3 °C The red deer (Cervus Elaphus) horns or antlers ?
With the exception of the reindeer, antlers is the preserve of male deer. It is a spongy bone that falls and grows back each year, from a small bump located on the skull: the pivot.
The horn is carried by both sexes. Consisting of a central bone, extension of the frontal bone and a horny case, it persists for all of its life . Its growth is continuous but not constant. A difficult period, for example, causes a slowing down of the shoot.
The red deer has a new finery every spring. He loses his wood every year, at the end of winter or at the beginning of spring.
During regrowth that lasts until early summer, it tends to isolate (males 5 years and older) or to live in small groups (males 2 to 5 years). He also moults to don his shiny brown red summer outfit.
Condemned by humans ...... to a forest life
The red deer is a large species, the male can reach up to 250kg (551 pounds). He lived initially in the large clearings of the primary forest. The development of agriculture has gradually driven him out. Nowadays, red deer spend most of their time in forest areas, gaining clearings and meadows only at dusk.
In the Animal Reservation of the Monts d’Azur, the red deer have found conditions of tranquility that allow to observe them during the day, attending to its many social activities.
An intense social lifea grown-up kid
The red deer live in herds for most of the year. The composition of them varies according to the seasons: herds of males in spring and winter, herd of females and young in spring, mixed herds in autumn.
The red deer is a social animal that adores, at any age, to play: gallops, jumps, boxing matches and above all rolls in the mud. Males, females and young take pleasure in covering themselves with mud, from head to foot.
Season of love a rough sex life
End of August, the red deer begins its love season. In the Animal Reservation of the Monts d’Azur, the deer bellows at night but also a good part of the day. It gives jerky, hoarse and powerful hiccups that are reminiscent of the roars of lions in heat, showing his determination to his opponents.
He stops feeding to devote himself to the preservation of the unity of his herd, chasing the possible rivals with big shots of antlers. This is a difficult time for him, especially since the doe do not remain insensitive to the charms of the neighbor and do not hesitate to wonder from one to the other! The red deer cal l(tant, carp, rail against ) can last until November, and deaths among males are common, especially if the following winter is severe.
Fawns, weighing 6-8kg are born in spring after 8 months of gestation and remain carefully hidden in the vegetation for 2-3 weeks, appearing only to suckle from the mother. The mother calves in a quiet and covered place, after leaving the herd. Little weighs from 6 to 8 kg. It will remain carefully hidden in the vegetation 2 to 3 weeks, appearing only to suck his mother.
The red deer has a new finery every spring. He loses his antlers every year, at the end of winter or at the beginning of spring. During regrowth that lasts until early summer, they tend to isolate (males 5 years and older) while to live in small groups (males 2 to 5 years). He also moults to don his shiny brown red summer outfit.
