Cervids

Cervids are mammals in the deer family, Cervidae, including red deer, roe deer, moose and reindeer. They are plant-eating ruminants, with species adapted to forests, wetlands, tundra and other habitats. Body size and lifestyle vary widely.

Examples of cervids

Red deer: Cervus elaphus occurs in Romania as well as other regions. Deer is also a broad name for the family.
Roe deer: males and females belong to the same species, Capreolus capreolus.
Moose: large cervids found in northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
Reindeer: adapted to cold climates, with populations using tundra and boreal forests.
Carpathian red deer: red deer from the Carpathian region, rather than a completely separate family or species.

How do antlers grow?

Antlers are bony structures that are shed and regrown, usually every year. During growth they are covered by blood-rich velvet. The timing differs among species and populations.

In most species, males carry antlers. Reindeer are a familiar exception because females can also grow them. Not every cervid has antlers, and their shapes differ among animals.

Food and differences from bovids

Cervids eat plant material such as leaves, shoots, grasses and other available foods. Rumination and digestive microorganisms help process plants. Diet varies with species, habitat and season.

Chamois, cattle, bison and antelopes are bovids rather than cervids. Horned bovids have a bony core covered with keratin, and their horns are generally permanent.