Deer
(Scientific Name: Odocoileus
virginianus)
Description:
Odocoileus
virginianus dorsal coloration differs in shading locally,
seasonally, and among subspecies; however in general it is grayer in
the winter and redder in the summer. White fur is located in a band
behind the nose, in circles around the eyes, inside the ears, over
the chin and throat, on the upper insides of the legs and beneath
the tail. Whitetail deer have scent glands between the two parts of
the hoof on all four feet, metatarsal glands on the outside of each
hind leg, and a larger tarsal gland on the inside of each hind leg
at the hock. Scent from these glands is used for intraspecies
communication and secretions become especially strong during the
rutting season. Males possess antlers which are shed from January to
March and grow out again in April or May, losing their velvet in 
August
or September. At birth, fawns are spotted with white in coloration
and weight between 1.5 and 2.5 kg. Their coats become grayish lose
their spots by their first winter. Whitetail deer have good eyesight
and acute hearing, but depend mainly on their sense of smell to
detect danger.
Habitat: Whitetail deer are able to survive
in a variety of terrestrial habitats, from the big woods of northern
Maine to the deep saw grass and hammock swamps of Florida. They also
inhabit farmlands, brushy areas and such desolate areas of the west
such as the cactus and thornbrush deserts of southern Texas and
Mexico. Ideal whitetail deer habitat would contain dense thickets
(in which to hide and move about) and edges (which furnish food).
