8 Types of Deer: Learn About All of the Major Deer Species

Deer are among the most popular mammals in the world! They are beautiful, elegant creatures that inhabit worldwide forests and open areas. Some deer species are even brave enough to venture into towns (which isn’t an advantage, though!).

Their family is divided into two subfamilies, which, in turn, consist of several deer species and subspecies. We’ll first discuss each family and then move on to present eight major deer types. Enjoy!

The Cervinae Subfamily

The Cervinae deer subfamily is also called the Old World deer subfamily. Some also call these deer plesiometacarpal deer, which points to the fact that they have only proximal lateral metacarpals.

This subfamily consists of eight genera, each with its deer species:

1. Elaphodus genus – one species called tufted deer
2. Muntiacus genus – 12 species, including the Indian muntjac and the Sumatran Muntjac
3. Dama genus – two species, common fallow deer and Persian fallow deer
4. Axis genus – four species, including the Indian hog deer
5. Rucervus genus – two extant species, one extinct species
6. Elaphurus genus – one species called Pere David’s deer
7. Rusa genus – four species, including the Visayan spotted deer
8. Cervus genus – five species, including elk and red deer

Besides these, this subfamily includes 14 extinct deer species. 

The Capreolinae Subfamily

The Capreolinae subfamily is also called the New World deer subfamily or telemetacarpal deer group. The latter points to the fact that these deer maintain their distal lateral metacarpal.

This subfamily consists of 10 genera, which, in turn, consist of deer species:

1. Capreolus genus – two species called western roe deer and eastern roe deer
2. Hydropotes genus – one species called water deer
3. Alces genus – one species called moose or Eurasian elk
4. Rangifer genus – one species called caribou or reindeer
5. Odocoileus genus – three extant species, including the white-tailed deer, and one extinct species
6. Blastocerus genus – one species called marsh deer
7. Hippocamelus genus – two species called taruca and south Andean deer
8. Mazama genus – 23 species, including the gray brocket and the Brazilian brocket
9. Ozotoceros genus – one species called Pampas deer
10. Pudu genus – two species called northern pudu and southern pudu

There are also nine extinct genera in this subfamily.

8 Major Deer Species

Since the two subfamilies mentioned above consist of eight and nine genera, there are currently 17 major types of deer. However, we’ll only discuss eight of them – some of the most well-known and popular deer worldwide!

1. Muntjac

Muntjacs are the deer in the Muntiacus genus, which consists of 12 recognized species. These deer are native to South Asia and Southeast Asia and are believed to have inhabited the Earth for around 15-35 million years!

These deer live in India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Taiwan, Southern China, and the Indonesian islands. Reeves’s muntjacs are now found in the United Kingdom and Japan. Muntjacs can be found in rainforests, monsoon forests, and the lower Himalayas. Most deer live in habitats close to water sources.

The Indian Muntjac subspecies is unique because it’s the only mammal in the world with a diploid chromosome number of 6 in the female and 7 in the male. 

2. Elk

The elk, also called wapiti, is one of North America’s largest terrestrial mammals. This deer species consists of 11 extant and two extinct subspecies.

These deer live in open deciduous forests, upland moors, boreal forests, grasslands, and mountainous areas. They can be found in central to eastern Asia and North America. Elk can grow as tall as 4 ft 11 inches at the shoulders and reach a nose-to-tail length of up to 8 ft 10 inches. Male elk are larger and heavier than females.

3. Red Deer

The term “red deer” refers to the species Cervus elaphus, which in turn consists of about 13 subspecies. The previously mentioned American elk was once considered a red deer subspecies but was eventually established as a separate species. 

These ruminants are the fourth-largest extant deer on Earth. Their size depends on their distribution. For example, the largest red deer are in the Carpathian Mountains in Central Europe. However, if we were to discuss an average, we’d say that male red deer grow up to approximately 98 inches long (without the tail) and weigh up to 530 pounds. Female red deer are smaller, reaching 83 inches long and weighing as much as 370 pounds. Their tails may add another 4 – 7 inches to the overall body length.

4. Fallow Deer

The common name “fallow deer” is used for the Dama genus, which consists of two species: Dama dama (European fallow deer) and Dama mesopotamica (Persian fallow deer). The male European fallow deer grow approximately 55-63 inches long and 33-37 inches tall at the shoulders, while females are just slightly smaller, having a length of 51-59 inches and a height of 30-33 inches. In terms of weight, however, males are much heavier, reaching 220 pounds, while females rarely weigh more than 110 pounds.

Persian fallow deer can be found in tamarisk, pistachio, and oak woodlands. They are similar to European deer in appearance, except that they have less-palmated antlers. 

Since 2008, Persian fallow deer have been listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Their conservation story dates way back, and many efforts have been made to protect their population. 

5. Reindeer

Reindeer go by the name of caribou in North America. There are currently 14 recognized reindeer subspecies, and two are extinct. Reindeer are the only group of deer that have females with antlers. The color of the fur varies depending on the subspecies, location, and season. For example, northern deer are smaller and have light coats. Southern deer are larger and have darker coats.

These deer usually have a 64-81-inch length and a 180-260-pound weight. Male reindeer are larger than females. Another unique feature of reindeer is their vision. Studies show that reindeer can see light with wavelengths as short as 320 nm (as in the ultraviolet range), which helps them survive in the Arctic region.

6. White-Tailed Deer

The white-tailed deer is the most known and most common in North America. However, these deer have been introduced to other regions, such as New Zealand and Europe. They live east of the Rocky Mountains, southwestern Arizona, and Mexico in North America. Most white-tailed deer are located in Texas. More precisely, Texas hosts roughly 5.3 million deer!

The Odocoileus virginianus species is divided into 26 subspecies, and 17 can be found in North America.

These deer have a gray-brown coat during fall and winter and a reddish-brown coat during spring and summer. A whitetail’s most unique feature is its tail, which has a white underside. When it’s alarmed or feels threatened, it will raise its tail.

White-tailed deer usually weigh between 150 and 300 pounds, and males are larger than females. 

7. Roe Deer

Roe deer are a small species that can easily survive in cold and harsh environments, as their bodies have adapted to this kind of habitat. Moreover, they prefer living above the tree line and in open agricultural areas. However, if they look for food, they’ll search almost any habitat and then retreat to dense woodland to rest.

Most roe deer grow as large as 4 ft 5 inches long and 2 ft 2 inches tall at the shoulders. They usually weigh between 35 and 75 pounds. However, there’s a small exception: Kazakhstan roe deer are larger than most roe deer.

Buck antlers can reach 8-10 inches long and often have two or three points. Some unique bucks develop four points.

8. Moose

The moose is the heaviest and the largest extant deer species. A moose’s most distinctive characteristic is its broad, palmate antlers. In contrast, other deer have twig-like antlers. They live in the Northern Hemisphere’s broadleaf, mixed, and boreal forests. 

Moose have double-layered fur. They grow approximately 4.6 – 6.9 inches tall at the shoulders, so they are larger than elk (wapiti). Males weigh up to 1,543 pounds, while females aren’t as heavy, as they rarely reach more than 1,000 pounds.

Up Next:

• Deer Lifespan: How Long Do Deer Live?
• How Do Deer Stay Warm in the Winter?
• Florida Key Deer: Here’s What Makes Them So Special

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Martin Mecnarowski/Shutterstock.com