(Muntiacus reevesi)

Recognition - small, stocky, russet brown in summer, grey brown in winter. Long pedicles, short antlers and visible upper canines in bucks. Very large facial glands below the eyes. Ginger forehead with pronounced black lines running to the pedicles in bucks, dark U shape in does. Haunches higher than withers, giving a hunched appearance. Fairly wide tail, which is held erect when disturbed.
Adult size - bucks (males): 10 to 18kg, 44 to 52cm at shoulder. Does (females): 9 to 16kg, 43 to 52cm at shoulder.
Antlers - short (up to 10cm) but on long pedicles. Usually un branched but brow tine occasionally found in old bucks.
Life span - bucks: up to 16 years. Does: up to 19 years, but these are exceptional.
Status - introduced. Widespread and increasing in number and range.
UK distribution - south and central England and Wales. North of the Humber distribution is patchy but reaches close to the Scottish border.
Food & feeding - selective feeders that take small morsels from nutritious plants. Diet varies according to region and availability but may include herbs, brambles, ivy, heather, bilberry and coppice shoots.
Habitat - deciduous or coniferous forests, preferably with a diverse under storey. Also found in scrub and over -grown gardens in urban areas.
Social organisation - generally solitary or found in pairs (doe with kid or buck with doe) although pair -bonding does not occur. Bucks defend small exclusive territories against other bucks whereas does' territories overlap with each other and with several bucks.

(Cervus nippon)

Adult size - stags (males): 40 to 70 kg, 70 to 95cm at shoulder. Hinds (females): 30 to 45kg, 50 to 90cm at shoulder, dependent on subspecies.
Antlers - branched, similar to red deer but with a maximum of eight points. Bey tine absent. Angle between brow tine and the main beam is always less than 90.
Life span - exceptionally up to 18 years.
Status - introduced, locally abundant and increasing.
UK distribution - widespread and expanding in Scotland from west to east. Patchy in England (bands exist across the north and south) and Northern Ireland (County Fermanagh and County Tyrone), absent from Wales.
Habitat - coniferous woodlands and heaths on acid soils.
Food & feeding - grazers of grasses and dwarf shrubs, especially heather. Coniferous tree shoots and tree bark may occasionally be taken in small quantities.
Social organisation - sika are fairly unsocial, tending to be solitary for most of the year and only form small groups in winter. The sexes are strongly segregated and occupy discrete geographic ranges for most of the year, only coming together to mate.

(Dama dama)

Adult size - bucks (males): 84 to 94cm at shoulder, 46 to 94kg. Does (females): 73 to 91cm at shoulder, 35 to 56kg.
Antlers - palmate in adult (>3 years), increase in size with age, up to 70cm long.
Life -span - exceptionally, 16 years, bucks (males) rarely exceed 8 to 10 years.
Status - non -native but considered naturalised. Locally abundant and increasing.
UK distribution - widespread in England and Wales, patchy in Scotland.
Habitat - mature broadleaf woodland with under -storey, open coniferous woodland, open agricultural land.
Food & feeding - preferential grazers of grasses although trees and dwarf shrub shoots will be taken during autumn and winter.
Social Organisation - group sizes as well as the degree of sexual segregation varies according to population density and habitat. Groups of adult males and females, usually with young, remain apart for most of the year in large woodlands, only coming together to breed. Sexes freely mix in large herds throughout the year in open, agricultural environments.

(Cervus elaphus)

Adult size - stags 90 -190kg, 107 -137cm at shoulder. Females (hinds) 63 -120kg, up to 107 -122cm at shoulder. Deer on the open hill in Scotland are smaller than those in lowland English woodland.
Antlers - highly branched. The number of branches increases with age. Up to 16 points in native animals.
Life -span - exceptionally up to 18 years in the wild.
UK distribution - Native stock common in the Scottish Highlands, Dumfriesshire, Lake District, East Anglia and the south -west of England. Feral stock present in the north of England, north Midlands, East Anglia, the New Forest and Sussex.
Food & feeding - grazers of grasses, and dwarf shrubs e.g. heather and bilberry. Woody browse, e.g. tree shoots, is taken when other food is limiting e.g. during winter.
Habitat - within its range in England and southern Scotland occurs in woodlands and forests but can adapt to open moor and hill on Scottish hills and south -west England.
Social organisation - In woodlands red deer are largely solitary or occur as mother and calf groups. On open ground, larger, single sex groups assemble, only mixing during the rut and in the Highlands of Scotland large groups may persist for most of the year.

(Capreolus capreolus)

Time of birth - May to June.
Adult Size - 10 to 25kg, 60 to 75cm at shoulder ( bucks - males slightly larger than does - females ).
Colouration summer - reddish brown, winter - grey, pale brown or (occasionally) black.
Antlers - short (<30cm), 3 points on each.
Life -span - Up to 12 years in the wild.
Food & feeding - browsers that actively select different food types including herbs, brambles, ivy, heather, bilberry & coniferous tree shoots.
Habitat - woodland and forest, but may occupy fields when at high densities.
Social groups - Solitary, forming small groups in winter. Number of offspring. Up to 3, usually 1 or 2 kids.