White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
CLASS: Mammalia
ORDER: Artiodactyla
FAMILY: Cervidae
SIZE:
Buck 34 - 40 inches high at shoulder and 4 - 5 feet long; doe is smaller. Weight average for buck 125 - 175 lbs.; occasionally uo to 400 lbs.
RANGE:
Southern Canada, south to northern South America
HABITAT:
Temperate to tropical deciduous forest
DIET:
Wild - Leaves, twigs, brush, vines, fruits, berries, fungus
Zoo - Grain, hay
ADAPTATIONS:
Runs up to 28 mph and leaps over fences 8 feet high
Strong swimmer
Keen sense of hearing and smell
This deer gathers in small herds, usually of not more than a dozen animals of the same sex.
Feeds during the day and at night
If alarmed, it bounds swiftly away into dense vegetation with its tail raised. This "white flag" signals danger.
Pairs form briefly at mating.
FACTS:
Good antler development of buck denotes good health. Size of antlers is dependent on the food supply and age of deer. Start growing in April - May. Antlers are shed annually during January. (Velvet rubbed off in September)
Winter coats are made of stiff, tubular hairs.
YOUNG:
Gestation 6.5 - 7 months; usually 1 - 2 spotted fawns. Fawns can walk a few hours after they are born, but remain quietly hidden in shrub waiting for their mother to return to feed them.
LIFE SPAN:
20 years
ENEMIES:
Dogs, coyotes, wolves, mountain lions, bobcats, lynxes
STATUS:
Not threatened; is hunted for sport and for meat
|
