Deer Physical Characteristics
Deer have a tan or brown coloring to them that doesn’t occur by accident. This helps them to blend into their surroundings very well without being detected. The young fawns look very cute with the white spots on them. They will start to fade after a couple of months. By the time they are four months old they will be completely gone.
All of the deer species feature a four chamber stomach. They are also cud chewers so they have a complex digestive system. They may seem like they are eating all day long but they are really having to chew it up twice before they are able to start digesting it and getting the nutrients from their food sources.
Inside of the mouth is a very unique design. The top of the jaw area has a hard palate and the bottom region has small teeth. They combination make it possible to rip food out of the ground or off of plants. They have molars in the back that they use to chew up their food before swallowing it.
They have very long legs that are skinny but also very powerful. They will run when they sense danger. They can get to a top speed of about 35 miles per hour should they need to. They can’t keep up this speed for very long though. They are very graceful animals and it is amazing to see how they are able to move.
For many hunters the pride with hunting a buck is the size and the age of him. The males have a part of their anatomy called antlers. They are on top of the head and they can grow to be very large. The older the buck is the wider the spread will be on them. Each point is considered to be worthy and so the more points in the buck the better of a trophy he is.
The antlers are shed every year and then grow back. The structure of the antlers will vary depending on the particular species of deer that you are talking about. They have blood vessels there and nerves that make them very sensitive. The antlers are covered with a spongy tissue called velvet.
The hearing for deer is remarkable and considered to be better than almost all animals in the world. The reason that they have such good hearing is all of the muscles that are attached to them. They can actually move their ears like a type of radar without moving the rest of their body. This allows them to determine the direction that sounds are coming from.
The eyes are at the sides of their heads. This gives them a huge advantage when it comes to being able to see. They can actually view an angle of 310 degrees. However, the disadvantage is that it is hard for them to focus on any one object. They have excellent night vision which helps them to be active during this period of time.
The fact that they have a wonderful sense of smell works to their advantage. In fact, they can often smell something in the area before they actually hear it. They often lick their nose which helps them to develop that keen sense of smell.
All deer are hooved animals and their hooves are very hard and able to help them to survive in a variety of different types of terrain. They also have scent glands in them that help with marking territory and attracting mates. These animals have a great body that is designed for quick movement and to help them survive in their natural surroundings.
