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There is currently six species of deer which can be found in the UK

Red Deer (Cervus elaphus)

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  • Habitat: Prefer forests and woodlands, but have adapted to live on open moor

  • Distribution: Scottish Highlands, Southern Scotland, Lake District, East Anglia, Northern England, Midlands, East Anglia, the New Forest, Sussex and south-west England.

  • ​Behaviour: In forests, red deer are mostly solitary or exist in small groups, largely active at dawn and dusk. In open moorland, namely the Scottish Highlands, populations group in larger numbers in the day, dropping into the valleys at night.

Roe Deer

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  • Habitat: Prefer woodland and forest but spend a lot of time in open fields

  • Distribution: Throughout the British Isles

  • Behaviour: They are solitary animals, but tend to group together in the winter months, Active 24 hours a day, Males rut in breeding season, while courtship between the buck and doe involves a lot of chasing

  • Diet: Young tree shoots, bilberries, heather, Ivy and brambles

  • Breeding season: Mid July to Mid August

  • Weight: Upto 25kg

  • Lifespan: Up to 10 yrs

  • when alarmed they bark like a dog

Fallow Deer

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  • Habitat: Decidous woodland and thick, low-lying vegetation

  • Distribution: Found throughout Britain

  • Behaviour: These live in both mixed groups & single-sexed groups

  • Diet: Grass, but have been known to also eat young shrubs

  • Breeding season: Late Sept - Oct

  • Weight: Up to 94kg (Females Up To 56kg)

  • Lifespan: Up to 16 yrs

  • The heaviest fallow deer ever recorded at 330 pounds and it measured 190 in the overall body length

Reeves’ muntjac deer

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  • Habitat: Woodlands but have now adapted to live in urban areas

  • Distribution: Very Common in England

  • Behaviour: Mostly active at dawn & dusk

  • Diet: Shrubs & Herbs

  • Breeding season: All year round

  • Weight: Up to 18kg

  • Lifespan: Up to 19 yrs

  • Does are capable of breeding at seven months old. After a gestation period of seven months, they give birth to a single kid and are ready to mate again within a few days

Sika deer

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  • Habitat: Woodlands, Moorlands & Heath

  • Distribution: Increasing population across the UK

  • Behaviour: Live in single sex groups

  • Diet: Grasses and dwarf shrubs, Bark and young tree roots

  • Breeding season: Mate Sept - November

  • Weight: Up to 70kg

  • Lifespan: Up to 12 yrs

  • Like Red Deer, Female sikas are known as Hinds

Chinese water deer

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  • Habitat: Lakes, Riverbanks & Reedbeds

  • Distribution: Eastern England

  • Behaviour: Active all day although mostly at dawn & Dusk, Coming together during mating season

  • Diet: Grasses, Herbs, Woody Vegetation

  • Breeding season: Late Autumn between Nov - Dec

  • Weight: Up to 18kg

  • Lifespan: Up to 13 Yrs

  • This non-native species to Britain now accounts of 10% of the global population

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