The meer deer is difficult to find as they are nocturnal and skittish with a 360 degree range of sight.
It is a distant cousin of the hexapede and share similarities in body shape. However, its feet are uniquely adapted to navigate slopes, large roots and vines. Its tail deploys like a sail when the meer deer is digging the ground, allowing it to perceive subtle vibrations in the air and detect an approaching predator.
The meer deer's most noticeable feature is its unique and unusual head, shaped to dig at the ground like a spade or trowel. It hammers at the earth like a woodpecker when feeding, rapidly excavating the mushrooms, roots, truffles and worms that make up its daily diet.
Na'vi Culture[]
Hunted by Na’vi for its succulent meat, the meer deer is a nervous creature, quick to flee. As such, it is best approached quietly as it digs at the ground. A successful catch is often celebrated as a greater feat than hunting more dangerous creatures, as only a Na’vi with great skill and perseverance will be successful in making the meer deer their dinner.
A Na’vi folktale tells of a young hunter who spotted a red-skinned meer deer in the forest, something that had never been seen before. She became obsessed with catching it, to show her prowess. The elders advised her to let it go, for she was neglecting her other duties to the clan, but she would not listen. At last she found the beast again, and hunted it for three days and nights, until she had traveled far away from home and was exhausted. Only then did she realize she had been so focused on catching it that she had become lost. She never caught the meer deer, and she never came home. The moral of the tale: be wary of obsession, lest you become consumed by it.
Rendered meer deer fat is very useful for medicine.[1]