I.

Introduction

Deer, common name for certain hoofed, artiodactyl mammals, usually characterized by bony, often branching antlers that are shed and regenerated annually. Deer range through the Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The largest populations occur in mixed wooded and open land, although deer also live in swamps, on mountains, and on northern tundras. Deer species range in size from the European elk, or moose, which may reach a shoulder height of 2.35 m (7.7 ft), to the South American pudu, which can be as little as 25 cm (10 in) high at the shoulder. The first deer appeared in the early Oligocene epoch in Asia, about 38 million years ago.