Deer, a common name for hoofed mammals of the family Cervidae, are usually characterized by bony, branching antlers, which are shed and regenerated annually.
This family ranges throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and North Africa, and contains 38 species.
Most female deer give birth to one or two young each spring, six to eight months after mating. Many of the offspring, or fawns, are born with spotted coats, but the spots will disappear in a few months when the animal grown its winter coat. In some species of deer native to Europe and Asia, the adults also have spots.
Because they have so many enemies, deer must be alert, relying on their keen senses of sight, smell and hearing to warn them of impending danger. Deer are now found on all continents except Antarctica. The moose is the largest member of the family and can weigh as much as 1,800 pounds. The smallest deer, the pudu, is the size of a raccoon and weighs around twenty pounds. Most deer in North America are white-tailed deer, with about 12 million living in the United States
