The cervidae family.

Part one the red deer.

Red deer`s are Britain's largest land mammal, with the male measuring up to one point two meters at their shoulders. Females measure up to one meter. Red deer`s have hollow hairs, which is important for insulation when they move into the season of winter. They mainly live in grassland, woodland or moors. They will be seen and heard coming down from hillsides during the rutting season.The males make a long barking noise, especially during the rut when they are calling out. They are warning off other males and they are also declaring that this is their territory. Males are called stags and females are called hinds, their young are called fawns. The males rut during October and November, the dominant male will try and hold on to a harem. As the females come into season for a very short period the dominant male will try to mate with as many as he can. But their will be competition from other males. Other red deer males will try and take the high ground so they can become the dominant males and mate with all of the hinds. The hinds will normally stay in a group eating lots of grass. The males will fight together in tremendous battles that will sometimes end in death for one of the males involved. Their will also be lots of parallel walking and thrashing about in all of the grass. The red deer will mark his territory by urinating at certain points of his harem. Only the males have antlers, which are cast every year. This normally happens in winter or early spring, the new antlers start growing again in late spring or early summer. Antlers are made of bone and have a soft covering called velvet which helps to protect the antlers in spring. The points on the antlers are known as tines, these stay the same after the first year. Red deers are ruminants, which means they have a even number of toes. The red deer has a four chambered stomach. Males red deers will weigh up to two hundred and twenty five kilograms. After the rut, the deer will eat as much grass as possible to prepare them for the long winter ahead. The stags don`t eat during the rut, so it is vital for them to gain as many pounds as possible afterwards. The fawns are born singly in late May or early June. The native red deer takes its name from its lovely shining red summer coat,which will go duller and thicker during the winter. The red deer has a short tale, which is normally held close to its buff coloured rump. They feed on heather,grass and lichens and may live for up to fifteen years in the wild.