- Spanish: Ciervo
- Scientific: Cervus elaphus hispanicus
- English: Red Deer
- French: Cerf élaphe
- German: Rothirsch
- Italian: Cervo nobile
- Portugese: Veado
Description
The red deer is A large mammal with a robust body, fine head and long legs. The males measure around 90 – 120cm (3ft-3’11”) at the shoulder and the females 90 – 110cm (3ft-3’7”). Only the males have antlers and these are replaced each year. Their general body colour is brown with greyish tones, the belly and beneath their short tail is much paler.
The Red deer has a fragmented distribution throughout much of Europe, Asia and North America. The 27 or so subspecies have each developed different characteristics. In Iberia there is a subspecies, Cervus elaphus hispanicus, which has a smaller head, more grey colouring and finer dimensions than in Central European variations.
The size of the red deer varies within Spain depending on genetics and food availability. The males can be 90 y 120 cm at the shoulder with an overall length of 160 y 220 cm, the females are smaller.
