Editing Deer (section)

==Distribution==

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[[File:Chital (8458215435).jpg|thumb|left|[[Chital]] deer in [[Nagarhole National Park|Nagarahole]], India]]
Deer live in a variety of [[biome]]s, ranging from [[tundra]] to the [[tropical rainforest]]. While often associated with forests, many deer are [[ecotone]] species that live in transitional areas between forests and thickets (for cover) and prairie and savanna (open space). The majority of large deer species inhabit temperate mixed deciduous forest, mountain mixed coniferous forest, tropical seasonal/dry forest, and savanna habitats around the world. Clearing open areas within forests to some extent may actually benefit deer populations by exposing the [[understory]] and allowing the types of grasses, weeds, and herbs to grow that deer like to eat. Access to adjacent croplands may also benefit deer. Adequate forest or brush cover must still be provided for populations to grow and thrive.

Deer are widely distributed, with indigenous representatives in all continents except [[Antarctica]] and [[Australia]], though [[Africa]] has only one native deer, the [[Barbary stag]], a subspecies of [[red deer]] that is confined to the [[Atlas Mountains]] in the northwest of the continent. Another extinct species of deer, ''[[Megaceroides|Megaceroides algericus]],'' was present in [[North Africa]] until 6000 years ago. [[Fallow deer]] have been introduced to [[South Africa]]. Small species of [[brocket deer]] and [[pudú]]s of [[Central America|Central]] and [[South America]], and [[muntjac]]s of [[Asia]] generally occupy dense forests and are less often seen in open spaces, with the possible exception of the [[Indian muntjac]]. There are also several species of deer that are highly specialized and live almost exclusively in mountains, grasslands, swamps, and "wet" savannas, or [[riparian zone|riparian corridors]] surrounded by [[desert]]s. Some deer have a circumpolar distribution in both [[North America]] and [[Eurasia]]. Examples include the [[Reindeer|caribou]] that live in Arctic [[tundra]] and [[taiga]] (boreal forests) and [[moose]] that inhabit taiga and adjacent areas. Huemul deer ([[taruca]] and [[South Andean deer|Chilean huemul]]) of [[South America]]'s [[Andes]] fill the ecological niches of the [[ibex]] and [[wild goat]], with the fawns behaving more like [[goat]] kids.

The highest concentration of large deer species in temperate North America lies in the [[Canadian Rocky Mountains|Canadian Rocky Mountain]] and [[Columbia Mountains|Columbia Mountain]] regions between Alberta and British Columbia where all five North American deer species ([[white-tailed deer]], [[mule deer]], [[caribou]], [[elk]], and [[moose]]) can be found. This region has several clusters of national parks including [[Mount Revelstoke National Park]], [[Glacier National Park (Canada)]], [[Yoho National Park]], and [[Kootenay National Park]] on the British Columbia side, and [[Banff National Park]], [[Jasper National Park]], and [[Glacier National Park (U.S.)]] on the Alberta and Montana sides. Mountain slope habitats vary from moist coniferous/mixed forested habitats to dry subalpine/pine forests with alpine meadows higher up. The foothills and river valleys between the mountain ranges provide a mosaic of cropland and deciduous parklands. The rare woodland caribou have the most restricted range living at higher altitudes in the subalpine meadows and [[alpine tundra]] areas of some of the mountain ranges. Elk and mule deer both migrate between the alpine meadows and lower coniferous forests and tend to be most common in this region. Elk also inhabit river valley bottomlands, which they share with White-tailed deer. The White-tailed deer have recently expanded their range within the foothills and river valley bottoms of the Canadian Rockies owing to conversion of land to cropland and the clearing of coniferous forests allowing more deciduous vegetation to grow up the mountain slopes. They also live in the aspen parklands north of Calgary and Edmonton, where they share habitat with the moose. The adjacent [[Great Plains]] grassland habitats are left to herds of elk, [[American bison]], and [[pronghorn]].

[[File:Reindeer-on-the-rocks.jpg|thumb|[[Reindeer]] herds standing on snow to avoid flies]]
The [[Eurasia]]n Continent (including the Indian Subcontinent) boasts the most species of deer in the world, with most species being found in Asia. Europe, in comparison, has lower diversity in plant and animal species. Many national parks and protected reserves in Europe have populations of red deer, [[roe deer]], and fallow deer. These species have long been associated with the continent of Europe, but also inhabit [[Anatolia|Asia Minor]], the [[Caucasus Mountains]], and Northwestern [[Iran]]. "European" fallow deer historically lived over much of Europe during the Ice Ages, but afterwards became restricted primarily to the Anatolian Peninsula, in present-day Turkey.

Present-day fallow deer populations in Europe are a result of historic man-made introductions of this species, first to the Mediterranean regions of Europe, then eventually to the rest of Europe. They were initially park animals that later escaped and reestablished themselves in the wild. Historically, Europe's deer species shared their deciduous forest habitat with other herbivores, such as the extinct [[tarpan]] (forest horse), extinct [[aurochs]] (forest ox), and the endangered [[wisent]] (European bison). Good places to see deer in Europe include the [[Scottish Highlands]], the [[Austria]]n [[Alps]], the [[wetlands]] between [[Austria]], [[Hungary]], and the [[Czech Republic]], and some National Parks, including [[Doñana National Park]] in [[Spain]], the [[Veluwe]] in the [[Netherlands]], the [[Ardennes]] in [[Belgium]], and [[Białowieża Forest|Białowieża National Park]] in [[Poland]]. [[Spain]], [[Eastern Europe]], and the [[Caucasus Mountains]] have forest areas that are not only home to sizable deer populations but also other animals that were once abundant such as the wisent, [[Eurasian lynx]], [[Iberian lynx]], [[Gray wolf|wolves]], and [[brown bear]]s.

[[File:Cervus nippon and Macaca fuscata.jpg|left|thumb|Some [[sika deer]] (''Cervus nippon'') and [[Japanese macaque|Japanese macaques]] (''Macaca fuscata'') along a waterside]]
The highest concentration of large deer species in temperate Asia occurs in the mixed deciduous forests, mountain coniferous forests, and taiga bordering North Korea, Manchuria (Northeastern China), and the Ussuri Region (Russia). These are among some of the richest deciduous and coniferous forests in the world where one can find [[Siberian roe deer]], [[sika deer]], elk, and moose. Asian caribou occupy the northern fringes of this region along the Sino-Russian border.

Deer such as the sika deer, [[Thorold's deer]], [[Central Asian red deer]], and elk have historically been farmed for their antlers by [[Han Chinese]], [[Turkic peoples]], [[Tungusic peoples]], [[Mongolia]]ns, and [[Koreans]]. Like the [[Sami people]] of Finland and Scandinavia, the Tungusic peoples, Mongolians, and Turkic peoples of Southern Siberia, Northern Mongolia, and the Ussuri Region have also taken to raising semi-domesticated herds of Asian caribou.

The highest concentration of large deer species in the tropics occurs in Southern Asia in India's Indo-Gangetic Plain Region and [[Nepal]]'s Terai Region. These fertile plains consist of tropical seasonal moist deciduous, dry deciduous forests, and both dry and wet savannas that are home to [[chital]], [[hog deer]], [[barasingha]], Indian [[Sambar deer|sambar]], and [[Indian muntjac]]. Grazing species such as the endangered barasingha and very common chital are gregarious and live in large herds. Indian sambar can be gregarious but are usually solitary or live in smaller herds. Hog deer are solitary and have lower densities than Indian muntjac. Deer can be seen in several national parks in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka of which [[Kanha National Park]], [[Dudhwa National Park]], and [[Chitwan National Park]] are most famous. Sri Lanka's [[Wilpattu National Park]] and [[Yala National Park]] have large herds of Indian sambar and chital. The Indian sambar are more gregarious in Sri Lanka than other parts of their range and tend to form larger herds than elsewhere.

[[File:Sambar deer and spotted deer - lvm 2016.jpg|thumb|A couple [[Sambar deer|Sambar]] does and a [[Chital]] buck roaming the [[Sigur Plateau]] in southern India]]
The Chao Praya River Valley of Thailand was once primarily tropical seasonal moist deciduous forest and wet savanna that hosted populations of hog deer, the now-extinct [[Schomburgk's deer]], [[Eld's deer]], Indian sambar, and Indian muntjac. Both the hog deer and Eld's deer are rare, whereas Indian sambar and Indian muntjac thrive in protected national parks, such as [[Khao Yai National Park|Khao Yai]]. Many of these South Asian and Southeast Asian deer species also share their habitat with other [[herbivory|herbivores]], such as [[Asian elephant]]s, the various Asian rhinoceros species, various antelope species (such as [[nilgai]], [[four-horned antelope]], [[blackbuck]], and [[Chinkara|Indian gazelle]] in India), and wild oxen (such as [[wild Asian water buffalo]], [[gaur]], [[banteng]], and [[kouprey]]). One way that different herbivores can survive together in a given area is for each species to have different food preferences, although there may be some overlap.

As a result of [[acclimatisation society]] releases in the 19th century, Australia has six [[introduced species]] of deer that have established sustainable wild populations. They are fallow deer, red deer, sambar, hog deer, [[Javan rusa|rusa]], and chital. Red deer were introduced into New Zealand in 1851 from English and Scottish stock. Many have been domesticated in [[deer farm]]s since the late 1960s and are common farm animals there now. Seven other species of deer were introduced into New Zealand but none are as widespread as red deer.<ref name="DeerInNewZealand">{{cite web|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/mammals-introduced/page-10|title=Deer|website=Te Ara: An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand|year=1966|editor-first=A. H.|editor-last=McLintock}}</ref>