Scottish red deer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Scottish red deer |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Cervidae |
| Subfamily: | Cervinae |
| Genus: | Cervus |
| Species: | |
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C. e. scoticus
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| Trinomial name | |
| Cervus elaphus scoticus Lönnberg, 1906
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The Scottish red deer (Cervus elaphus scoticus) is a type of red deer that lives in Great Britain. Just like the red deer found in Ireland, these deer arrived from mainland Europe a very long time ago, during the Stone Age. People sometimes farm Scottish red deer for their meat, their antlers (which are like horns), and their hides (skins).
What Does the Scottish Red Deer Look Like?
This deer is a bit smaller than other red deer found in Western Europe. This is an example of something called insular dwarfism, which means animals on islands sometimes become smaller over many generations.
In summer, their fur is lighter in color. They have a clear border around a lighter patch on their rump (their back end). The rest of their body is a dark reddish-brown, and their face and neck are a bit greyer. Their legs are brownish-black. In winter, the deer grow longer hair on their neck to keep warm. The antlers of the males usually have two points, called the brow and bez tines, that are close together and a bit above the base of the antler.
Where Do Scottish Red Deer Live?
These deer live well in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. You can also find them in parts of England, like Westmorland, Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire, and the New Forest. They are also found in County Kerry and Donegal in Ireland.
However, many red deer kept in special parks in the British Isles come from a larger type of red deer from mainland Europe. This type is called the Western European red deer (Cervus elaphus elaphus). Sometimes, these larger deer escape from parks and live freely in the wild in some areas. Even though most Scottish red deer are in the north of Scotland, some have been seen in the Borders area.
How Many Scottish Red Deer Are There?
The number of red deer in the UK doubled in the 50 years leading up to 2018. More than half of these deer live in Scotland. This growing population has led to discussions about how to manage them.
Some people suggest that the deer population needs to be controlled. This is because too many deer can damage forests and rare plants. They also cause problems for drivers, as about 6,000 car accidents each year involve red deer. Around 100,000 deer are taken out of the population each year to help manage their numbers. However, a report in 2017 by MSPs (Members of the Scottish Parliament) said that these efforts were not working well enough.
In 2014, research by the Forestry Commission showed that the increasing number of deer was the biggest threat to Scotland's old, native woodlands.
In November 2019, a 45-year study showed that climate change has affected the genes of the red deer on Rùm. Rùm is one of the Inner Hebrides islands in Scotland. Warmer weather caused deer to give birth about three days earlier for every ten years of the study. The gene that causes earlier births has become more common in the deer population. This is because female deer with this gene have more calves during their lives. Dr. Timothée Bonnet, who led the study, said they had seen "evolution in action."
