Resting red deer

by Rini Kools

The red deer (Cervus elaphus) is a mammal in the deer family. Red deer are not very scarce and can be found almost all over Europe.
In the warm months of summer, a red deer has a reddish-brown coat. Its fur changes to a grey-brown colour in the cold winter months. The red deer have a white belly and cream-coloured tail. In early September, red deer begin to lose their summer coat. This gives way to a new winter coat. The summer coat then returns in May of the new year. The head of a red deer is equipped with a pointed dark snout, large dark eyes and beautiful antlers. The latter, however, only applies to males. Females have no antlers. The antlers of a male red deer are very distinctive and easy to spot. Male red deer grow antlers that can reach 70-90 centimetres in size. It can weigh up to 10 kilograms. The antlers also have several branches that culminate in points (scions). On average, an antler has between 8 and 13 scions. When the male has completed his first year of life, the growth of his first antlers begins. These return every year and get bigger and more extensive the older the red deer is. So you can tell from an antler whether it is a young or an old male, but not exactly how old it is. In August, male red deer start shedding their antlers. The skin of their antlers begins to itch so much that they rub it against tree trunks, causing the antlers to come off.