Family of the Week: the Deer

A family that is around even today. The deer we know well, most people regard them as pests. But they are highly successful animals. Like most other artiodactyls, they have 2 fully-formed hooves on the feet. They have antlers that shed annually, and regrow in the warmer, drier months. In most species the tail is short and carried low, except when running. Though in the Metazoic, a few species have long tails, like cattle. The legs are long and slender and launch the animal in a sort-of leaping/running gait, and many species in the Metazoic can cover up to 20 feet in a single bound. The reason these animals use leaping methods when running is they can get away from predators faster. Since the Metazoic has some of the largest catch-and-kill predators ever, this is a valuable tool these animals never lost during the Metazoic. Most deer in the Metazoic are restricted to the New World, though there are some Old World species left, they are generally out-competed in the Old World by antelope. All deer feed on vegetation, but it is only the majority of their diet. They will also feed on various sources of meat and other proteins.

Any way you look at it, deer are rather large animals, though there are some small, shy animals even during the Metazoic. The largest deer of this time period is Megaladama. This deer stands 11 feet tall, with antlers that spread over 7 feet wide. In today's World, the moose is the largest deer, but it only stands about half as tall as Megaladama. This deer is a plains-dweller that lives alone or in small family groups. The males aggressively defend the females and young. The deer with the largest set of antlers is actually Spoudaioceros, which are as long in proportion to it's body size as the antlers of the prehistoric Irish elk (Megaloceros). They too are plains dwellers, except when the males shed their antlers, and are capable of retreating to the forests.

The smallest deer belong in the genus Damalia. It is tiny animals like these that kept the deer family alive in the Metazoic. These small deer are about the size of a miniature poodle. Though for the most part these are plains-dwellers, they also dwell in forested areas. They live in couples, and raise the young together in tree hollows, under bushes or even in abandoned burrows. Damalia is a shy animal that only comes out occasionally when they are sure there is no predator disturbance. Though they are alert, they are not always good at predicting when predators are not around. Like all deer in the Metazoic, they use all their senses when spotting predators, but the sense of smell is useless. Their most valuable senses are the sight and hearing. Though sight does little good in the forests.

The greatest predators of these animals are any of the various carnivorous animals around during this time period. Especially though the Deinognathids, large mongooses and Vulpemustelids like Phobogula. Sometimes foxes will even take them, some species like Velocitherium are specially designed to chase down and kill such animals as deer. Other hunting foxes like Dendrocynus may also take them as well. Carnivorous pentadactyls may also take the young of most deer species, but rarely, if ever, would take on a large adult. Though they might prey on a species like Damalia. Another threat comes from predatory bats, like Pterdraco and Emsordeus. These predatory bats literally "rain" death on these deer, especially the smaller species.