Wednesday, April 9, 2014

White-Tail Deer

        White-tailed deer, the smallest deer of North American. They can be from southern Canada to South America. In the heat of summer they typically inhabit fields and meadows and forests for shade. In the wild they particularly the young ther hunted by bobcats, mountain lions, and coyotes. They use speed and agility to outrun predators, running 30 miles per hour and leaping as high as 10 feet and as far as 30 feet in a single jump. Adult white-tails have reddish-brown coats in summer which fade to a duller grayish-brown in winter. Male deer are easily recognizable in the summer and fall by their set of antlers, which are grown annually and fall off in the winter. Female deer give birth to one to three young at a time, usually in May or June and after a gestation period of seven months. Young deer wear a reddish-brown coat with white spots that helps them blend in with the forest. The males for called bucks and the females are called does and also there younge ones are called fawns. Only the bucks grow antlers. During the mating season bucks fight over territory by using their antlers in fighting other males. White-tailed deer are herbivores. They eat leaves, twigs, fruits and nuts, grass, corn, alfalfa, and even lichens and other fungi. Occasionally venturing out in the daylight hours, white-tailed deer are primarily nocturnal, browsing mainly in the morning and night. 


"White tail deer." White tailed deer . N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2014. <http://www.norcrossws.org/Animals/Deer%20information.htm>.

"White-Tailed Deer." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2014. <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/white-tailed-deer/>.

"White-tail Deer Facts and Information - The Sports Globe." White-tail Deer Facts and Information - The Sports Globe. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2014. <http://thesportsglobe.com/wildlife/WhitetailDeer.aspx>.