Size
White-tailed deer are the smallest members of the North American deer family. Adults are about 71 inches in total length, and 39 in in shoulder height. The average weight of an adult male is 203 lb (maximum, 405 lb). The average weight of a female is about 155 lb (maximum, 218 lb).
Color and Body Covering
Adult white-tails have reddish-brown coats in summer which fade to a duller grayish-brown in winter. In all seasons, the lower parts of the body, inner areas of the legs and ears, eye rings, a narrow band across the muzzle, and part of the throat are white. The nose, a small area on the chin, and the upper surface of the tail are black.
Male deer, called bucks, are easily recognizable in the summer and fall by their prominent set of antlers, which are grown annually and fall off in the winter. Only the bucks grow antlers, which bear a number of
tines, or sharp points
Male deer, called bucks, are easily recognizable in the summer and fall by their prominent set of antlers, which are grown annually and fall off in the winter. Only the bucks grow antlers, which bear a number of
tines, or sharp points
Eyes, Ears, and Nose
Eyes: Whitetail deer have some of the most sensitive eyes in the woods. Although color blind, deer have the distinct ability to pick up every litle detail. With eyes that sit on the sid eof their heads, Whitetail deer have a 310 degree field of vision. They have high density rods in their eyes, and horizontal split in their pupils. This results in phenominal eyesight at night.
Ears: The whitetail's ears are crucial to helping it avoid danger. They can easily detect the faintest sound, and in a split second they have the ability decide whether danger is involved or not. Their ears contain many complex muscles which allow it to move freely and with incredible control. Like dogs, deer can hear sounds at higher frequencies than humans, although their frequency range is not as high as that of a dog. The deer's ear can rotate in any direction, which is helpful in determining the direction of a sound. A deer's hearing is so acute that it can also detect the time it takes for a sound to reach one ear relative
to the other; this allows the deer to establish how far away a sound is. Once a sound is made, both ears instantly focus on that noise and carefully try to decipher its source. The deer will stop moving and wait for the sound to reappear. If a group of deer are together, their ears become a way of communicating; with a simple flick of an ear they can warn each other about approaching danger.
Nose: Few animals have a better sense of smell than the whitetail. They can detect odors much better and from a lot longer distances than humans. A large portion of the whitetail's brain is devoted to odor reception and interpretation, and its nasal chamber can concentrate odors so they're more identifiable.
Ears: The whitetail's ears are crucial to helping it avoid danger. They can easily detect the faintest sound, and in a split second they have the ability decide whether danger is involved or not. Their ears contain many complex muscles which allow it to move freely and with incredible control. Like dogs, deer can hear sounds at higher frequencies than humans, although their frequency range is not as high as that of a dog. The deer's ear can rotate in any direction, which is helpful in determining the direction of a sound. A deer's hearing is so acute that it can also detect the time it takes for a sound to reach one ear relative
to the other; this allows the deer to establish how far away a sound is. Once a sound is made, both ears instantly focus on that noise and carefully try to decipher its source. The deer will stop moving and wait for the sound to reappear. If a group of deer are together, their ears become a way of communicating; with a simple flick of an ear they can warn each other about approaching danger.
Nose: Few animals have a better sense of smell than the whitetail. They can detect odors much better and from a lot longer distances than humans. A large portion of the whitetail's brain is devoted to odor reception and interpretation, and its nasal chamber can concentrate odors so they're more identifiable.
Locomotion
The deer's ability to jump over high windfalls and fallen tree trunks while dashing off at this speed enables it to lose most of its pursuers. A deer can clear an 8-foot hurdle from a standing position. Although 15 feet is a goodbroad jump for a deer, some deer have been known to jump 29 feet. A deer customarily walks from place to place while feeding. The faster it moves, the more it is at a disadvantage in seeing an enemy before it is seen. When anxious to get to a spot more quickly, a deer trots, picking up the left front foot and the right hind foot at the same time. At full speed it bounds along with all the grace attributed to this species. When the deer is bounding the front and hind feet work in unison. The two front feet touch down and then the hind feet come down ahead of the front feet. As the front feet come down the body is bunched together, and when the deer pushes off with its hind feet the action is like the uncoiling of a flat spring.