Deer are representatives of the family of artiodactyl mammals. This family includes fifty-one species. They are common in North and South America, throughout Eurasia. They live in Australia and New Zealand, where they were brought by man.
Brief general characteristics
Dimensions of deer representatives are very diverse. So, a pudu deer is the size of a hare, and elks are comparable to the size of a large horse. This family has branched horns that grow only in males. The exception is the reindeer. The representatives of his species have horns in males and females. Their deer are shed every year, they grow back in a season.
Deer among the peoples of the world have a great symbolic meaning. They are objects of myths and legends. Their image embodies nobility, grace, beauty, grandeur and swiftness. In Christianity, the deer is a symbol of purity, piety and hermitism.
Habitat
Reindeer is the only representative of the genus Reindeer.
AreaThe habitat of this animal is significant. It is distributed in the northern part of the Arctic region. Its habitat includes Russia, Mongolia, Eastern Europe, Scandinavian countries.
To date, wild reindeer populations have disappeared from some of their original habitats, mainly from the southern areas. The reason for this was human activity. Large wild herds survived only in Siberia, Alaska, Greenland, Canada. In the Kirov region, the European reindeer has virtually disappeared. Comes here occasionally from the northern regions.
European reindeer description
This is a medium-sized animal. His body is elongated, his neck is long. Due to the fact that it is covered with abundantly long hair, it seems massive and thick. The legs of the northern European deer are short. The head of the animal is usually bowed quite low, so it looks like the deer is hunched over.
In the description of the European reindeer it is necessary to include its aesthetic data. So, animals seem to be squat, as a result of which their appearance is not as slender and beautiful as that of red deer. This species also lacks grace in movements.
The head of the reindeer is elongated, proportional. Differs in a small height in the region of the brain, gradually tapering towards the end of the muzzle. The nose is covered with continuous hair, there is no nasal mirror, the upper lip does not move over the lower one. The deer's ears are small, round, short. The eyes are small. The scruff (withers) is raised, but the hump is not formed. The back is straight, the croup is also straight and slightly sloping.
Female reindeer are smallermales. Their body length is 160–210 cm, while in males these figures range from 185 cm to 225 cm. The height at the withers of males is up to 140 cm, while in females it is no more than 115 cm. Females weigh from 70 kg to 120 kg, while males can reach 190-200 kg.
It should be noted that reindeer living in captivity are 30% smaller in body weight and 20% smaller in size.
Lifestyle
Reindeer prefer to live in large herds. It is believed that it is more effective to fight off enemies and search for food. The number of individuals in a herd can range from a dozen individuals to tens of thousands.
Reindeer living in the tundra zones from the end of autumn migrate to the south, to taiga places. It is easier to get food there in winter. It has been established that, looking for food during the migration period, they can move up to 1 thousand km. With the onset of springtime, they move back to the tundra zones.
Water barriers during migratory movements are not afraid of reindeer. Due to the peculiar structure of the wool, they perfectly adhere to the surface of the water.
The main food of northern European deer is lichen - reindeer moss. The plant is a perennial, covering the tundra with a carpet year-round. As a result, there are no problems with food for reindeer. Animals can smell reindeer moss under the snow at a depth of up to half a meter. In the presence of snow cover, they use their hooves, using them like a shovel when shoveling snow.
Reproduction
Reindeer become sexually mature in their second year of life. Reproduction continues until they are twenty years old. However, in most females, the ovaries degrade by the age of 12. The average life expectancy of a reindeer is about 25 years.
Approximately from mid-September - early October, within a month, the deer begins the rut. The main sign that this stage is beginning is the creation of mixed herds. By this time, animals are dressed in a new skin (molting stops). Horns get rid of velvety deposits and ossify. At this time, the fatness of the deer is optimal.
A male deer during the breeding season forms harems, which include from three to thirteen females.
Usually, in a group of about 10 individuals, there is one bull. In larger groups, there are several males. Bulls compete with each other (butt) only in the presence of females. When they are not there, there are no fights. Bullfights are symbolic skirmishes, reminiscent of ritual ones. They do not harm each other.
Keeping the females in the group, the males practically do not eat and lose a lot of weight. At the end of the rut, the body weight of bulls is twenty percent less than the original. At the same time, they are greatly weakened and become unable to resist those who want to take their place. After the end of the rut, the males separate from the herds and live separately.
Pregnancy in females lasts from 190 to 250 days. One calf is born, the birth of twins is a rarity.
At birth, a fawnweighs about 6 kg. Immediately after giving birth, he is already on his feet and can move after his mother. In just a week of life, the baby can swim across the river. Lactation in females lasts 6 months.
Human use of deer
Northern peoples learned how to tame European deer a long time ago. Family we alth is in direct proportion to how many domestic deer are. For the people of the North, this animal was unique. Meat, blood, entrails were used for food. Reindeer milk is full fat and very nutritious.
The skins of northern European deer are also universal. The name is covered with dwellings (yurts, yarangas, chums). They go to tailoring men's and women's winter clothes. The skin of the reindeer, obtained from its limbs, is very durable, used to make warm and comfortable shoes.
Reindeer and medicine
The horns of these animals are widely used in medicine. An extract from them or a powder is used to treat diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Preparations that are made from horns have a proven strong immunostimulating effect on the human body. So, pantohematogen is recommended to be taken with significant physical and mental stress.
In the recent past, reindeer were used as horse-drawn vehicles. They transported people efficiently, pulling sleds over long distances over snow and off-road. With the advent of modern technology (snowmobiles,ATVs, cars, etc.) they are no longer harnessed. However, their owners still have the opportunity to have a pleasant ride in a reindeer sleigh.
