow, they are covered with skin with a touch of light hair. In this state of development they are called pandas. After the antlers ossify, all that skin dies and goes away.

Habits of a deer

The vast majority of deer are school animals, living in groups, and only some species live alone. The number of such groups is not stable and fluctuates depending on the biological habitat and the specific species. Most often, these are harems in which there is one male and several females headed by him with fragile young animals.

The deer’s task is to protect them from attacks from rival males, which is why serious fights occur during the mating season. Horns, fangs and hooves are used as the main weapons. To communicate with each other in groups and with other relatives, as well as to mark the boundaries of their own possessions, deer use a secretion that is secreted by special glands (it is present on the legs, head and urine).

The habits of deer also largely depend on the species to which these animals belong. For example, sika deer lead an exclusively herd life. The rut begins in late September and continues until the beginning of November. There are usually three to four females per male. The antlers are shed in April and May. Antlers grow in early summer and form into strong antlers by autumn.

The red deer also leads a “harem” lifestyle. His group includes two or three females and their cubs, born over the previous few years. The rutting season begins at the very beginning of autumn. The shedding of horns in males begins in winter, in February, and continues until the month of April. New antlers grow in the summer (June-July) and harden by the end of August. Deer of this species spend the vast majority of the day in the water, escaping the heat in rivers.

Types of deer

The genus Cervidae includes 51 species of artiodactyls. In hunting, the most famous are mainly 2 types of deer:

• red deer (includes several subspecies that differ in size and body weight - from 750 mm to 2500 mm in length, up to 1600 mm at the withers and weighing from 100 kg to 300 kg; antlers - with 5 or more processes);
• sika deer (reddish-red with light markings on the body, the color usually fades in winter; body from 1600 mm to 1800 mm in length, from 950 mm to 1120 mm at the withers and weighing from 75 kg to 130 kg; antlers - from 3-4 shoots).

Deer habitats

Representatives of the deer family are widely represented on the North American and South American continents, in Eurasia. They were artificially settled by people even in New Zealand, Australia, New Guinea and the Caribbean islands (on some of them). All this indicates that deer are able to live in various vegetation and climatic zones - in the Arctic tundra, in wooded areas, in swampy areas, in steppes and deserts.

However, the very first deer appeared in Asia (in the Oligocene). It was from those places that they subsequently spread throughout Europe, and then covered North America (in the Miocene). They settled South America later, only in the Pleistocene. Their natural habitat today includes the vast majority of the Eurasian and American continents. In Africa, deer are found quite rarely - only in the northwestern region.

What does a deer eat?

All deer belong to the category of herbivores. Deer consume all parts of the plant as food, including branches, buds, leaves, bark, as well as grasses and moss. If we compare deer with other representatives of the bovid family, we can note that they still prefer softer plant foods.

The basis of the diet of sika deer consists of herbaceous plants, acorns that have fallen from trees, fruits and nuts, foliage of bushes and trees, berries, and mushrooms. In winter, they also eat young branches and bark, being more active during the daytime. In summer they prefer to eat at dawn and at dawn.

Red deer feed very variedly - any gifts of nature. Not only soft grassy vegetation suits them quite well, but also “coarser” food, which includes cereals and legumes, tree leaves that have fallen in the fall, any stems, berries, fruits, lichen, mushrooms, nuts, chestnuts, acorns, spruce and pine needles, shrub bark. They also eagerly lick salt, replenishing its lack in the body. In the hot summer, they try not to feed, but only lie quietly in the shade. They go out to pasture early in the morning or late in the evening.

Reindeer are very beautiful and stately animals. They have many “superpowers” ​​that allow them to survive in the Far North. Most people don't even know about some of them. Few people know what a female deer is called. Let's not waste time and tell you everything in order.

Before we find out what a female reindeer is called, let's talk a little about this species.

Habitats

Reindeer can be found in the tundra, taiga and forest-tundra, in areas richest in vegetation. Animals can live in mountainous, flat and even swampy areas. The favorite places of deer are the banks of lakes and rivers, where the grass is especially lush and where there is water.

To be more specific, deer live in the following areas:

• mountainous regions of Norway;
• northern part of Russia;
• USA (Alaska);
• Canada.

In Sweden and Finland today only domestic reindeer live.

Super abilities

Unusual abilities allow deer to survive in the harsh northern terrain:

• They can dig through a meter-thick layer of snow in search of their favorite delicacy - reindeer moss. They usually dig snow with their front legs, which have a special structure: the edges of the hooves are pointed, and their entire surface is slightly concave.
• Deer swim well. To some extent this is due to their fur. The hairs are hollow inside. The air with which they are filled allows the animals to stay afloat.
• In summer, deer fur is short, and in winter it can reach such a length that a “mane” forms in the neck area. This allows the artiodactyls to feel comfortable at any time of the year.

Offspring

The main purpose of a female deer is, of course, the birth of offspring.

The breeding season, the rut, begins around mid-October and lasts about a month.

• First, mixed herds of several males and a large number of females are formed.
• Then these herds are split into smaller ones.
• Males compete and sometimes even fight for females. At this time they lose a lot of strength, some even die.

The female's pregnancy lasts 8 months, after which one fawn (sometimes two) is born in May-June. On the very first day, the murrelet (as a newborn deer is called) gets to its feet, and already at a week of age it is able to run quickly and even swim across large rivers.

About the female

We finally move on to the question of what a female deer is called.

Female European and sika deer are called doe (note, not female deer).

And a female reindeer is called a female reindeer.

A wild reindeer (or sokzha is its second name) differs from a female only in size, but only slightly. It is very difficult to visually determine what gender the deer is standing in front of you.

Now you know what female deer are called. Interesting facts about important women and deer will also not leave you indifferent.

• Deer milk is very nutritious, its fat content is more than 20 percent and has a consistency similar to cream. Residents of the northern regions consume it in its pure form and use it to make butter, cheese and other dairy products.
• In the tundra, the offspring of domestic reindeer and wild reindeer are highly valued, but in the forest belt, where there are many domestic reindeer, such crossing is not accepted.
• Female reindeer are unique in that they are the only ones with antlers among all the representatives of the “females” of the deer family.
• Adult males shed their antlers after the rut, and young males, who are not yet participating in the rut, shed their antlers in the middle of winter. Females lose such decoration only after calving.
• In this regard, an amazing fact. Santa's famous reindeer, Rudolph, is a girl! Moreover, the entire team of Santa Claus's reindeer consists of females, because only they wear antlers throughout the winter.
• Moreover, during the Christmas period, a male deer has only 5 percent subcutaneous fat, while a female deer has 10 times more. This allows the important woman to tolerate even extremely low temperatures.

You may have learned something new about female deer by reading this article. What are the names of their offspring, what unique abilities do these amazing animals have, how to distinguish a sokzhu from a vazhenka - without this knowledge it is impossible to understand how amazing and unique these graceful inhabitants of the North are.

There are many different species of animals and birds, but very few of them can feel comfortable in the harsh conditions of the northern taiga and tundra. belong to those few for whom the cold climate with snowy expanses is their home. Do you know what a female deer looks like, what this animal is called and how it is adapted to life in the snow? It's worth talking about, it's interesting and educational.

After all, these beautiful animals not only live in the wild, they have been successfully domesticated, and entire herds of domesticated deer now graze in the taiga, like ordinary cows in our meadows. Today, the number of domestic deer already far exceeds the number of their wild counterparts.

The peoples inhabiting the tundra call wild reindeer “sokzha”; probably few animal lovers know about this. Wild female reindeer - what is she called in the language of the local people? The name is quite interesting - “important”. A small fawn up to one year old is called “neblyuy” or “nesplit”, and a newly born baby is generally called by a very cute name - “fawn”.

If we have already touched on the topic of what a female deer is called, then let’s go over the names of other artiodactyl and horned representatives of the animal world. Deer are females of the European deer, and although it’s almost tempting to pronounce it, they are female deer. Female moose are moose cows, this is quite natural. A roe deer, whether male or female, still remains a roe deer, although in some places they are called a goat and a goat. Well, they really look like these animals. But let's return to the question of what a female deer is called. Vazhenka - the emphasis in this word is placed on the first vowel. A beautiful name, maybe they called it that because of its important appearance? Quite possible.

Reindeer Harem

The mating season for reindeer takes place in the autumn, during September-October. At this time, males often engage in battles for the favor of the female. If you are close to the herd during the rut, you will almost constantly hear the clashing horns of the fighting “cavaliers”, but, as a rule, such fights are very short: they knocked the branchy beauty on their heads against each other for a minute and ran away.

Deer are no different; they are polygamous, each male gathers his own harem around himself. The older and more respectable the bull, the larger his harem; females love to be under the protection of a strong “guy”. The group of “beloved” important women includes from 5 to 10 ladies. True, the composition of this group is almost impossible to accurately determine, the herd is constantly mixed and “betrayal” in deer families is quite possible, especially if the herd consists of a large number of individuals.

The strongest deer take custody only of those females who are in heat. As soon as this romantic period ends for the important woman, the male is no longer interested in her, he switches his attention to another.

Female deer: what is it called, description

The size of reindeer is not small at all. The animals reach 2-2.3 meters in length, and their weight is also impressive - 130-220 kg. The height at the withers is 1.4 meters, but quite often you can find very low animals - 1.2 meters at the withers.

The color of the fur in summer is gray-brown with coffee shades; in winter, dark spots appear on light fur. There is a mane on the neck. For some it is very beautiful, but for others it is almost invisible, it is so small. Reindeer's fur protects them from severe northern frosts. It is short (1-2 cm), but, thanks to the thick undercoat, it is extremely warm.

We have already found out what the female deer is called; the name “important” suits her very well. Now it's time to talk about horns. Do important women have such decoration? It turns out yes. Reindeer are the only members of the family in which males and females have antlers. Females are much smaller in build than males, and, accordingly, their horns are also smaller. But they have another advantage - the females walk around with antlers all winter, while the males shed them at this time. Nature thus made sure that pregnant females could defend for themselves the best place near the feeder. Immediately after calving, the horns can be removed, which is what they do.

Female deer and her cubs

The cubs are carried in the womb for eight months. In most cases, only one fawn is born; very rarely there are twins.

Newborn cubs lie down under their mother’s side for the first day, and on the second they already follow their parent, not lagging behind even a step. On the twentieth day of life, babies' horns already begin to grow. The fawn feeds on its mother's milk until the beginning of winter.

Interesting facts from the life of reindeer

As mentioned earlier, reindeer are unusual animals that can live in a very harsh northern climate, while still managing to find food under the snow and give birth to offspring.

Interesting facts about deer:

1. If a reindeer has the opportunity to snack on a bird delicacy, then it can easily eat an adult bird; small rodents can also be on the menu of the handsome horned one.

2. To maintain salt balance in the body, deer not only drink, they also chew on shed antlers. If there is a lack of mineral salts, they can even gnaw off each other’s horns.

3. Deer are excellent swimmers. They are able to easily swim across a river of several kilometers.

4. Migrating deer travel more than 500 kilometers.

6. Deer have a well-developed sense of smell. Under snow about 1 meter deep, they smell their main food - reindeer moss. In the wind, human smell can be heard at a distance of 4 km.

7. Reindeer are almost completely deprived for this reason, when running, they stick out their tongues, like dogs.