White-tailed Deer

♂ White-tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus

White-tailed deer inhabit the majority of North America from southern Canada down to Bolivia. They can be found in many habitats including woodlands, farmlands, streams, thornbrush deserts, gardens, and lawns. While they may be seen during the day, they are mostly nocturnal, but they do most their feeding during the crepuscular hours, dawn and dusk. Only the male bucks grow antlers which are used during mating season, rut, to spar with other males. The females, does, give birth once a year to one to three young. It is important to know that while many times the young fawns are seen alone, the mother has not abandoned them, but visits only during certain hours so as to not attract predators to the helpless fawn. White-tailed deer are herbivores feeding on a wide variety of plants including Eastern redbud, Shumard oak, trout lilies, blazing star, Virginia creeper, sugar hackberry, white mulberry, green ash, chinkapin oak, bur oak, silver maple, redstem filaree, smooth sumac, Texas kidneywood, fragrant honeysuckle, American beautyberry, sweet white clover, and violet wild petunia. Most white-tailed deer only live 2 to 3 years, but there are records of some living up to 20 years.