Types of Deer
It may surprise you to discover that there are over 60 different sub species of deer in the world. They live in all locations except for Antarctica where it is too cold. They also don’t live in Australia but there isn’t really a known reason why. Only one species of them lives in all of Africa. The most popular types of deer include elk, White Tail Deer, moose, and caribou.
To help simplify things there are five main categories of species of deer that have been identified. They include the White Tailed Deer, Caribou, Elk, Moose, and Mule Deer. Those are the ones that we will cover here. Of course you should also consider doing more research on your own to evaluate the various sub species that fall into each one of these categories.
The White Tailed Deer is considered to be small in size. It has pointy antlers and the telling sign for it is the tail with white coloring underneath it. The older males also develop white under their necks and bellies. The more they mature the larger those areas of white will be. This is one type of deer that many people are familiar with. This is also the type that is commonly hunted due to the fact that they have such a large population.
Caribou are very large types of deer. Yet they have a unique design to their hooves so they are able to walk on top of soft ground. They can also use them to dig in the snow in order to get to food sources below it. That is important because Caribou often live in colder regions and they need that resource for survival. This is one of the very few species of deer where both sexes end up growing antlers.
Elk are considered to be one of the largest types of deer and also the most well defined. Most people are in awe when they see a large male Elk with his antler rack proudly displayed. They are one of the species of deer that feature hair on their necks.
Of course nothing compares in size to the Moose! They can easily weigh more than 1,500 pounds. Some of them are closer to 1,800 pounds that live in the areas of Alaska. They can also grow to be more than 8 feet tall. You would think such a large species of deer would have a very hard time moving quickly but that isn’t the case at all with the Moose. Due to the diverse look of the Moose and its size, they are hard to mistake for too many other types of species. Yet it is possible to confuse Elk and Moose because they are similar in many ways.
The Mule Deer is another species that many people are familiar with. They have a very diverse distribution out there in the world. They can be considered small or medium sized depending on the particular region you are talking about. They have a white area around their behind and also on their face that extends from under the eyes to their mouth. Mule deer tend to have a large population in many areas as well so hunting for them is common.
As you explore these different types of deer you will come to appreciate all that they offer. You may even be able to recognize certain species as you come across them in the wild. Too many people simply lump them all as one under the term of deer. It is amazing at the different sizes that these species can cover. The fact that they can also live in very extreme environments is interesting to learn about as well.
