Cervus is a genus of deer that primarily are native to Eurasia, although one species occurs in northern Africa and another in North America.

[7] Others members of the red deer group, which may represent separate species, are C. corsicanus, C. wallichi and C.

[2][4][8] This would restrict the "true" red deer (C. elaphus) to Europe, Anatolia, the Caucasus and northwestern Iran, and the elk/wapiti (C. canadensis) to North America and the Asian regions of the Tian Shan, Altai, and Great Khingan.

[9] If split, the potential species are C. yesoensis from northern and central Japan (Hokkaido and northern and central Honshu), C. nippon of southern Japan (southern Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Okinawa, Tsushima and other small islands), C. hortulorum of mainland Asia (the Russian Far East, Korea, central and eastern China and northern Vietnam), and C. taiouanus of Taiwan.

Females will fight for optimal mating opportunities and sexually selection for males with larger antler size and/or greater roar quality.

Female-female competition has been observed within harems in the red deer species (Cervus elaphus) prior to and during the mating season.

Female conflicts occur so the winner has first access to the harem male at the start of the mating season before he is exhausted or low on sperm storage.

Large antler size is correlated with overall health, fitness and an increase in sperm production and quality.