White-Tailed Deer
QUICK FACTS
Scientific Name
Odocoileus virginianus
Species Survival Plan
No
Habitat
Open woodlands, fringes of urban areas and farming country, desert within 10 miles of water
Predators
Mountain lion, wolf, coyote and man
Food
Twigs, buds, leaves, forbs, acorns, fruit and agricultural crops such as corn and soybeans
Originally Native To
Southern Canada and throughout the U.S.
Height
36 - 42 inches at shoulders
Weight
50 - 250 lb.
Characteristics
Males have antlers
Gestation Period
200 days
Offspring
1 - 2 fawns
Birth Season
April - June
Lifespan
Wild 10 years
Captivity 20 years
Social Behavior
Doe and fawns generally graze together in large herds; bucks live alone or in small bachelor herds
About White-Tailed Deer
“White-tailed deer” refers to the white underside of the tail, which is held conspicuously erect like a flag when the animal is alarmed or running.
White-tailed deer are more numerous in modern times than prior to European settlement of North America. In precolonial times, they were prey for wolves and mountain lions.
Native Americans hunted white-tailed deer year-round. They are found in forests, farms, wetlands, parks, open areas and suburban locales.
White-tailed deer are browsers and grazers. This animal is a ruminant and has no incisor teeth in its upper jaw. It feeds mainly from before dawn until several hours after, as well as from late afternoon until dusk.
Males are larger than females and grow antlers from March-August. Age, genetics and nutrition determine antler size, which establishes social status among males. During the mating season, the bucks fight to breed with does.
Large-antlered bucks, with their intimidating racks, mate more frequently. The antlers are shed in late winter every year and eaten by rodents for the high calcium content.
White-tailed deer have good eyesight and acute hearing, but depend mainly on their sense of smell to detect danger. They have numerous scent glands on their legs for intraspecies communication, and secretions become especially strong during the rut.
A baby deer, called a fawn, weighs 3-6 pounds at birth. It is reddish-brown with white spots for camouflage. The spots disappear by the fourth or fifth month.
Fawns can walk at birth and run within a week. White-tailed does are painstakingly careful to keep their offspring hidden from predators. When foraging, females leave the fawns in dense vegetation for about four hours at a time.
Fawns are weaned at approximately 6-10 weeks of age. Females generally follow their mothers for about two years, but males leave the group within the first year. Bucks develop a pair of spiked antlers by the fall of their second year.
MEET THE NEIGHBORS
Wild Turkey
Wild turkeys are the largest North American game bird and the fowl that was Benjamin Franklin’s choice for America’s national bird. They are related to...
Read More
Texas Tortoise
The Texas tortoise is the smallest of four species of gopher tortoises found in the United States. They range from southern Texas into northeastern Mexico....
Read More
Sandhill Crane
Sandhill cranes have the longest migratory route of any crane at about 14,000 miles per roundtrip. They migrate along the Central Flyway from their wintering...
Read More
American Red Wolf
The howl of the red wolf was once heard throughout the southeastern United States from Texas to Illinois, but now it has become a rarity....
Read More
Mexican Gray Wolf
Mexican gray wolves are the smallest of the gray wolf subspecies and the rarest wolf from this group as well. Adults typically weigh 60-80 pounds...
Read More
Maned Wolf
Though termed a wolf and closely resembling a large red fox, this animal is placed in a genus of its own. The maned wolf is...
Read More
LaMancha Goat
American LaManchas were created in the 1930s by a woman named Eula F. Frey in Oregon. The Murciana, a Spanish goat breed originally crossed to...
Read More
Greater Roadrunner
The greater roadrunner, a ground cuckoo also known as the chaparral cock, is easily spotted by its distinctive appearance consisting of a black-and-white mottled feather...
Read More
Blue and Gold Macaw
They will climb more often than not, only flying to cover long distances. When in flight, these birds can reach a speed of 35 miles...
Read More
Black-Tailed Jackrabbit
Jackrabbits are not rabbits; they are actually hares, which are larger than rabbits and generally have longer ears and hind legs. They are fast animals,...
Read More
Attwater’s Prairie Chicken
The Attwater’s prairie chicken (APC) is possibly the most endangered bird in North America. There are more whooping cranes than APCs. Only by protecting and...
Read More
American Bison
“Buffalo” is the term used by most people to describe the American bison. The term buffalo is believed to be derived from a name given...
Read More
ANYTHING YOU GIVE HELPS THE ANIMALS
As a private nonprofit corporation, Fossil Rim does not receive national or state government support. Every cent spent or donated here goes in some way, directly or indirectly, toward the care of our animals.