Mammals
Red Deer
Cervus elaphus
Least ConcernFast Facts
Lifespan10–15 years in the wild
HabitatForest
DietHerbivore — grasses, sedges, heather, shrubs and tree shoots
ActivityCrepuscular
Size1.6–2.6 m body length
Weight90–240 kg
About
The red deer is one of the largest deer species and the biggest wild land mammal native to Britain. Mature stags grow impressive branching antlers that are shed and regrown each year, reaching their full glory for the autumn breeding season.
Found in open woodland, moorland and mountain glens, red deer are a defining feature of the Scottish Highlands and the deer parks of Europe.
Behaviour
During the autumn rut, stags roar, parade and clash antlers to win access to groups of hinds. Outside the breeding season the sexes live apart in separate herds.
Hinds and their calves form matriarchal groups, while bachelor stags band together for much of the year.
Did you know?
- A stag's bellowing roar during the rut can carry for several kilometres across a glen
- Antlers are among the fastest-growing tissues in the animal kingdom, adding up to 2.5 cm a day
- Red deer will visit the coast to eat seaweed when mineral-poor diets demand it
- The size of a stag's antlers reflects his age, condition and the quality of his range
Distribution
Europe, the Caucasus, parts of western Asia and North Africa; introduced elsewhere
