Definition
A deer or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae(informaly the deer family). Male deer of almost all species(except the water deer), as well as female reindeer, grow and shed new antlers each year.
A deer or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae(informaly the deer family). Male deer of almost all species(except the water deer), as well as female reindeer, grow and shed new antlers each year.
The word deer was originally broad in meaning, becoming more specific with time. Old English deor and Middle English der meant a wild animal of any kind. For many types of deer in modern English usage, the male is a buck and the female a doe, but the terms vary with dialect, and according to the size of the species.
Deer constitute the second most diverse family of artiodactyla after bovids. Though of a similar build, deer are strongly distinguished from antelopes by their antlers, which are temporary and regularly regrown unlike the permanent horns of bovids. Characteristics typical of deer include long, powerful legs, a diminutive tail and long ears.
