The red deer (Cervus elaphus) is the largest of the members of the deer family (Cervidae) that live in Slovenia. At the shoulder, an adult deer stands up to 1,5 m tall, and its length is from 1,5 to 2 m. Males (stags) here weigh up to 250 kg and are larger than females (hinds), which weigh up to 150 kg. The male carries branched bone antlers on his head, which shed in March or April, and each year a new one grows in their place. The first antlers grow for the deer after one year of life and increase until about age 10; after that, the antlers begin to slowly wear down along with the body, as this reflects the deer's physical condition. Does lack developed antlers; they are called antlerless. The red deer has a long, delicate coat. In summer the coat of adults is a uniform reddish-brown color, in winter it becomes gray-brown. Calves are spotted. The hindquarters and the underside of the tail are white all year round.
The deer is active at dusk and at night, when the herds go to graze, during the day it rests in forest shelter and chews slowly. A large part of its diet consists of grasses, also seeds and fruits. In winter, during times of scarcity, it also gnaws on conifer twigs and bark.
The herds of deer disperse during the mating season, which we call the rut. The rut takes place at established locations, usually in September. At that time, males, by physically testing their strength in fights, try to gain as many does as possible. In winter, the females again begin to associate with fawns and form a herd, while the males form their own herds or live a solitary life until the next rut. A doe is pregnant for about eight months, after which in May or June she usually gives birth to a single fawn, which she nurses for about three months.
The lifespan of the red deer is 15 to 20 years, but in the wild they typically live five or six years. Its main natural predator is the wolf, which mainly preys on injured or sick animals and individuals in poorer physical condition and thus ensures that the fragile natural balance is not disturbed.
The deer today lives in large closed forests, but it was only humans who drove it out of the forest — initially, deer herds lived in areas with a mosaic interweaving of meadows and forests. In our country, most of the deer population settles in the Dinaric fir-beech forests.
