White-Tailed Deer

White-Tailed Deer, deer native to the eastern United States, also known Virginia deer. In summer the deer has red-brown fur that changes to gray-brown in winter. The tail is characteristically long and is white underneath. The Virginia deer is one of the largest American deer, the buck reaching about 183 cm (about 72 in) in length and about 91 cm (about 36 in) in height at the shoulder and weighing close to 136 kg (300 lb). It is one of the most popular targets of American big-game hunters, but because of strict conservation laws regulating deer hunting, the total number of these deer remains almost constant. The full-grown antlers of the male are arched forward and have five or six points. The animals are very swift and canter with their heads and tails erect. Two fawns, born in the spring, comprise a typical brood; the young have red-brown fur flecked with white spots that disappear during their first winter. Some suburbs and forest areas now have high deer populations, which may lead to destruction of vegetation and of associated nest sites for ground-dwelling forest birds. Two subspecies of Virginia deer, the key deer and the Columbian white-tailed deer, are classified as endangered.

Scientific classification: The Virginia deer belongs to the family Cervidae. It is classified as Odocoileus virginianus.

White-Tailed Deer Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2001. © 1993-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.