Grass deer

The grass deer, also known as the Alpan deer or rikkin, is a medium-sized species of deer native to Alpa. It has several sub-species, including the common grass deer, king deer, and winter deer, that are distributed throughout the continent. It has long been an important food source for Alpan people, including dalar, and is a popular animal for sport hunting.

Etymology

"Rikkin" comes from the native Tirina word for the animal, used in Sanmra: rıkin /rı.ˈkin/, of ancient origin. "Grass deer" is something of a misnomer, as the animals can be found in both forests and grasslands, and they don't actually eat that much grass. "Alpan deer" is equally as transparent--it's the only small deer on the continent of Alpa, and the only Alpan deer species not natively found on other continents.

Description

The most notable feature of a grass deer is their striped coat, a feature not found in other deer species. Their coats are mainly a reddish-brown color, with narrow light brown or cream vertical stripes on their flanks. From a distance, the stripes are not easy to discern, and blend into the overall coat to help camouflage the animal in wooded environments. Young grass deer (fawns) have brighter stripes that fade slightly as they age. In the winter, the main part of the deer's coat darkens slightly to a more grayish-brown color. Their tails have dark tip; winter deer have entirely dark tails.

Adult male grass deer (bucks) have prominent antlers that are shed and regrow every year. New antlers typically begin to grow in mid-spring, and are initially covered with velvet that is rubbed off against trees. Antlers are shed after mating season, typically in January-February. Contrary to popular belief, bucks rarely use their antlers to fight one another; they are not territorial animals, and usually only fight over does during mating season. These "fights" usually involve little fighting, but rather posturing, vocalizing, and mock charges from the opponents. In very rare circumstances when two deer actually fight, they use both their hooves and antlers. (Does will fight as well, although only rarely.)

Body size varies between subspecies. Most grass deer stand around 80–100 centimetres (31–39 in) at the shoulder, although king deer, the largest subspecies, range from 100 to 120 centimetres (39 to 47 in). All species are between 105 and 220 centimetres (41 and 87 in) long, including the tail, which can vary widely in length between 10.2 to 32 centimetres (4.0 to 12.6 in). Adult bucks weigh, on average, 45–130 kilograms (99–287 lb), with the average around 80 kilograms (180 lb) (except for the king deer, which averages 100 kilograms (220 lb)). Trophy grass deer have been recorded at over 210 kilograms (460 lb).

Females (does) are about 20% smaller than bucks, with weights averaging around 65 kilograms (143 lb). King does (sometimes fancifully referred to as "queens") are slightly larger than other female grass deer, around 70 kilograms (150 lb), but are relatively smaller than other female grass deer, as they are around 30% smaller than male king deer.

Subspecies

Subspecies of grass deer are primarily divided by their range. From a taxonomic perspective, some of the subspecies may not be true subspecies at all, but merely color variants.

The king deer is the largest subspecies of grass deer. They typically have more prominent antlers but less prominent stripes, with some individuals having no visible stripes at all. They are more aggressive than other types of grass deer. Most fights between grass deer observed in the wild are between king deer. Their range is on the west side of the UNNAMED MOUNTAIN RANGE, in Nordjaelm and North Shalorja.

The winter deer is so named for their migration to warmer climates in fall, making them an easy target for early Alpan hunters in winter. They inhabit eastern Alpa, primarily in Tomeria and are often found along the coasts. They can be distinguished from common grass deer by their small ears and entirely black tails.

The common grass deer is the most common variant and is found throughout Alpa, in some cases overlapping with some of the subspecies. They are particularly common in Sanmra.

A small version of the grass deer known as the UNNAMMED MOUNTAIN RANGE deer inhabit the UNNAMED MOUNTAIN RANGE; it is unclear whether they are truly a separate subspecies or simply a population of the common grass deer that has bred for smaller size due to the limited food supply at high altitudes. Aside from their smaller size, they appear virtually identical to common grass deer.

Behavior

Grass deer are fairly social animals, and outside of mating season, can frequently be found in single-sex groups. After mating season, bucks will usually form "bachelor herds" consisting of unrelated individuals who live in the same area. Does are somewhat more solitary; while they form similar female-only groups in late winter and early spring, they are frequently found alone with their fawns throughout the summer.

They are crepuscular animals, being most active around twilight and dawn, when the dim light makes them even less visible. At night and during the day, they typically bed down in wooded areas.

A major part of deer behavior revolves around the mating season or rut, which takes place in late fall. Bucks become increasingly aggressive toward one another, causing their bachelor herds to break apart, and may travel significant distances in pursuit of a doe in heat. Bucks may mate with several does, but do not form "harems" or mixed-sex herds; at most, a single buck and doe may stay together for a short period of time. For their part, does also begin to group together again during the mating season. The aggression level of bucks is largely dependent on the ratio of bucks to does; when there are few bucks and many does, aggression levels are low and fights are rare. When there are many bucks competing for a small number of does, on the other hand, fights become significantly more common (and does are more picky).

Grass deer are browsing animals. Unlike their name implies, they don't actually eat all that much grass--instead, they prefer shoots, leaves, berries, acorns, and forbs (flowering plants that are not grasses), only eating grass as a supplement to their diet. In winter, they also eat tree bark. In agricultural areas, they also eat crops such as legumes, and are considered a pest by many farmers. Like other deer, they are ruminants with a four-chambered stomach.

Interaction with intelligent species

From the earliest settlement of Alpa by dalar, grass deer have been a major target for hunting and a significant contributor to diet. After humans arrived in Alpa, bringing agriculture, many groups of dalar became agrarian. This caused deer hunting to become only a sport, or as a supplement to an otherwise agricultural diet.

Today, due in large part to the culling of wolf populations, the grass deer is thriving in Alpa, to the point of becoming a nuisance and pest in many areas. When left unchecked, deer can consume a large portion of farmfields and are commonly hit by motor vehicles. They also can have a negative impact on the growth of forests, as they enjoy eating young tree shoots. To control the deer population in Sanmra, the government has heavily promoted the sport of deer hunting. Despite being illegal, some farmers also resort to poisoning deer.