Defined strictly, a deer is a ruminant mammal belonging
to the family Cervidae. A number of broadly similar animals,
from related families within the order Artiodactyla, are
often also called deer. Depending on the species, male
deer are called stags, harts, bucks or bulls, and females
are called hinds, does or cows. Young deer are called
fawns or calves. Hart is an expression for a stag, particularly
a Red Deer stag past its fifth year. It is not commonly
used, but an example is in Shakespeare's "Romeo and
Juliet" when Tybalt refers to the brawling Montagues
and Capulets as hartless hinds. "The White Hart"
and "The Red Hart" are common English pub names.
Deer are widely distributed, with representatives in all
continents except Australia and Africa. Australia does
have six introduced species of deer that have established
sustainable wild populations from Acclimatisation Society
releases in the 19th Century.
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