Red deer

Red deer (Cervus elaphus), member of the deer family, native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. They are named for the color of their coat, which is reddish-brown in summer, fading to grayish-brown in winter. The American elk is classified as a subspecies of red deer. Male red deer are called harts, standing 3.5–4.5 ft (1.–1.4 m) tall, weighing 250–350 lb (113–159 kg), and sporting multibranched antlers, which are shed each year. Female red deer, called hinds, are smaller than harts and do not have antlers.