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Red deer, wapiti - CERVUS ELEPHAS
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Wapiti": "Wapiti" is a Shawnee word for "white rump." "Deer" comes from the German word "Tier," which simply means "animal."
Location: North Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America.
Habitat: Terrestrial. Varied: Mediterranean woodland, broadleaf and coniferous forests, and high montane regions.
Description: The 23 geographical subspecies of this deer differ greatly in size. the North American races are largest, while the European races are smallest. The coarse coat is reddish-brown in summer and grayish-brown in winter. Around the tail there is a tawny area. The branched antlers, present only in males, are fall off each year. When they grow back the following year, there is usually an additional branch. Length of head and body up to eight feet, with another nine inches for the tail. They stand almost six feet tall at the shoulder, and can weigh 650 pounds.
Behavior:The adult males form herds separate from those of the females, which also include fawns and adolescents of both sexes. During the mating season, each stag establishes a territory into which he lures as many females as possible for his harem. In this period the stags become extremely aggressive against any intruder, and violent fights often take place.
Reproduction: About 34 weeks after mating the female gives birth to a single fawn.
Go to the Artiodactyla Page to learn more about all the even-toed hoofed animals.
Or go to the Deer Index to study other
deer.
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