Learn about the many different types of deer. Photos, facts, and information on the habits and habitat of many deer species.
Read our updated articles about some of the fascinating types of deer found in locations around the world. Learn about their habitat, biology, appearance, reproductive cycle and more. Here you’ll discover just how diverse the many species of deer are.
Most people already have a solid picture in their mind of what a deer looks like – generally associating the broad term “deer” with their local ungulate population.
But if you are a hunter, or just a wildlife enthusiast, then you are well aware that there are many different types of deer all around the world.
Deer species can be broken up into various categories and distinctions depending on their location. Some are more popular in certain regions than in others, and some are on the brink of extinction.
On this page we will be taking a deep dive into the different types of deer species, where they reside, and whether or not they are extinct.
Two of the most common deer species in North America include the Mule Deer and the White Tailed Deer. While you may stumble upon other species as you explore different regions within North America, these two are native species.
Another common deer species in North America is the Black-Tailed Deer (a sub-species of Mule Deer).
Moose are also a common species of ungulate in North America that can be found in the Northern USA and Canada.
There are a few different types of deer that are native to Europe. Quite a few of these European deer species are present and common on different continents as well.
The three most common deer species that are native to Europe include the European Roe Deer, the Fallow Deer, and the Red Deer.
Many of the different types of deer mentioned above can also be found in Asia.
However, there is an abundance of Asian deer species that will only be found here, unlike the others.
In Asia you’ll find deer species such as variations of Sambar Deer, Muntjac Deer, Tufted Deer, and Water Deer.
In comparison to North America, the deer species native to Central and South America vary greatly.
Here, you can find Marsh Deer, Pudú Deer, and the Taruca Deer scattered across the continent, residing in different habitats among the different countries in this diverse region.
There is only one known deer species that is native only to Africa and that is the Barbary Stag. Some may say: “What about antelope?”, but Antelope are actually different from deer.
This species is slightly smaller than those of the Red Deer species and sports darker spots around the neck, belly, head and legs. They have large antlers.
The Barbary Stag can be found in Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. They inhabit humid and temperate forests with higher elevations.
Barbary Stag are an endangered deer species that were once hunted to extinction before being reintroduced several years later. They are often targets of hunting gangs and they also fall prey to jakals and hyena.
Here is a list of all the world’s deer species in taxonomic order. Please click on a species name for more information about that species.
Subfamily Hydropotinae
Chinese Water Deer ( Hydroptes inermis)
Subfamily Muntiacinae
Bornean Yellow (Muntjac Muntiacus atherodes)
Black Muntjac (Muntiacus crinifrons)
Fea’s Muntjac (Muntiacus feae)
Gong Shan Muntjac (Muntiacus gongshanensis)
Indian Muntjac (Muntiacus muntjac)
Leaf Muntjac (Muntiacus putaoensis)
Reeves’ Muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi)
Truong Son Muntjac (Muntiacus trungsonensis)
Giant Muntjac (Muntiacus vuquangensis)
Tufted Deer (Elaphodus cephalophus)
Subfamily Cervinae
White-lipped or Thorold’s Deer (Cervus albirostris)
Philippine or Visayan Spotted Deer (Cervus alfredi)
Barasingha (Cervus duvaucelii)
Philippine Sambar or Philippine Brown Deer (Cervus mariannus)
Sunda Sambar or Rusa Deer (Cervus timorensis)
Indian Sambar (Cervus unicolor)
Calamian Deer (Axis calamianensis)
Père David’s Deer (Elaphurus davidianus)
Persian Fallow Deer (Dama mesopotamica)
Subfamily Odocoilinae
Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus)
Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus)
White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Pampas Deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus)
Red Brocket (Mazama americana)
Merioa Brocket (Mazama bricenii)
Grey Brocket (Mazama gouazoupira)
Yucatan Brown Brocket (Mazama pandora)
Little Red Brocket (Mazama rufina)
Northern Pudu (Pudu mephistophiles)
Marsh Deer (Blastocerus dichotomus)
Peruvian Guemal or North Andean Deer (Hippocamelus antisensis)