Cervidae

The Cervidae are the deer, an animal family of hoofed browsing mammals. They range from the moose, which can weigh about 800 kg, to the northern pudu at about 9 kg ^{1Reference 1Animal Diversity Web (University of MichCervidae — deer — family accountView study →}.

Deer are native to every continent except Australia and Antarctica, and most of Africa has none: its only native deer is the Barbary red deer. They have been introduced nearly worldwide, including six species established in Australia and New Zealand since the mid-1800s ^{1Reference 1Animal Diversity Web (University of MichCervidae — deer — family accountView study →}.

In every species except the Chinese water deer, the males grow antlers, and in caribou the females do too. Antlers grow each year from bony bases on the skull. While they grow, they are covered in skin called velvet, which is rich in blood vessels and nerves. When the antler reaches full size, the velvet dies and is rubbed off ^{1Reference 1Animal Diversity Web (University of MichCervidae — deer — family accountView study →}.

Deer antler is this growing antler, cut while still in velvet. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia accepts it from sika deer and red deer.