Cervidae-Phillips

White tailed Deer

Movement- The white tailed deer walks on its 4 hooves and it can move through water but not as fast as it can move on land. If the white tailed deer is spooked it can run up to 36 miles per hour in a sort of bouncing motion.

Metabilism- The white tail eats by raising their necks and grabbing the food off trees and bushes. Most white tails are grazers and browsers which means they eat grass and fruits. The white tail manly eats green plants in the summer months, fruits nuts and acorns in the fall to winter months, and when fungi is available they will not pass it up.

How long does it take them to mature to an adult and how big do they grow- People do not exactly know how old a white tail has to be to be classified as an adult. Large bucks (male deer) can grow as tall as 4 ft and they can weigh as much as 300 pounds. Does(female deer) are slightly smaller in hight and in weight.

Adaptations- # 1 In order to help fawns (baby deer) stay hidden and camouflaged they have white spots on their backs to help break up the surroundings and them. # 2 If a deer is nervous it can snort and stamp its feet it also slowly raises its tail a little bit. If a white tail is spooked it raises its tail and runs away. The white on the tail of a deer can help fawns locate the mother if they are running away. # 3 Most deer are active during the night but deer can be moving at any time of day. Deer feeding patterns fluctuate from early in the morning, middle of the day, and even to the middle of the night. The deer feeding and movement patterns usually turn to the night when hunting pressure becomes high.

Reproduction- One doe can have one to three fawns per year. The average gesgiation period is 7 months. The fawn is born about the months of May or June.

Differences between male and female- bucks (males) have horns and are usually bigger in size. Does (females) have no horns and are usually smaller in size. Does also give birth to fawns (baby deer).

Classification- Kingdom Animal

Phylum Chordate

Class Mammal

Order Artiodactyla

Family Cervidae

Genus Odocoileus

Species Odocoileus Italies

informedfarmers.com fineartamerica.com statessymbolsusa.org Buck two does Fawn -

Family of Cervidae

Other animals in this family- Caribou, Elk, Moose, Reindeer, and Woodland Caribou.

General charastics of Cervidae- Most have horns on only male but some have horns on both male and female. All animals within this family have a thick coat of fur. These animals walk on four hooves, and live in many different types of terrain. Some of the terrain is forrests, grasslands, tundras, and marshes.

bluebirdsknoll.com caribou-pictures.com Pennsylvania elk with a radio collar caribou

Sources

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/mammals/deer/ http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/white-tailed-deer/ http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/white-tailed_deer.htm http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/june/papr/wtdeer.html