Haploidoceros

The **rack-antlered deer** (*Haploidoceros mediterraneus*) is a species of deer that originally lived in France, as well as the Iberian peninsula, during the middle and late Pleistocene and was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and reintroduced throughout the modern forests and semi-open woodlands across France, Germany, and the Iberian peninsula to help boost biodiversity. The rack-antlered deer is a medium-sized deer weighing around 70–80 kg (150–180 lb). Its hind limbs are especially well-developed, so it can move in a bounding gait like some other deer species. Its unique antlers are split into two beams adorned with a single tip at the end. The posterior beam is sickle-shaped, while the front beam was comparatively shorter and straighter. It possesses big cheek teeth, yet also contains pre-maxillary bones which are narrow and sharp, giving the rack-antlered deer a mix between a grazing diet and a browsing diet. The diet of the rack-antlered deer is too similar to the European fallow deer (*Dama dama*) for both to occupy the same area. Both species avoid competition by choosing different habitats; the rack-antlered deer favoring woodland and the fallow deer staying in more open areas. The rack-antlered deer are highly dimorphic, polygynous breeders; the breeding season or rut lasts approximately 135 days. The mating behaviour within the rut most often occurs in leks, where males congregate in small groups on mating territories in which the females’ only purpose for visiting these territories is for copulation. After the females are impregnated, the gestation period lasts up to 245 days and usually one fawn is born, as twins can be quite rare. The females can conceive when they are 16 months old, whereas the males can successfully breed at 16 months, but most do not breed until they are 48 months old. The females can become very cagey just before they give birth to their fawn and find secluded areas such as a bush or cave; sometimes females will give birth near the herd. As soon as the female gives birth, the female will then lick the fawn to clean it; this helps initiate the maternal bond between the two, females are the only sex that provides parental investment; males do not participate in rearing the fawn. After the birth of the fawn occurs, the females do not return to the herd for at least 10 days and for most of the days the mother is separated from the fawn, returning only to feed the fawn. The nursing period lasts about 4 months and happens every 4 hours each day. Rumination is a critical part of development in the fawn's life, and this develops about 2 to 3 weeks into the fawn's life. Females initiate the weaning periods for the fawn which lasts about 20 days; 3 to 4 weeks; later, the fawn will start to follow its mother, and they will finally rejoin the herd together. The mother frequently licks the fawn's anal area to stimulate suckling, urination, and defecation, which is a critical part of the development of the fawn. Weaning is completed at around 7 months and at around 12 months the fawn is independent; after the 135 days of reproduction, the rut comes to an end, which can be characterized by the changes in group size and behaviour. The conservation status of the rack-antlered deer is **Least Concern** due to successful conservation efforts, the rack-antlered deer's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.