Animal Facts
Deer Facts & Trivia: Fascinating Things to Know
Only bucks grow antlers, and they shed the old set to grow a new pair every year. Newborn fawns can stand and walk within about thirty minutes of birth, and despite their delicate look, deer are strong, confident swimmers. They've also starred on screen as Bambi and inspired songs by both System of a Down and Owl City.
Deer are easy to recognize — branching antlers, wide dark eyes, a graceful bound through the trees. Underneath the postcard image, though, this member of the Cervidae family has some genuinely odd biology, plus a real presence in movies and music covered below.
Fascinating Deer Facts
Deer belong to the animal kingdom's Chordata phylum, the Mammalia class, under the order Artiodactyla and the family Cervidae — the even-toed hoofed mammal group that explains a deer's split hooves.
- Only bucks (male deer) grow antlers, and they shed the old set to regrow a brand-new pair every single year.
- Fawns arrive covered in white speckles that fade away before their first year is over.
- Newborn fawns are up and wobbling around on their own legs in as little as thirty minutes.
- Despite their delicate look, deer are surprisingly strong, confident swimmers.
- A deer's hoof splits into an even number of toes, shaped for the ground it walks on.
- Those long, slender legs are shaped to match whatever habitat each species calls home.
- Fawns generally spend their first year close to their mom before heading out on their own.
Deer in Movies, TV & Music
Deer have grazed their way through screens and speakers for decades. On film, they're the gentle heart of Bambi (1942) and the coming-of-age drama The Yearling (1946). In music, System of a Down brought raw intensity to "Deer Dance," Owl City went dreamier with "Deer in the Headlights," and Manchester Orchestra's simply titled "Deer" added its own take. There's also the holiday standard "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" — recorded by countless artists over the years.
Famous Deer
A few deer have become famous as individual characters:
- Bambi, the wide-eyed fawn at the center of Disney's Bambi
- Elliot, the motormouthed sidekick deer from Open Season
- Walter, the recurring deer character from the animated series Arthur
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you call a male deer?
A male deer is called a buck.
How soon after birth can a fawn walk?
Newborn fawns can stand and walk within about thirty minutes of birth.
How long do fawns stay with their mothers?
Fawns generally spend their first year close to their mom before heading out on their own.