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WHITE-TAILED DEER |
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Classification: |
Deer
are classified in the phylum
Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia,
order Artiodactyla, family Cervidae. |
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Description: |
In the spring
and summer months, the coat of a white tailed
deer is reddish-brown in color. In the fall and
winter, the coat turns to a duller grayish-brown
color. The coat of a young deer, fawn, is
reddish in color with white spots. The spots
normally disappear in 3-4 months, by winter
time, as the winter coat begins to grow. As the
name implies, the under side of the tail is
white.
White tailed
deer can run as fast as 36 mph, jump as
high as 8 1/2 feet, and leap as far as
30 feet. They are also very good
swimmers. The male
white tailed deer, buck, normally weighs
about 130-300 pounds. The female, doe,
weighs about 90-200 pounds. The average
height is 3 feet.
Antlers,
solid bony outgrowths of the skull,
develop in the males and are shed and
renewed annually. They are at first
covered by "velvet," a soft, hairy skin
permeated by blood vessels. The stem of
the antler is called the beam, and the
branches are the tines. Antlers are used
as weapons during breeding-season
combats between bucks. One amazing fact
about the white tailed deer is the male
will regrow a set of antlers every year.
During the first year of his life, he
will grow a single spike antler and by
the age of three, he will have about 8
points on his antlers. In late fall,
when the mating season is over, the
antlers will shed off and in the
beginning of summer, new antlers begin
to grow. About 1 in 10,000 female deer
have antlers; however, this normally
occurs because the deer has both male
and female characteristics.
NOTE: The most
humans killed annually by any natural
predator, world-wide, are killed by
white-tailed deer in road accidents.
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Natural Habitat: |
The
white tailed deer is native to the United States. They
can be found in all states except California, Nevada,
Utah, Alaska, and Hawaii. The white tailed deer is also
native to Canada, Mexico, and Central and South America.
The larger deer can be found in the northern parts of
the U.S. and Canada while the smaller deer live further
south. Most live in forests but many can adapt to other
habitats, including farmland, swamps, and deserts. The
white tailed deer was introduced to other countries,
including New Zealand and some regions in Europe. |
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