White Tail Deer
Habitat
White Tail Deer range from southern Canada to Panama. White Tail Deer usually like to be on the edges and openings of forests, brushy fields and wooded farmlands.
Predators
The main predators of the white tail deer are mountain lions, wolves and coyotes. But in some areas the chief predators are bears bobcats and alligators. When faced with a predator the white tail deer's only defense is to run away.
Size and Weight
The average male white tail deer weights 130lbs to 290lbs. The average female deer weights 80lbs to 198lbs. There has been mature bucks over 400 pounds recorded in Minnesota and Ontario. White tail deer usually range from 53 - 130 cm in height to the shoulder.
Movement
White tail deer are very agile and can bound up to 30 mph. White tail deer are also good swimmers and can swim up streams and in lakes to get away from predators or go to islands.
Social Interactions
White tail deer usually live in male dominated groups. Females and fawns graze together in herds up to hundreds. A buck will often have a mating group of 6-20 does. after mating season, the buck leaves them and finds a new group or goes off on his own.
Diet
The White Tail Deer is a herbivore who browses for and eats the most nutritious plants available.
Classification Order
Kingdom- Animalia
Phylum- Chordata
Class- Mammalia
Order- Artiodactyla
Family- Cerdiave
Genus- Odocoileus
Species- Odocoileus Virginianus
Evolutionary Relationships
The White Tail Deer is most closely related to moose, elk, caribou and reindeer.
Interesting Facts
White tail deer are the most shy and nervous deer. They are the most popular large game animal in the US. Male deer grow antlers that are shed each year.