red deer

Large deer widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia and North Africa. A full-grown male (stag or hart) stands 1.2 m/4 ft at the withers, and typical antlers measure about 80 cm/31 in in length with a spread of about the same. During the breeding season the colour is a rich brown, turning grey at the approach of winter. The young are spotted with white.

The antlers are shed in April or May, and a few days afterwards the new growth shows. While the new antlers are developing they are covered with a thick velvet, and while in this condition are very sensitive. They are full-grown in about 12 weeks, and the ‘velvet’ is then rubbed off. Hornless stags sometimes occur.

Classification

There are several races of red deer spread across Asia and into North Africa. Many of these have been given different names, such as the hangul in Kashmir, and the Barbary stag in Morocco. The red deer has also been introduced to New Zealand from Europe. All these forms are essentially similar to the typical European form, but vary slightly in size and colour.

Red Deer

Town in central Alberta, Canada; population (1996 est) 60,100. It is situated on the Red Deer River, midway between Edmonton and Calgary. It is a centre for the petroleum industry and for area farms. Manufactures include electric transformers, diamond drills, beer, and dairy and wood products. It is home to Red Deer College (1964) and the Michener Centre, an institution for the mentally handicapped.

Scottish settlers came here in 1882, and settlement increased in 1885, with the building of nearby Fort Normandeau by the Canadian military. It was later moved to the Calgary-Edmonton Railway, stimulating an agricultural boom. Further growth occurred after World War II, with the discovery of oil and natural gas and the construction of petrochemical plants.