Grass deer

The grass deer, also known as the striped deer, 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.

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 stripes along 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. 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.

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. {does this make sense? elk live at perfectly high altitudes and are ginormous} Aside from their smaller size, they appear virtually identical to common grass deer.