Month: January 2020

(Capreolus capreolus) The roe deer is our smallest deer. In the 18th century, the roe deer was on the verge of extinction in Sweden. It was saved in Skåne and since the 1850s, the population has steadily increased.

Belongs to:	Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
Family:	Deer family (Cervidae)
Weight:	23-28 kg (bucks), 20-26 kg (does)
Lifespan:	ca 15 years
Mating season:	July - August
Gestation period:	9-10 months, but with a delayed fetal development - the fetus begins to develop about 5 months before birth.
Calves:	They are called "kids". The female usually gives birth to 2 kids, which weigh 1.5-2.5 kg at birth.

(europeisk älg; Alces alces) The moose is the largest land mammal in our country. It is found throughout the country except on the island of Gotland. In the past 20-30 years, the moose population has increased significantly, and today we have a population of about 300,000 animals. The reasons for the increase are several, but regulation of hunting and more abundant food due to new forestry methods (clear-cutting) are the main ones. The male moose has the largest antlers at the age of 7-10 years and is then called a "kapital". Then the antlers decrease in size and are called "retur". There are two types of antlers: palmate antlers and cervine antlers.

Belongs to:	Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
Family:	Deer family (Cervidae)
Weight:	Between 320-450 kg (bulls), in extreme cases up to 800 kg. Between 275-375 kg (cows).
Lifespan:	Up to 25 years
Mating season:	1 September-October
Gestation period:	ca 8 months
Calves:	Born in May-June and weighs 8-15 kg at birth: usually 1 or 2 calves, which nurse for 7-8 months.

(Rangifer tarandus fennicus) Translation: The reindeer is the only deer species where both the female and male have antlers. The forest reindeer is a subspecies of the tundra reindeer and is adapted to living in the large forests. It has considerably longer legs, broader hooves and a narrower antler crown compared to the tundra reindeer. The wild reindeer became extinct in Sweden in the 1860s, and it was protected 50 years later in 1915. They live in small herds. Nowadays, the "Swedish reindeer" are domesticated reindeer, which are kept by the Sami people.

Belongs to:	Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
Family:	Deer family (Cervidae)
Weight:	180-200 kg (males), 120-140 kg (females).
Lifespan:	ca 15 years
Mating season:	July - August
Gestation period:	9-10 months, but with a delayed fetal development - the fetus begins to develop about 5 months before birth.
Calves:	They are born in May-June.

(Rangifer tarandus) The reindeer is the only deer species where both the male and female have antlers. The wild reindeer was extinct in our country during the 1800s. "Swedish reindeer" nowadays refer to domesticated reindeer kept by the Sami people. The reindeer is one of the most useful domesticated animals. The Sami name for the male reindeer is "sarv" and for the female "vaja". A castrated male reindeer is called a "härk" and is used as a draft animal. As a living animal, the reindeer is used as a draft and pack animal (pack reindeer) and the females can also be milked. After slaughter, virtually all parts of the reindeer are used. Lichens of various kinds are the reindeer's most important food. Reindeer are specially adapted to digest and utilize the sparse diet. During the summer, their diet is supplemented with grass, herbs, leaves, and mushrooms. In winter, reindeer use their hooves to dig through the snow to find ground lichens. They also eat hanging lichens from trees. Wild reindeer can be found throughout the tundra areas of the northern hemisphere. In North America, they are called Caribou.

Belongs to:	Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
Family:	Deer family (Cervidae)
Weight:	70 - 150 kg (male), 40 - 100 kg (female).
Lifespan:	Around 20 years.
Mating season:	September - October
Gestation period:	8 months
Calves:	They are born in May-June.