Graceful yet stealthy, majestic yet pacy! Deer and antelopes have featured across various wild vistas for millions of years, donning the role of essential prey animals, thus helping sustain food chains and allowing ecosystems to thrive. From the North American Prairie and the African Savanna, to the Arabian desert and the Indian forests, deer and antelopes of various sizes and unique characteristics make up an integral aspect of the biosphere.
Among myriads of species that call Earth home, the animal kingdom is divided into five categories: Porifera, Ctenophora, Placozoa, Cnidaria, and Bilateria, and deer and antelope fall under the Bilateria category. Bilateria refer to animals that exhibit bilateral symmetry, meaning that their bodies can be divided into two mirror-image halves along one plane, and deer and antelopes are considered to have a clear left and right side, which is a clear characteristic of Bilateria. Modern “true” deer are thought to have evolved from ancestors similar to modern-day chevrotains at some point during the Oligocene (part of the mid-Tertiary, some 30 million years ago); they were small animals with simple antlers and large canine tusks that lived in the forests of the Old-World tropics.
Antelopes have roamed the Earth for millions of years, evolving into a diverse group of species adapted to a wide range of habitats. The earliest antelope fossils date back to the Miocene Epoch, around 20 million years ago.
Deer and antelopes are two of the most recognisable creatures on earth, and because of their almost similar appearances, are often confused with each other. Both are hoofed animals (ungulates) and ruminant mammals, i.e., they have multiple stomachs that regurgitate food to chew it again, and this process is called ‘chewing the cud’. But when we are classifying them, deer are part of the Cervidae family, which includes elk, reindeer, moose, and red and fallow deer; whereas, antelopes belong to the Bovidae family, which also includes cattle, goats, sheep, and bison. Apart from their appearance, and the other two aspects because of which both these animals are confused as being the same, deer and antelope are very different from each other, from their families, their headgear, their origin, physical characteristics, and more.
Family
As mentioned above, deer and antelope belong to the Cervidae and Bovidae families, respectively. They are from separate taxonomic families, which reflects their distinct evolutionary paths. When it comes to the Cervidae family, there are about 50 different kinds of deer that are classified into three distinct sub-families:
Cervinae (Old World Deer): Red deer, sambar deer, spotted deer and barasingha come under this category, and are mostly found in Asia, Europe, and North Africa
Capreolinae (New World Deer): White-tailed deer, mule deer and caribou/reindeer come under this category, and are mostly found in America and Northern Europe
Hydropotinae (Water Deer): They are the Chinese water deer, a small group of deer with unique traits. They are mostly found in China and Korea, and are known for their tusks, instead of antlers
On the other hand, antelopes belong to the sub-family ‘Antilopinae’ within the Bovidae family, of which there are about 90 species that are categorised on their habitat and size. Antelopes are categorised into three different groups:
Small Antelopes: They are adapted for speed and live in dense vegetation and grasslands. Gazelles (Africa), dik-dik (East Africa), and oribi (sub-Saharan Africa) are some species under this category
Medium-sized Antelopes: They can survive in a variety of habitats, ranging from woodlands to grasslands. The species under this category are the impala, mostly found in Africa, and the springbok that is native to South Africa
Large Antelopes: They are mostly larger species adapted to open Savanna and deserts, known for their strength and endurance. Kudu, eland, wildebeest, and oryx are some species under this category
Deer are found across North and South Americas, Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa. They thrive in a variety of habitats like forests, grasslands, tundra, and wetlands. Some species like reindeer can survive in extremely cold conditions, including the North Pole. On the other hand, antelopes are mostly found in Africa and Asia, especially in the Savanna, deserts, and open grassland, and are well-adapted to dry, vast landscapes, being excellent at conserving water and have long legs for sprinting away from predators, that may include leopards and lions (in Africa) and tigers (in Asia).
Setting them apart
When it comes to deer, they have a larger and more muscular build, with features adapted for life in dense forests or colder climates. Their antlers often serve as a display of dominance or courtship. Whereas antelopes are sleeker and more streamlined, adapted for speed and agility in open environments. Their horns are often used for defence and combat.
Horns and antlers are the biggest distinguishing features of deer and antelopes, respectively. They are what sets both of them apart. Deer grow antlers, which are bony structures that shed and regrow annually, and antlers branch out, giving them a tree-like appearance. Antelopes, on the other hand, have horns, which are permanent structures made of a bony core covered by keratin. These horns do not shed nor branch, and are permanent.
Their lifespans are comparable, but vary based on species and environment. Deer usually live for about 10-20 years in the wild, but this mostly depends on species and predation risks. When it comes to their reproductive traits, deer have a defined mating season during which males compete for mates by fighting each other with their antlers. Antelopes can live for about 10-25 years, with larger species often living longer. Antelopes often have year-round breeding seasons in tropical regions, and their mating rituals often involve displays like leaping and head clashes.
Some unique species of deer include the moose, which is the largest species of deer, found in North America and Eurasia; and the Pere David’s deer, a rare species native to China, primarily found in captivity due to conservation efforts. Some unique antelopes include Saiga antelope, found in Central Asia, known for its bulbous nose; and the addax, a critically-endangered desert species found in the Sahara.
Deforestation, poaching and climate change
One of the major reasons the world is experiencing extreme climatic conditions today is the felling of trees, which is having a profound impact on natural habitats, further leading to significant challenges for survival. Many deer species, such as white-tailed deer and red deer, rely on forested areas for food, shelter, and breeding, but the lack of forests removes shrubs, leaves, and soft vegetation that these creatures depend on for foraging.
As forests are destroyed for agriculture and urbanisation, the deer venture into human settlements, causing crop damage, increasing the likelihood of being hunted down, which further escalates human-animal conflict.
Breaking up forests isolates deer populations, which reduces their genetic diversity and makes them more vulnerable to predators and diseases. As a cascading effect, predators, unable to find a steady source of prey (deer), themselves venture into human settlements, posing a threat to man.
India is a land that faces significant wildlife poaching issues, and 89 poaching incidents involving ungulates were reported in 2020 alone. In Balukhand-Konark Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha, deer populations have declined from 5,000 to 3,125, indicating a nearly 37% decline, as a result of poaching. But the most challenging part in India is that most of these poaching cases go unreported or undetected, making it difficult to provide a precise percentage. Deer are mostly hunted for their meat and skin, and also for sport.
Like deer, antelopes too are susceptible to extreme climatic conditions. Though African antelope species, like the oryx and addax, are adapted to arid climates, they are vulnerable to prolonged droughts, as they reduce water availability and destroy grazing lands. There is always an extreme increase or decrease in temperature, and when it increases, it can lead to heat stress, especially for species not adapted to extreme heat. When these creatures are exposed to extreme heat for a prolonged period, it can reduce reproduction rates, and thus mortality. Besides, many antelope species are grazers and rely on grasslands. Climate-induced changes in grass composition and availability can threaten their survival. Precise nationwide statistics on antelope poaching in India are limited due to the clandestine nature of such activities and inconsistent reporting. However, an RTI query revealed that 139 blackbucks were killed across 13 states over a decade, and over 108 poachers were arrested. Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number of killings at 31, followed by Karnataka (25), and Uttar Pradesh (24). In 2020, media reports documented 89 incidents of poaching and illegal trade of ungulates, like blackbuck, chinkara, and nilgai. Though these figures spread light on the actual issue, only a fraction of it is represented due to underreporting and challenges in detecting the activities. In the end, the herbivorous deer and antelope are essential to maintaining the natural balance.
Where can you find deer and antelopes in India?
Many deer and antelope species are found in protected areas like national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, which provide safe habitats away from human encroachment. Moreover, these habitat preferences range from dense forests to arid grasslands, which reflects their unique ecological adaptations.