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Baby deer are some of the most adorable woodland creatures on Earth! But did you know that they are 200 times more likely to have triplets or that they only have 4 teeth when they are born?
Check out this article to learn five facts about deer calves and see some adorable photos. Let’s jump right in!
#1: Audrey Hepburn had a pet deer calf!
Audrey Hepburn was a famous actress who starred in movies during the 1950s and beyond. One of her on-screen roles required her to interact with a baby deer. The animal’s trainer had an idea: Audrey should take the baby deer home to create a special bond that would make the scenes with the animal more believable.
Hepburn agreed and took the deer, named Pippin, home from the set. They made a great band and Hepburn loved the cute baby so much, she let her little furry friend sleep in her bathtub. Occasionally, Hepburn would even let the deer sleep in her bed, and reportedly the deer loved to cuddle with her human companion.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much information about what happened to Hepburn’s deer friend after the film was completed. Some speculate that the animal was returned with its trainer once filming began. Others believe Hepburn may have kept the animal, but noted that it would be incredibly difficult to keep an adult deer as a pet. They can jump high fences and can become aggressive towards people as they get older.
#2: Baby Deer Are Alone For Hours While Their Mothers Forage For Food
If you ever see a baby deer seemingly alone in the wilderness, it’s best to leave the animal alone. This is because when mother deer forage for food for their young and themselves, they have been known to leave their babies unattended for hours on end.
Baby deer have mottled, light-colored fur that makes them blend in with their surroundings. Because this makes them difficult to see through predators, mother deer often leave their babies in areas of tall grass or under bushes where the small animals can hide. Mother deer tend to move far away from where they leave their babies to avoid luring predators to their location.
In most cases, baby deer are perfectly safe on their own while waiting for their mother to return. Rescue missions are only necessary if the animals appear injured or are in an unsafe location, such as along a busy road.
#3: Male Deer Babies Leave Their Mothers First
While deer cubs depend on their parents for survival during their early years of life, eventually they must venture out on their own. Deer usually travel in groups of about 25, which is a . is called herd-. The only exception to this rule are male deer, or bucks, who sometimes prefer to travel alone.
This is important for deer babies, as male deer leave their mothers much more often than females. On average, male fawns go into the world alone around a year old. Females, on the other hand, tend to stick around until they are about two years old.
#4: Deer can have twins and triplets
Can you imagine anything cuter than little fawn siblings? We certainly can’t! You may be surprised to learn that deer can have multiple babies at once, with twins and even triplets being possible.
In deer pregnancies, anywhere from 15% to 20% results in triplets. Compare that to the chances of humans pregnancies of 0.1%, and it adds some perspective to that insane number. That means deer have a 100x to -200x chance of having multiples during pregnancy than humans. That’s a big difference!
For these numbers to be this high, the deer population must have adequate access to food, intact habitat, and a commensurate number of predators in their area. If one of these areas is out of balance, the probability of multiples decreases drastically. This is because most multiple pregnancies in deer are attributed to a female mating with multiple males.
#5: Baby Deer Are Born With Only Four Teeth
When baby deer are born, they have only four teeth on their lower jaws and none on their upper ones. By the time they are 18 months old, the fawn will have a complete set of adult teeth. However, deer never get teeth on their upper jaw. Instead, they use their molars to turn and grind their teeth.
Since deer are herbivores, they only eat plant matter, so they don’t need sharp teeth.
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