Creature Feature: Oh, Deer
Written by: Zach Mork - JNC guide
If anyone chooses to embark on a hike as we begin the autumn season, you may notice increased signs of a particularly common hooved animal. This creature, prized by many for both its appearance, and for the bones that stick out of their head, is an animal that we all know as deer. Specifically, the deer species up for analysis in this month’s Creature Feature is a white-tailed deer.
Found across much of North America, Central America, and northern parts of South America. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are a common species named for the white underside of their tails, which they will raise whenever alarmed or sensing danger. Their appearance can change depending on the seasons. For example, during the warm months, the coat of a white-tail will likely be reddish-brown as the deer forages for green vegetation. Likewise, a deer in the winter will have a grayish-brown coat as they feed on tougher plant parts such as nuts, seeds, and twigs.
Although white-tails have the ability to dash as fast as forty miles per hour, the deer's vision is considered dichromatic - meaning they have trouble seeing reds and oranges. This is one of the reasons why deer hunters use orange when hunting, in addition to standing out to bring awareness to other hunters about your location.
Another famous trait that these creatures may possess are antlers. Antlers are bones that are shed off the deer every year. While antlers are typically a male trait, it is possible for a female to display antlers, but the chances are approximately 1:10,000. They begin to grow in late spring, and appear as soft tissue referred to as velvet. After the antler has hardened and the velvet layer is shed, males will use their newly sharpened antlers to compete with other bucks to test who among them is the more dominant deer. The reason for competition between males is to earn the opportunity to mate with females during a period called a rut. During the rut, a male will dedicate most of his time searching for females as opposed to eating or sleeping. The rut typically begins at the end of September and lasts anywhere between a few weeks or runs all the way to winter, depending on the region the white-tail is in.
Since they are widespread across the two continents, white-tailed deer can be further divided into groups known as subspecies. Subspecies are populations of a species, often those with a wide geographic range, that live in different regions and may differ in size, shape, and appearance. Notable examples of a white-tail subspecies can include the Florida Key white-tail, a significantly smaller white-tail that have adapted to living in the Florida Keys, and the Columbian white-tail, which lives primarily around a few river basins in the states of Washington and Oregon. Both of these subspecies reside in a range so small and restricted, that they may be considered an endangered species despite white-tailed deer being so common across the country.
Keep an eye out for these charming creatures at our Nature Center this fall!
Click here to learn more about the white-tailed deer!