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White-tailed Deer

White-tailed Deer. White-tailed Deer. Odocoileus virginianus – underside of tail is covered with white hair Belong to family Cervidae (includes elk, moose, and caribou) Split hoofed No incisor teeth in the front of the upper jaw. White-tailed Deer. Ruminant animals 4-chambered stomach

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White-tailed Deer

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  1. White-tailed Deer

  2. White-tailed Deer • Odocoileusvirginianus – underside of tail is covered with white hair • Belong to family Cervidae(includes elk, moose, and caribou) • Split hoofed • No incisor teeth in the front of the upper jaw

  3. White-tailed Deer • Ruminant animals • 4-chambered stomach • chew a “cud” • Males grow & shed a set of antlers yearly • 30 subspecies • In PA: northern woodland whitetail

  4. Characteristics • Average adult buck: • 140 pounds • Stands 32-34 inches at the shoulder • 70 inches long from nose to tail • Does tend to be smaller than bucks

  5. Characteristics • Fawns born with white spots for camouflage (looks like sun hitting the ground) • Hair color alike in both sexes • Varies with seasons • Melanistic: Black • Piebalds: partial albinos

  6. Senses • Colorblind • Easily alerted by movement • Good senses of smell & hearing • Usually silent

  7. Antler Growth • 1st set of antlers grows at 10 months old • If the buck comes from an area with poor food conditions, first antlers will be “spikes”(single, main beams only) • Growing antlers are covered by a skin called “velvet” • Antler cycle is influenced by secretions from the pituitary gland

  8. Social Organization • Matriarchal: doe is head of family • Most common: adult doe, her fawns & her yearling female offspring

  9. Reproduction • Mating season (rut) begins in September and can last into January • Reaches its peak in early November • Age and health of a doe influence her reproductive capacity • Adult females usually produce twins • Tendency for young females to produce more males

  10. Food Habits • Herbivores • Preferences depend on availability in area and time of year

  11. Habitat • Forest • Provides concealment and food • Brush is most efficiently created by clearcutting • Cutting all trees larger than saplings

  12. History • Were used extensively by Native Americans for food and clothing • Population brought to record low by late 1800’s due to extensive clearing of land, unregulated hunting, and loss of habitat • Population has rebounded dramatically due to changing land uses, strict game laws, and a lack of large natural predators

  13. Management • Overpopulation • Strips the habitat of life-supporting qualities (for many species) • Crop/landscaping damage • Vehicle collisions • Controlled through harvesting female deer

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